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.