How to Find a Tattoo Remover

You had this done. Now you want it undone.

Whether you got your tattoo as a declaration of a now-lost love or under other influences, you have decided that you would like to remove all traces of that pretty permanent ink. How do you do it? Read on to learn how to find a tattoo remover.

Things You'll Need

• Internet access
• Money
• Time
• Anesthetic

Instructions

1. 

   Know that an option that isn't less painful, but a valid one nonetheless, is to have your undesired tattoo altered. Names can be changed, designs can be placed over words or other images. After all, even someone as savvy as Johnny Depp had his "Winona Forever" tattoo (a testament to former love, actress Winona Ryder) turned into "Wino Forever." Ben Affleck had his early love's name "Cheyenne" turned into a dolphin.

2. 

   If you decide that you want the tattoo completely removed, here are the current options, which may or may not be available near you. Laser removal is the current most popular method. If you're a fan of Dr. 90210, you've seen Dr. Tattoff, which is co-owned by Chris Knight (who you may remember as Peter Brady) and Big Brother's Will Kirby. There are several branches of this establishment, but there are many other similar businesses. Laser removal targets the ink with pulses of highly concentrated light that break the ink into tiny fragments, which are then cleared away the your own immune system. It can take up to 10 treatments, which can cost up to thousands of dollars for a large, professionally created tattoo.

3. 

   Another element to be considered is the possibility of pain. Without anesthetic, the treatment can feel like sharp snaps of hot grease or quick hot pin pricks. But many laser removal practitioners (including Dr. Tattoff) can provide a topical anesthetic that the patient applies 20 to 30 minutes prior to the treatment. They recommend the cream be rubbed into the tattoo, and then another layer is added--they liken it to frosting a cake. You then apply cling wrap until it's time for your treatment.

4. 

   You may have seen promotions for anti-aging facial treatments using Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, or IPL, and it’s now also being used as a new tattoo removal treatment. Instead of laser light, IPL uses high intensity light. First, the technician applies a gel and then the IPL wand emits light onto the treated area. It is supposed to be less painful than laser removal, and may be more effective. But it’s extremely costly, more so, even than laser removal.

5. Keep other methods in mind. Very rare in use (and old-school, frankly) are medical treatments in which dermabrasion is used to "sand" off the tattoo ink (which goes into several layers of skin). In addition to be extremely irritating to skin, it isn't always very effective. Another extreme method is to surgically cut-out the tattoo and to have the surgeon sew the skin together again. Over-the-counter creams may moisturize your skin and tattoo, but they hold little credibility. The first two options, laser tattoo removal and IPL removal treatments are the latest, and currently best available.

Tips & Warnings

• Many people go out of the country for surgical treatments, and given the potential for a less expensive treatment, someone who wants a tattoo removed may consider doing such. But heed the conventional cautions. Both laser and IPL treatments should only be administered by registered nurses or those who are very qualified. There is a potential to be burned, or scarred in an even worse manner by an inexperienced practitioner.