How to remove a tattoo

A tattoo is a permanent ink mark made on skin. These days, it is in vogue to get a tattoo done on your body. Anyone can get a tattoo with a little money in hand. However, there are also times when people want to get their tattoos removed either because they are bored or they have job troubles. It is easy to remove tattoos these days, but if we consider the olden days, it was one big ordeal to get this done. Getting the tattoos removed is however not a piece of cake. You will have to spend a lot of money and go through a lot of pain. Consider the various options available for tattoo removal and choose the one that best suits you.

Complexity Level: Complex

Time required: 2-3 Sittings depending on the size of Tattoo

Resources required:

  1. TCA based tattoo removal cream.
  2. Tattoo artist

Instructions:

1. Laser removal:

  • This is the most common method of getting a tattoo removed. The ink of the tattoo is targeted with highly concentrated light that is able to break the ink of the tattoo into tiny fragments which are later cleared away by your immune system. You might need more than one sitting of laser treatment to get the tattoo removed. This might also damage your skin heavily. The entire procedure might cost a whopping $250-$850 and the pain is excruciating. However the removal is not guaranteed.

2. Intense Pulsed Light Therapy:

  • This is also called IPL for short and is used in a spa, wherein just like laser treatments high intensity light is targeted to the skin. First a gel is applied which is followed by emission of pulses of light using a wand onto the skin. This method is less painful and is much effective than laser method. Sadly, this method is much expensive a single pulse would cost you $10.

3. Other medical methods:

  • Laser treatments have bid a goodbye to the other methods like Dermabrasion where the skin would be abraded with extreme friction. These methods were not just unbearably painful but also ineffective.These are now only used in extreme cases where laser is not an option.

4. Do-It-Yourself cream removals:

  • Certain creams are recommended to remove tattoo. Although the opinion on these vary majorly. These creams contain TCA solution which fades the tattoo.

5. Fading with Saline:

  • Expert tattoo artists claim to be able to remove the tattoo by tattooing saline solution in the area where the ink is. This is effective when it comes to old tattoos, but is not that good method as it is able to only lighten the tattoo making it easy to just cover it up. It is very harmless and can be tried. All you need to do is to find out a tattoo artist capable of removing the tattoo with saline.

6. Cover it up:

  • You could cover up the old tattoo with a new one. any skilled tattoo artist could help you with this by making a new design that will be able to cover up the old one. This will also not cost too much on your pocket, you just need to pay the price of the new tattoo. If the cover up is done perfectly, you might not be able to see a single sign of your old tattoo.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will tattoo removal leave a scar? How can I take care of the removed tattoo area?

Scarring totally depends on the method you use for removal. It is possible that the scar might heal with time. Apply coconut oil and also ice on the scar for a healing effect. Avoid swimming for some time, the chlorine content in water might harm your skin further.

Quick tips:

  • Choose a suitable method for removal and head to a recognized clinic only, else you might just waste your money for no good.
  • Think twice before getting the tattoo removed. If you really want to get it removed, be ready to shell out a lot of money and bear a lot of pain.

Things to watch out for:

  • Do not touch the blisters caused because of laser treatment, just apply ointments that your dermatologist suggested you to.
  • Remember that the tattoo removal will harm your skin, the more treatments you’ll go for, the more damage you will do to your skin.

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