Tattoo Removal Options Update

These days so many people have a tattoo, from David Beckham to Mariah Carey. It could be a partners name or just a picture that means something to you at the time. The more the stars have them as fashion accessories, the more it becomes fashionable for the rest of us - and with that the demand for tattoo removal increases massively.If you’ve fallen out of love with your ‘I Love Mum design’, you’ve been dumped by the man whose name you had tattooed across the bottom of your back, or you are just deciding on whether to get a tattoo; you had best take 2 minutes out to read our little guide to tattoo removal…

What is a Tattoo exactly?

Tattooing involves inserting indelible ink into the layer of skin beneath the top layer of the skin (the dermis). Traditional black and blue inks are the easiest to get rid of, although modern inks have progressed somewhat in recent years, they now retain they’re colour much longer - which makes them harder to remove.

Laser Tattoo Removal

The most effective and safest removal uses lasers. Short pulses of intense light are directed at the tattoo. The harmless pulses of light pass through the top layer of the skin and are absorbed by the pigment, breaking it down into smaller pieces which are automatically removed by the bodys immune system.

As a result, health is a factor in how effective tattoo removal is - the healthier a persons immune system, the quicker the ink will be broken down. But does it hurt you ask yourself, Well think of an elastic band being flicked against the skin - its a very similar sensation. If you have a low pain threshold, many clinics will offer an anaesthetic cream to numb the area. The cost of one session can range from £50 to £200, this depends on the size and colour of the tattoo. A small tattoo should need less time, around 30 minutes, larger - longer. Most tattoos need about 8 to 10 treatments. There’s a very small risk of scarring with laser removal. After the treatments there may be some blistering, but this should only last a few days. The area might be slightly lighter in skin tone, but this will be back to normal in no time too.

Tattoo Removal Creams

The companies that make these creams claim that they work by bonding with the tattoo pigment, which is then rejected by the body. Rising to the surface of the skin in the form of a scab, which then falls away. Other methods involve injecting a similar cream directly into the tattoo with a machine which works not far different from a tattoo gun. However, scientists have questioned whether the creams can really work.

Summary

What ever method you choose, it’s very important to carefully consider all your options, as there is no official body that governs or effectively regulates tattoo removal. Lasers are known to be the ‘gold standard’ although, they are only as good as the clinic using them.