Tattoo Removal
Options
The removal of a tattoo is often thought of as being a very
painful process. Although the process may have been very
painful in the past, the technology of today offers methods of
removing tattoos. Currently, there are two options to
remove tattoos that are rapidly becoming more and more popular
– laser technology and light based technology.
Both surgeries used light energy to destroy the ink in the
tattoo. The ink in the tattoo will absorb the energy of
the light, breaking it up. Once the ink starts to break
up, it can easily be passed through and out of your body
through filtering. In most cases this is extremely safe,
as the ink is broken down into micro size to where it can
easily pass through the body with no complications.
The process is actually similar to the surgery in which hair
is removed. The surgeon or doctor who performs the
surgery will hold a wand to the skin that is being
treated. As he does this, the pulses of light are aimed
at the tattoo, breaking up the ink. The wand is normally
held right up against the tattoo, as this makes the pulses of
light much more effective.
Normally, the feeling that you’ll experience is best
described as an elastic or rubber band flicking constantly
against your skin. If the tattoo is big, the pain could
certainly be a bit more intense. The area where the
tattoo is at is also important, as sensitive areas may cause
you quite a bit of pain and discomfort. If the area in
which you have the tattoo doesn’t have a lot of muscle or
tissue, you’ll more than likely want to be numbed as much as
possible before starting the procedure.
Both laser and light based treatments are somewhat
similar. With both tattoo removal procedures, the doctor
that is doing the procedure will always apply a cooling gel to
the tattoo area that is being treated to cool the skin and
conduct the energy of the light. This cooling gel helps
to draw the light, and at the same time protect your
skin. The gel will feel cool to the touch, although it
will help your skin when the light pulses start to break the
ink apart.
If you’ve been thinking about having a tattoo removed you
should consider both light and laser based procedures.
Keep in mind that they are both expensive, and both impose
risks. Depending on how big your tattoo is and what the
procedure involves, you may need to spend a night or two in the
hospital. Even though both procedures do offer ways to
have your tattoo removed, you’ll need to think long and hard
before you make a final decision.
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