Tattoo Removal

It is a real excitement and adventure to get a tattoo done but getting it removed is more troublesome. After sporting a tattoo for some years, you may regret the decision to get tattooed. Wearing a tattoo can sometimes hold you back from getting a specific job and as the skin ages, tattoos tend to fade and so a little pain may be worth getting rid of it. Age of the tattoo holds significance in getting it removed. Newer tattoos are difficult to be removed. There are many removal creams available locally and can be used to remove a tattoo as per advised by your tattoo artist. Complete removal of a tattoo is never guaranteed. Getting a tattoo removed is much more painful then getting it done. The physician choose any method depending on the size and location of the tattoo. Following are the number of methods used in removing a tattoo:-

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery is considered to be the safest procedure for removal of a tattoo. Laser removal is simultaneously done with Q switching technique. Light beams are directed from the laser onto the tattoo to break up the tattoo pigments.

For breaking up different pigments different wavelengths of light are used. When the laser beam passes through the skin, it is absorbed by the ink and the ink breaks down and thus removed by the lymphatic system of the body. Laser surgery is performed under a local anesthetic and is not painful. Laser surgery is more effective on blue, red or black inks.

Depending on the intensity and location of your tattoo, you may need more than one session to get the tattoo removed. The side effects of this treatment are hyper pigmentation and hypo pigmentation. Skin color is dark than normal color in hyper pigmentation and in hypo pigmentation the skin color is lighter than the normal skin color.

Excision

This method of tattoo removal is performed when the dyed area is small. In this procedure the tattoo is cut out of your skin and the wound is then sutured. In case of large tattoos, skin grafting from another part of the body is done. This procedure is performed under local anesthetic, depending upon the size of the tattoo. This method can cause scarring.

Dermabrasion

This is the method of tattoo removal in which the tattooed area is sprayed with a solution to freeze it and then the tattoo is rubbed with a abrasive tool to peel the skin. Depending upon the depth of the tattoo, a skin graft may be needed to level the skin surface.

Local anesthesia is also given to minimize the pain. This method is less expensive. The side effects of this surgery can include bleeding, nausea or low blood pressure.

Salabrasion

In this method the tattooed area is rubbed with salt to peel away the tattooed skin layers with an abrading instrument. Anaesthesia is also administered in this method as it is a painful procedure. This procedure may also cause scarring.

Tissue Expansion

This method involves placing a balloon under the person's flesh and then the balloon is inflated to stretch the skin. Then the tattoo is cut out and the stretched skin is used to cover the area excised. This method may also leave a scar.

As it is tough to remove a tattoo, so it's better to think before getting a tattoo done then regret it later on.