Getting That Unwanted Tattoo Removed
August 24th, 2012
Most people out there think that tattoos are permanent or extremely painful to remove. That is not the case. There are various methods for removing tattoos that are efficient and relatively low pain. The best thing to do is find out which technique suits you. The process can be done by you with certain methods, or done professionally at a tattoo removal shop. The methods vary in cost and pain, yet each one is maybe effective in helping you rid yourself of the ink on your body.
The most common method of removal, which most people have heard of, is laser removal. This removes the tattoo by using concentrated light to break the ink into small pieces. In turn, the fragments of ink are flushed out naturally by the body. Depending on the size and thickness of the tattoo, many sessions may be required to completely remove the ink. This can lead to a number of skin problems. It may cause lesions or blisters that can scab over and eventually form scars. You need to ask yourself if the tattoo needs removing bad enough to warrant permanent scars on the area of removal. Scarring is not inevitable though. Many factors lead to the amount of scarring including size, laser strength, and skin sensitivity. This method is also probably the most painful and costly. The cost primarily consists of the size and colors used to create the tattoo, with smaller, less colorful tattoos being the cheapest. Large, colorful tattoos can cost thousands of dollars to remove, depending on the amount of sessions required.
One of the methods that is growing in popularity is the do-it-yourself tattoo removal creams. This is also one of the most unproven techniques. The appeal of this method lies within the fact that it is nearly painless and very cost effective. On average, one can be expected to spend less than 200 dollars for the cream. The cream comes in multiple month supplies. It can take quite some time for the results that are wanted, so this can get somewhat costly. Another downside to the cream is that it may not completely remove the tattoo. It may substantially fade the ink, but complete removal is not a guarantee.
There are many other methods yet unmentioned that can be used for tattoo removal. Most of these methods however, can be very costly and most of all, painful. Dermabrasion is a technique that sands away the tattoo. This has been proven to be ineffective on everything but the smallest, least colorful tattoo, as only the top layer of skin is removed. This can also be extremely painful. Another method that actually cuts off the tattoo is called excision. This has reportedly caused excessive scarring and is not recommended unless it is an urgent matter. Once the tattoo is cut, the surrounding skin is stitched back together. The least painful of these removal techniques is Intense Pulsed Light therapy. This technique is very similar to laser removal. It is considered less painful but less effective as well. It can also be very costly to use this technique; in some cases even more so than laser removal.
Whether you’re more concerned about cost or pain, there is a tattoo removal method out there for you. From at-home treatments, to the recommended visit to a tattoo removal shop, there are many decisions to make. Research is highly suggested to anyone thinking about getting any ink removed. With a number of techniques out there though, finding the method that suits you shouldn’t be as daunting of a task as you may believe.