The 5 Most Common Tattoo Removal Procedures

February 12th, 2009 | admin | Tattoo Removal Solutions

What’s the best method today for tatttoo removal? That answer really seems to boil down to two soulutions–laser and the use of creams.

Laser seems to be the more effective of the two. But it does not come without its drawbacks. It can be painful, take a long time (several visits over several months) and is not guaranteed to completely work.

The creams, as well,do not seem to work for everyone. But they are a lot less costly, can be done in the privacy of your own home, and are painless.

Many people we talk to after considering the two choices seems to opting for the cream do it yourself method as a first choice. You will know a lot faster, with a lot less pain at a much lower cost if if the tattoo cream removal will work for you. One company with very popular tattoo removal creams that offers a money back guarantee can be found here.

To further educate you on the technology available to day here are the choices for tattoo removal.

Laser Tattoo Removal

The top choice for most people today is the laser technology to remove their tattoos. Basically, lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pigment colors of the tattoo with a high-intensity light beam. The more treatments you have, the more the laser can penetrate to wipe away the ink. However, overdoing the treatments can cause damage to you skin and eventually lead to scarring.

If treated properly, sometimes there are no traces of scarring but it really depends on the situation. Basically, the laser type, number of sessions and the patient’s body ability to rid it self of the ink are factors that can determine the outcome of the procedure. The cost for tattoo removal using laser technology ranges, with anywhere from 1-10 sessions, will cost in the range of $250-$1000 per session.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL)

IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light Therapy is an effective tattoo removal treatment that targets intense light onto the upper layer of the skin basically burning it off. The treatment stimulates new skin growth, and when the treated area heals, the tattoo is usually much less noticeable than before. This method is said to be not as painful as laser therapy, and more effective, resulting in less treatment sessions. It usually takes 10-12 months after the treatment for full results to show. The cost of IPL is based on the number of pulses your tattoo requires to be removed and it can range anywhere from $10-$15 per pulse.

Using Creams to Fade Away Tattoos

Creams are a chemical, non-laser approach to removing a tattoo. They are used over an extended period of time to gradually fade away a tattoo. However, results are not guaranteed and people seem to try this method first before going the expense of laser treatments. Some people claim to get very good results with this tattoo cream removal.

Excision

Excision involves removing the tattooed area of skin and then stitching it closed. This method is more ideal for smaller tattoo, however can still be used on larger ones. For larger tattoos, the skin is removed and a skin graft from another part of the body is used to cover the area.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure where the surgeon uses a sanding tool to go over the skin in order to rub off the top layers of the skin to reveal fresh skin beneath. Local anesthesia is used during the treatment. When the procedure is over, the skin appears to be red in color and is tender. It usually takes the skin a few weeks to heal. This procedure is not recommended if the patient is prone to scarring. If the patient is prone to hyper or hypo-pigmentation as well, then this procedure is not highly recommended.