Tattoo Removal

Introduction

Tattoo removal is, ironically, one of the fastest growing sectors of the tattoo industry. Tattoo removal works in a variety of different ways, depending on what particular removal procedure you choose. Tattoo removal procedures are even more popular today, the technology has advanced where almost every detail of the tattoo can be removed from your body and it can become a thing of the past. Fortunately, there are several methods for tattoo removal which have proven successful. Tattoo removal with the carbon dioxide laser, Tattoo removal using a liquid nitrogen cryospray, over tattooing with tannic acid. Tattoo removal with minimal scarring: the chemo-laser technique.

Removal

Another method of tattoo removal is called dermabrasion in which a small portion of the tattoo is sprayed with a solution that freezes the area. Regardless of which method of tattoo removal is used, some scarring or color variations are likely to remain. Experts in removal therapy say that technology has advanced to the point where scarring is minimal, sometimes non-existent, but this can vary depending on the situation.

Laser

Laser Removal Today, lasers are the most common method of tattoo removal. Laser Tattoo Removal works by blasting the ink on the dermis layer and breaking it up into smaller molecules which are then carried away in the bloodstream. Laser removal can be quite painful, and most patients are treated with a local anesthetic gel before the procedure. Laser tattoo removal is safer and more effective than traditional tattoo removal techniques.

Treatments

Treatments are spaced six to eight weeks apart to give your body sufficient time to fully eliminate loosened particles of ink or pigment. The more treatments you have, the more the laser can penetrate to destroy the ink. The length and amount of treatments required for tattoo removal will vary based on the size and design of the tattoo being removed. In spite of the fact that tattoo removal by laser is known to be painful and takes an average of eight to ten treatments per tattoo, and in some cases up to 1 year to complete, patient retention is virtually 100%. Aftercare is exactly the same as that for tattoo, with 6-8 weeks between treatments.

Surgery

Pre-laser tattoo removal methods include dermabrasion, Sal abrasion (scrubbing the skin with salt), cryosurgery, and excision which are sometimes still used along with skin grafts for larger tattoos. If surgery is agreed upon as the best treatment, patient and physician should discuss the probable extent of the surgical scar and how the scar can be minimized.

Conclusion

Photos of before and after the procedure helps you to understand and weigh your options on tattoo removal. Traditional laser tattoo removal procedures typically are painful, time consuming and expensive. Surgical tattoo removal methods or sanding often leave scars and can lead to other complications. There is some evidence that some creams may fade a tattoo when used over several months, but if a tattoo removal cream truly worked, we'd all know about it by now. What people should realize is that laser tattoo removal isn't a one-time treatment no matter which of the three systems is used.