Tattoo Removal

 The phenomenon of "tattoo regret" has been around as long as tattoos have. This alone, if I had to venture a guess, would be a good reason that just tattoo removal options alone are numerous. Common reasons for tatto removal include the breakup of a romantic relationship (otherwise referred to as "you got dumped"), embarrassment over a design chosen at a younger age (what was cool then makes you hot under the collar every time you look at it now), and simply disliking the tattoo (you let the guy doing "$10 Tats" out of the back of his pickup truck ink you during a weekend drunken spell).

 Fortunately, over the last decade or so, exciting new methods of tattoo removal have developed. The nasty side effects of yesterday are no longer an issue. Understanding the skin's relationship with tattoos will help you see the benefits of new tatto removal methods more easily.

The Epidermis and Dermis 

Tattoos are created by injecting ink deeply into the skin, which is why tattoo removal is tricky. The machine needle delivers ink through the epidermis (outer layer of skin), and into the second layer of skin or dermis. This needle punctures the dermis anywhere from 50 to 3,000 times within a minute. Since the needle goes approximately a millimeter into the skin to deliver the ink, the dermis receives the majority of the ink, resulting in permanent pigmentation.

Cells in the dermis are much firmer than those in the epidermis, allowing the ink to reside in its new home with minimal fading. Since the dawn of tattoos, these results have been considered permanent. However, in the last few years the development of new techniques has made it possible to remove tattoo evidence from the skin of remorseful individuals.

Removal Methods 

Methods prior to laser tattoo removal were quite expensive and painful. The methods used often required either surgery or sanding the skin like an unfinished board.

Dermabrasion or sanding removed the epidermis, the dermis, and often worked even deeper into sensitive tissues; leaving the possibility for risk of infection, pain, bleeding and almost always, scarring.

Cryosurgery is another method used. By freezing the skin like a Popsicle, bleeding is reduced. This procedure increases the risk of infection and almost always results in scarring.

Excision is even more traumatic as it involves going to a dermatologic surgeon who will actually cut the tattoo off and stitch up the surrounding skin. Personally this could only be worse if you were actually force fed through a huge sewing machine and mangled in the process. Of course, this method renders its opponents subject to infection as well as bleeding.

Some people try home remedies for removing tattoos in an effort to avoid expense. Salt rubs remove the skin, and thus the tattoo, leaving individuals open to all sorts of infections and scarring. Home remedies are considered dangerous.

In the 1980s laser tattoo removal [http://www.tattoo-ink-removal.com/lasertattooremoval.html] became popular. Due to the risks involved with other methods, laser removal has been the preferred method for many years. The procedure often requires only local or topical anesthesia, if any. While there is no blood loss and the risk of infection is minimal, laser is expensive and has several limitations. Large tattoos often require many sessions for total tatto removal. The success of the laser method highly depends on the tattoo's colors. Black and blue inks are easier to remove than green and yellow, which can not be removed completely with current laser technology.

Another type of removal is the manual, or machine method which uses a specialized gel, commonly mixed with saline. This "goop" is tattooed over the art work and causes the ink in the dermis to bond with, or be displaced by it and migrate to the surface of the epidermis where it is trapped in the scab tissue and eventually sloughed off by the body. Skin renewal usually takes from 4 to 6 weeks; one full regeneration cycle is completed within this time. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary to completely remove tattoo evidence. While similar to laser removal, this method can and does remove all colors typically in less time (3-5 treatments) without disintegrating everything (including the moths) in your wallet. Side effects are minimal and generally temporary. Another benefit is less toxicity to the body than found with laser tatto removal.

Tattoo removal creams are also an option, but do not be fooled. There are some good creams out there, (reports from consumers seem to favor Wrecking Balm, with Tat-B-Gone coming in second), but even the best home tattoo removal kits are only suitable for some tattoos. New tattoos (usually less than 2 years, and possibly others that are extremely well maintained), and those located very close to the dermis' surface may be candidates. With creams you can possibly save some money and in most cases avoid infection. If the skin becomes irritated, merely decrease application frequency.

***NOTE: If your tattoo is more than 2 or 3 years old, shows any signs of fading or has the tell-tale marks of a tattoo that has been inked too deep within the dermis (excessive scar tissue, "ink blowout" which will look like a hazy but lighter shadow of the ink outside or all around a line or lines looking too thick and uneven) creams are not for you and will only leave you broke, busted and disgusted. If you fit into any of these categories, your best option is Machine removal.