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Popular Ways To Remove Tattoos And The Positives And Negatives Of Each

30th March, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

When tattoos are created, they are considered to be permanent markings on the skin of an individual. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that removing them is not an easy process. Below are some of the more well know ways to remove tattoos, and also some of the pros and cons fo each procedure.

– Dermabrasion – this is a very painful method and involves sanding away the skin that has been tattooed.

– Cryosurgery – where the tattooed skin is frozen and then removed.

– Excision – a procedure where the doctor removes the area of tattooed skin with a scalpel and then stitches together the skin that remains. This is not a good option on very large tattoos.

– Laser Tattoo Removal– a laser goes through the top layer of skin (the epidermis) and reaches the dermis layer that is where the tattoo ink resides. The laser causes the tattoo ink to break down. When the ink breaks down the body’s immune system naturally removes the tattoo dye because it is seen as an impurity in the body. Tattoos naturally fade over time because of this same process, the laser just greatly speeds up the process.

Laser tattoo removal is the most common and is less painful than all the other methods. It also has the advantage that it can be done on an outpatient basis, which makes it more convenient than some of the other methods.

Laser tattoo removal has far less detrimental side effects than other methods mainly because the laser method is less invasive than the other removal measures. However keep in mind that it may take several laser removal sessions to get the tattoo totally removed from your skin. Generally, it takes 1-6 sessions for amateur tattoos, and 3-15 sessions for professional tattoos. Each one of these treatments should be spaced about 6-8 weeks apart to allow the body to absorb the ink. How many treatments are required depends on several different factors: how effectively the body’s immune system scavenges the fragmented ink. The age, how deep the ink is in the skin, the type of ink used and how it was applied are all important factors. Since there are a multitude of inks used in tattooing, it is difficult to gauge an exact amount of treatments required to remove a tattoo. While possible, it is very rare for a tattoo to require more than 10 treatments. If someone is interested in lightening the tattoo to place a new tattoo, laser treatments are extremely effective.

A few things that a patient can do to lessen the pain and improve the healing process after a laser tattoo removal are:

– Take aspirin or some other mild pain reliever before and after the treatment.

– In the first 24 hours after treatment, ice the area periodically along with rest and elevation of the treated site. It’s also a good idea to limit physical activities and avoid saunas, swimming.

-After 24 hours use Aloe-Cort cream twice a day to moisturize the area.

– It is important NOT to break blisters or pick at scabs, because this will increase the chances of scarring and infection.

– Do not spend an extended period of time exposed to the sun and avoid tanning beds while the area is healing.

– When taking a shower be careful not to scrub the affected area as it will increase the inflammation and slow the healing process.

The most effective way to remove an unwanted tattoo at this time is laser tattoo removal. Since it works with the body’s immune system it may take longer than other methods, but he results are better, it is less painful, and it doesn’t have the side effects of the other methods.