Variot Tattoo Removal
People have been regretting tattoos and trying to remove them for centuries. Historians have traced the earliest tattoo removal cream to 54 A.D. In 1888, French physician Variot G. Nouveau discovered that tattooing over a tattoo with an acid solution helped to significantly fade the tattoo. Dermatologists have used the Variot tattoo removal technique at various times ever since. Does this Spark an idea?
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Function
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The original Variot tattoo removal technique involved tattooing a mixture of tannic acid, glycerin and distilled water over the tattoo to be removed. The procedure caused a thick scab to form, and much of the tattoo would later fall off with the scab.
Updates
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In 2004, an article in the "British Journal of Dermatology" reintroduced Veriot tattoo removal as an alternative to laser treatments and abrasive removal techniques. Modern dermatologists use a customized chemical compound containing no tannic acid, which was found to be a carcinogen in the mid-20th century.
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Effectiveness
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Like many tattoo removal techniques, the Variot method carries a risk of scarring and may leave a faint outline of the tattoo behind. A 1993 study at a hospital in The Netherlands found that the Variot tattoo removal technique was more effective at removing amateur tattoos than professional tattoos.
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References
- Photo Credit tattoo image by FXTW from Fotolia.com
