Tattoo Removal: Is It Possible?
04 May 2012
Strongly contemplating about having your tattoo taken off?
Perhaps after all, mothers know best. Moms are known to not agree with their youngsters ‘ decision to have a tattoo. Being the moms that they are, they might always close a debate with a frustrated “Don’t tell me someday I didn’t warn you.” For you, it was simply a youthful type of self-expression. For her, your tattoo meant trouble. Oh yup, you could have listened to mom. And now you’re a part of the growing statistics.
According to statistical data, 50% of those individuals that get tattoos end up having regrets later on. These folks have diverse reasons for having such remorse and the general reason is “I was too young then.”
Tattoos have become a definite part of conventional culture in the last few years that is the reason why a lot of people got themselves into the bandwagon. A tattoo is an indelible skin alteration technique which has been practiced for ages. It is a permanent mark or design made on the body where pigment is inserted into the dermal layer of the skin thru ruptures in the skin’s top layer.
From the primitive methods of applying tattoo, the present-day tattoo machine was made. It has needles that puncture the skin with an up and down motion in a rapid fashion.
Can tattoos be really removed? No. Dermatologic surgeons cannot and don’t guarantee total removal. In the 1st place, tattoos are meant to be permanent so removing them is a major challenge. There are , however , a few methods which have been proven to remove, to some extent, an existing ink piece. But the degree of removal depends on a range of factors. Size, location, the subject’s ability to heal, the way in which the piece was applied and how long it has been there are the most important considerations.
How can tattoos be removed? Long ago where lasers were still inexistent, tattoo removal used techniques which were painful and known to create scars. A number of these were dermabrasion, cryosurgery, and excision. Dermabrasion involves “sanding” the skin to remove the surface and middle layers. Cryosurgery is a technique where the area is frozen before removing the tattoo. Excision, on the other hand, involves removal of the tattoo with a scalpel. The wound is then closed with stitches. There are severe cases were skin graft from another part of the body is needed. These techniques are not yet outdated. These procedures are still utilized in certain cases today. However, technical advances offer more promising solutions through lasers (i.e. Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Lasers have turned out to be the common treatment for getting rid of tattoos, not only because they offer a bloodless removal technique but more importantly, they are low risk and effective, and has minimal side effects. A session can be done on an outpatient basis in a single or series of visits. Topical or local anesthesia may not be needed as well.
Regrets do come in the end but fortunately enough there are effective techniques to wipe out your tattoo. So stop crying over spilt milk. Rather, choose tattoo removal while there is hope for you. There are a large amount of tattoo removal ideas and techniques out there.
Zach Pollick has over 20 years of experience in the tattoo industry and uses his experience in helping others make an informed decision about tattoo removal and tattoo removal cost.
