Tattoo Removal: Your Best Options

Laser Tattoo Removal

More modern laser tattoo removal techniques can be extremely effective, eliminating your unwanted tattoo almost completely or completely without leaving scarring or other unwanted skin marks. Using a high-intensity light beam, lasers break up the pigments in your tattoo. Black ink is easier to remove than colored pigments, which only respond to certain types of lasers.

Scarring as the result of attempted DIY tattoo removal or the use of tattoo removal creams can make laser treatment less effective. People hoping to undergo laser tattoo removal will want to look for a very reputable clinic — either a dermatology clinic or a cosmetic surgery center.

You're probably curious what the downsides to laser tattoo removal are. Some people are worried that the sessions will be painful. If you have been tattooed, you can probably also handle the pain of laser treatment without any type of anesthesia. You'll want to consider the risks of infection and hypo-pigmentation, in which the treated area of skin actually becomes lighter than the surrounding skin, before going ahead. The main downside is, for many, the cost. While prices vary greatly depending on the clinic and where you live, those living in the United States can count on an average cost of $100 per laser session. Don't expect your insurance policy to cover the treatment, which is considered a cosmetic procedure.

Surgical Excision

Surgical excision, in which the tattoo is surgical removed and the remaining skin stitched up, can be a good option for small tattoos. Larger tattoos are also occasionally removed surgically, though skin grafts from other areas of the body will be needed in that case. Larger tattoos may need to be removed over several sessions, allowing the skin time to heal before moving on to the next stage. 

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion tattoo removal is the professional equivalent of using a sander on your tattooed skin. The epidermis and part of the dermis are scraped away to remove the tattoo's pigment. In the aftermath, a new layer of skin will form in the affected area. Dermabrasion is a more painful procedure that can take weeks to heal. In the meantime, the skin will be sore, inflamed, and red. Permanent scarring can occur, but the tattoo will probably be gone. The new skin layer will always be at risk of sunburn as well. 

See Also: Health And Safety In Tattoo Studios: What You Need To Know

Cover-Ups

Are you curious what I did what that nasty tattoo I was desperate to live without? Like many — but certainly not all — people who want to remove a tattoo, I really do like tattoos. I just hated that particular one. After considering all my options, I decided to choose the cheapest option that was also most likely to give me what I wanted, which was for the tattoo in question to be gone forever. I looked around for reputable tattoo artists who were skilled at doing cover-ups, and ended up with a brand new tattoo I love. All evidence of the old tattoo is gone.