Tattoo removal
A tattoo is something that is usually gotten for one of three reasons: 1) it was a life goal, 2) in memory of or because of a loved one, and 3) it was a really crazy drunken night. Sometimes, an individual thinks a tattoo would be awesome, but that same thinking tends to go out the door 30 years down the road. Mind you, there are other logical reasons that an individual might want a tattoo removed: maybe it is getting in the way of finding a decent job or for aesthetic purposes. You may very well want to get that tattoo removed (after all, what were you thinking?), and no doubt, in the easiest manner possible. Keep in mind that there are a variety of methods to have a tattoo removed, some less painful and scarring than others, and you should thoroughly consider which one is right for you. Removing a tattoo is no doubt going to be costly, but then again, you should’ve thought about that in the first place!
Laser Removal
Let’s start with laser removal, which for a long time, has the most common way to get a tattoo removed. A laser applies highly concentrated light to the tattoo, which breaks the ink into tiny fragments, and eventually the immune system clears the fragments away. Unfortunately, it can take multiple treatments for the tattoo to disappear, depending on the tattoo’s size, location, and the individual’s immune system. Also, the more treatments that you have to have, the more likely it is that you’ll experience a permanent burn, scar, or other damage from the applied heat of the laser. Painful blisters and scabs can result. Today’s technology, which we all know is more advanced, reduces the risk of skin damage, but does not completely eliminate it. This procedure is very costly, and the price is per session.
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy
This procedure is basically the same as laser removal, but instead of the laser it uses a high intensity light. A gel is applied to the tattoo and a wand emits pulses of light onto the area. All in all, this method is less painful, less time-consuming, and therefore, less expensive, than laser removal. Don’t be fooled, the pulsed light therapy isn’t cheap, and it can cause a decent-sized dent in your bank account.
Excision
This method involves removing the tattoo area, skin included, and then stitching the skin back together; usually there isn’t a lot of bleeding. Needless to say, this wouldn’t be used for a tattoo covering the whole backside or an arm, but it is more useful for small tattoos. If it is used on a larger tattoo, a skin graft can be done, taking skin from another part of the body to fill in the area.
Over-the-counter Solutions
While these are probably not effective, it might be worth a shot to at least fade the tattoo before a treatment of laser removal or intense pulsed light therapy is done, to make the latter more successful. There is Tat B Gone, Tattoo-Off, and NuviDerm that are sold and can show a noticeable difference in brightness of the tattoo; in other words, they work to fade it. Again, it will take several months to get the desired results of completely getting rid of the tattoo, but if you’re short on cash, this might be considered a better option to try than the other two procedures. On the other hand, you might want to save the money on something you don’t know will work, for something that has proven to work more effectively. If you’re concerned about trying one of these products, look up customer reviews on the internet.
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