Have you decided to get rid of your tattoo?

Thankfully there are now several available methods to remove tattoos when circumstances and times change

You may be aware that the most common and effective method for tattoo removal is achieved with laser treatments.  This technique involves a high-intensity light beam that breaks up the tattoo pigment.  The ink is then slowly absorbed through your body’s immune system.  This technique is known to be painful and expensive it normally requiring several follow-up sessions.

Lasers tends to work very effectively with tattoo inks applied by professional artists since the ink is usually at the same depth within your skin.  The pigments that usually respond well are the darker ones such as: black, dark red and blue. The more difficult colors are:  greens, yellows, light reds and oranges.  It is not unheard of for patients to require as many as 12 visits in a period spaced out over three month intervals.

A few other methods of tattoo removal are:

Dermabrasion:  This method of tattoo removal was quite popular before lasers came along in the 1990s.  It involves manual abrasion (sanding) of the skin to remove the top layers of skin above the tattoo. This can be painful, especially with a larger tattoo. This removal method has been known to cause scarring.

Intense Pulse Light Therapy:  IPL is one of the newer methods of tattoo removal. Lasers often use one wavelength of light (one color) but IPL can deliver hundreds or even thousands of colors all at once. An anesthetic usually applied to the tattooed area a wand emits the pulses through a prism.  It is less painful than laser therapy and is known to require fewer treatment sessions, but the price is often higher than laser treatments: per pulse is often charged.

Cryosurgery: This method is now considered an outdated option for tattoo removal. The tattooed area is first covered with liquid nitrogen, or another freezing agent.  This makes the procedure fairly painless while it is happening, however after the skin thaws minor to moderate pain can set in. After the tattooed area is frozen the physician will peel the tattoo off one section at a time. Redness and blistering are common, but the area usually scabs over and begins to peel away within about a week.

Creams have become a common alternative to lasers and these other methods for tattoo removal.  There are verying opinions as to their efficacy, however you can find many favourable reviews of some of these products.  Many people have used them to ‘lessen’ the appearance of a tattoo prior to laser therapy.  This approach can drastically reduce your overall cost since laser sessions can easily cost a few hundred dollars per visit.

Many of these creams work by slowly peeling the topmost layer of skin (the epidermis). Some others claim to penetrate into deeper layers of skin and dissolves the embedded ink within the dermal skin layers. Some of these claims may be based on fact however it is really up the consumer to research the available information on ingredients, testing results, side effects and the efficacy of these creams. For every cream that delivers on its promises of effectiveness there are probably ten that are worthless.  It makes a lot of sense to read customer reviews and use the experiences of others as a guide.

The effectiveness of these tattoo removal creams will also depend on the following factors:

Location of the tattoo (forearm and ankle tattoos generally take longest Type of ink used Colors of the ink Skin type Amount of ink that was used Scarring or tissue change Your body’s ability to heal and rid itself of the ink Whether the tattoo was done professionally or by an amateur

A small tattoo will obviously be easier to remove than a larger one. A denser tattoo with more dark ink used and varying colors will also be more difficult to remove. A newer tattoo also takes more work to remove than an old one. Do not expect that all of these creams will produce miracle results, check for guarantees and user feedback and keep in mind that these products take time to work, persistence is often the key.

Some of the most popular order sizes for these kits are 4 or 6 months.  This is not only because you will get a quantity discount but because people who are successful in using these products realize it takes a real time commitment to achieve the best results.

Best of luck to you, I hope you’ve found this information useful.