Tips on Tattoo Removal

There are many ways to remove a tattoo, but none of the methods are painless. They all require healing time, and in some cases, scarring may occur and some of the tattoo pigments may remain. The best method for removal depends on the size, location and age of the tattoo. Larger, older tattoos on thick skin are the hardest to remove and may yield the most side effects.

Creams

• There are several topical creams on the market that are supposed to slowly fade the tattoo pigmentation over time. These creams work for some people but may take up to six months to begin to fade the tattoo. However, the FDA has not shown these topical creams to be effective in removing tattoos and warns that the creams carry a high risk of serious allergic reactions.

Abrasion

• Perhaps the oldest way to remove a tattoo involves abrasion of the skin. Salabrasion was used centuries ago to break the skin so that the tattoo pigments could escape. A salabrasion procedure involved covering the tattooed area with salt water and using a rough object such as stone to "sand" the skin until it was a deep red color.

  Today, a similar procedure called dermabrasion is sometimes used to remove tattoos. Dermabrasion is best for very small tattoos because it has to be done one small area at a time. The main advantage of dermabrasion is that it is minimally invasive. During dermabrasion, a doctor sprays a freezing spray onto the tattooed area to help numb the skin and then rubs a small rotating tool on the skin to cause it to peel. Doctors peel back only the layers of skin needed to get to the tattooed area. After the appropriate number of layers of skin is peeled, the doctor dresses the wound, and the tattoo pigmentation begins to escape. If you have dermabrasion done to remove a tattoo, pay careful attention to the dressing because the skin will usually bleed. The cleaner you keep the dressing, the faster the wound will heal.

Excision

• Excision is a surgical way to remove a tattoo. It works on both large and small tattoos, although very large tattoos may need to be excised in stages. The main advantage of excision is that it removes the tattoo all at once. During an excision procedure, a local anesthetic is injected into the skin to completely numb the area. Then, the tattoo is surgically removed, or "cut out." In the case of a small tattoo, the edges of the remaining skin are stitched together. In the case of a larger tattoo, you may need a skin graft in order to hold the skin together. Because this method involves stitches, the bleeding is more minimal than in an abrasion procedure, but excision is more invasive.

Light Therapies

• The most popular way to remove tattoos today is through laser therapy. This is because laser therapy is noninvasive and quick (although you may need several laser therapy sessions before your tattoo is completely removed). Most people find laser therapy to be painful, but it is usually done without anesthetic. However, if you are extremely sensitive to the pain, you may request a topical numbing cream before treatment begins. Patients usually describe laser treatment as a feeling of repeated rubber band snaps against the skin.

  Laser therapy uses a light to break up the tattoo pigments in your skin, and during the following week or two, your body gets rid of the broken pigments. Depending on the size of your tattoo, the color saturation, the age and the location, you may need only one treatment or you may need many.

  Intense Pulsating Light (IPL) therapy is another type of light therapy that removes tattoos. It is a relatively new procedure that works exactly like laser therapy, but IPL light is more precise than laser therapy. Doctors using IPL therapy can be more selective about where IPL light goes and target only tattooed skin. Doctors can also vary IPL wavelengths during treatment according to the color of tattoo ink, as well as the color of your skin. Because it's more precise than laser therapy, you won't need as many treatments, so IPL may ultimately be less painful than laser therapy. IPL therapy is the most expensive way to remove a tattoo.