How Does Tattoo Removal Work?

About Tattoo Removal

Tattoos are permanent. Well they used to be, anyway. Now there are several different methods that can be used to remove tattoos. Tattoo removal is not cheap, and no one can guarantee that the whole tattoo will be removed. There are a variety of reasons that people who once adorned their body with tattoos now wish to be rid of the artwork. Although there are many reasons to remove tattoos the most common one is for removing the name of someone, most often an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, husband or wife.

Tattoo Removal Products and Treatments

It has been estimated that half of the people who choose to get a tattoo find that later in life they regret the choice. It used to be that tattoo removal was a painful, invasive surgery that was very expensive. Today there are over the counter products that claim they can fade your tattoo away as well as new advanced laser surgeries aimed at tattoo removal. Ointments, creams and liquid chemical peels are the cheapest tattoo removal methods available. These products are smoothed over the tattoo that is to be faded away as directed by the product's instructions. Most of these products need to be used on a regular basis. Often these products do not guarantee that the whole tattoo will be removed but that it will be dramatically faded after weeks of use. More expensive laser surgeries--usually more than one--will remove a tattoo completely. The drawbacks of laser surgery for tattoo removal are its expense, the chance that it can cause scarring (although rarely), hyperpigmentation (abundance of color) or hypopigmentation (lack of color), and the necessity of several treatments, depending on the size of the tattoo as well as the ink used to create the tattoo. Pre-treatments to laser surgery may also be recommended by the dermatologist performing the tattoo removal. This may mean taking a non-aspirin product before the surgery and also using a prescription anesthetic cream on the area where the lasers will be aimed. Redness of the area and a sunburn-like feeling can last days or weeks after the procedure.

Why Color and Type of Ink Affect Tattoo Removal

Tattoo removal can be a long drawn out process depending on the multiple colors used in the tattoo. Some colors fade faster than others. Reds and yellows have been known to fade faster with creams and ointments than blue and green colors. This is believed to be because of the materials used to make the pigments as well as the concentration of the colors. Black tattoos are removed easiest with lasers because black absorbs the lasers' wavelengths. This makes it easier for the laser to break up the pigment in the black ink. Different lasers may be needed for other colors involved in the tattoo. The type of ink used in the tattoo that is to be removed can also determine how long it will take for the tattoo's complete removal. India ink, pen ink and pigments made from chemicals, metals and other items are designed to be permanent. There are two layers of the skin, epidermis and dermis, which a tattoo pigment may have been designed to reach. If the tattoo is deep into both layers of skin it will take longer to remove. Another option for tattoo removal is to not remove the tattoo but to get a cover-up tattoo. Many tattoo artists specialize in cover-ups as an alternative to creams and expensive laser surgeries.

Resources

• How Tattoo Removal Works
• Tattoo Health