Once the dominion of sailors and aboriginal populations, tattoos
have now become mainstream in a big way. And many celebrities, such as Angelina Jolie and Adam Levine, have become walking billboards of body art.
But what happens when that dragon tattoo doesn't seem as cool as it once did? Or when that special someone on your "love forever" tattoo has flown the coop?
E! Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne recently decided, in preparation for her upcoming wedding to fiancé Matthew Mosshart, to have some of her tattoos removed. As Kelly said on Instagram:
But what happens when that dragon tattoo doesn't seem as cool as it once did? Or when that special someone on your "love forever" tattoo has flown the coop?
E! Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne recently decided, in preparation for her upcoming wedding to fiancé Matthew Mosshart, to have some of her tattoos removed. As Kelly said on Instagram:
“I did the crime I am now doing the time! #NoPainNoGain!”
She actually posted a video along with the Tweet:
“Not looking forward to this afternoon… I’m getting my first tattoo
removal! Its going to burn like the snap of 1000 rubber bands
What is involved in tattoo removal?
One of the most common
problems that may develop with tattoos is the desire to remove them.
Removing tattoos and permanent makeup can be very difficult.Although
tattoos may be satisfactory at first, they sometimes fade. Also, if the
tattooist injects the pigments too deeply into the skin, the pigments
may migrate beyond the original sites, resulting in a blurred
appearance.Another cause of dissatisfaction is that the human body
changes over time, and styles change with the season. The tattoo that
seem stylish at the time may become dated and embarrassing later on.
According to a poll conducted in January 2012 by pollster Harris Interactive, 1 in 8 (14%) of the 21% of American adults who have tattoos regret getting one. And the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) reports that in 2011, its doctors performed nearly 100,000 tattoo removal procedures, up from the 86,000 performed in 2010.
Today, tattoo needles inject ink granules into the superficial to mid-dermis. There are three main methods of tattoo removal:
According to a poll conducted in January 2012 by pollster Harris Interactive, 1 in 8 (14%) of the 21% of American adults who have tattoos regret getting one. And the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) reports that in 2011, its doctors performed nearly 100,000 tattoo removal procedures, up from the 86,000 performed in 2010.
Today, tattoo needles inject ink granules into the superficial to mid-dermis. There are three main methods of tattoo removal:
- Laser removal
- Dermabrasion
- Surgical removal
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion
uses a high-speed rotary device (typically a diamond fraise wheel or
wire brush) to gently and carefully "sand" the top surface of the skin
down, allowing the tattoo ink to leach out of the skin. A topical
cryogen is applied to the skin before the procedure to provide a rigid
surface to abrade and to numb the skin.Afterwards, petroleum jelly or
antibiotic ointment is placed on the treated skin to in the hope of
minimizing scars. Dermabrasion may not be able to completely erase the
tattoo.Surgical Removal
Surgical removal entails cutting out the
skin which contains the tattoo. The edges are then stitched back
together. Surgical tattoo removal is effective — but it leaves a scar
and is practical only for small tattoos.
D-I-Y Tattoo Removal?
There
are also do-it-yourself tattoo removal ointments and creams that you
can buy online. You should know however, that the FDA has not approved
them, and is not aware of any clinical evidence that they work. In
addition, tattoo removal ointments and creams may cause unexpected
reactions, such as rashes, burning, scarring, or changes in skin
pigmentation in the process.
Laser Removal
Laser is the most
common method of tattoo removal. Pulsed lasers, which emit concentrated
light energy in short bursts, or pulses, have been used to remove
tattoos for more than 20 years.
How Does It Work?
With laser removal, pulses of high-intensity laser energy pass through the epidermis and are selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This selective photothermolysis breaks the pigment into smaller particles, which may be metabolized or excreted by the body, or transported to and stored in lymph nodes or other tissues.
Although thermal lasers, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers have successfully been used to remove tattoos (by destroying superficial layers of skin), there is a very narrow range of thermal heating that can remove a tattoo without causing scarring.
The preferred lasers for tattoo removal are Q-switched neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet, alexandrite, and ruby lasers. Q-switching is a way of producing a very short laser pulse in the nanosecond range. Dr. Eric Bernstein, in an excellent article in Seminars in Plastic Surgery, explains that "theory predicted that pulse durations in the nanosecond domain would be optimal for tattoo removal." He added:
How Does It Work?
With laser removal, pulses of high-intensity laser energy pass through the epidermis and are selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This selective photothermolysis breaks the pigment into smaller particles, which may be metabolized or excreted by the body, or transported to and stored in lymph nodes or other tissues.
Although thermal lasers, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers have successfully been used to remove tattoos (by destroying superficial layers of skin), there is a very narrow range of thermal heating that can remove a tattoo without causing scarring.
The preferred lasers for tattoo removal are Q-switched neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet, alexandrite, and ruby lasers. Q-switching is a way of producing a very short laser pulse in the nanosecond range. Dr. Eric Bernstein, in an excellent article in Seminars in Plastic Surgery, explains that "theory predicted that pulse durations in the nanosecond domain would be optimal for tattoo removal." He added:
"Too often, the wrong devices operating in the millisecond range, such as intense pulsed light sources, or lasers that are nonselective, such as the carbon dioxide laser, are used to treat tattoos, resulting in significant scarring without complete removal of the tattoo."
The
type of laser used to remove a tattoo depends on the tattoo's pigment
colors. Because every color of ink absorbs different wavelengths of
light, multicolored tattoos may require the use of multiple lasers.
Lighter colors such as green, red, and yellow are the hardest colors to
remove, while blue and black are the easiest.With the complexity of
modern tattoos, choosing the correct laser can be quite challenging. The
one color of light almost guaranteed not to work is light the color of
the ink itself, which will be reflected away from the tattoo.
Does It Hurt?
That depends on a person’s pain threshold. Some people compare the sensation of laser removal to being spattered with drops of hot bacon grease or snapping a thin rubber band against the skin.
Generally speaking, just one laser treatment won't do the trick. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the procedure requires multiple treatments (typically six to 10) depending on a tattoo's size and colors, and requires a few weeks of healing time between procedures.
Some side effects may include pinpoint bleeding, redness, or soreness, none of which should last for long. As with dermabrasion, the tattoo may not be able to be completely removed with laser treatment.
Laser devices are cleared for use by, or under the supervision of, a health care professional such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. The removal procedure requires using the correct type of laser, understanding the reaction of tissue to laser, and knowing how to treat the area after the procedure (which is just as important to prevent scarring).
Tattoo removal is considered a cosmetic procedure and is therefore not covered by health insurance plans. Tattoo removal can be expensive depending on the size and colors used. The average cost of tattoo removal is $49.00 per square inch of the tattoo. The process usually requires more than one treatment, sometimes as many as 10 to 12.
Does It Hurt?
That depends on a person’s pain threshold. Some people compare the sensation of laser removal to being spattered with drops of hot bacon grease or snapping a thin rubber band against the skin.
Generally speaking, just one laser treatment won't do the trick. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the procedure requires multiple treatments (typically six to 10) depending on a tattoo's size and colors, and requires a few weeks of healing time between procedures.
Some side effects may include pinpoint bleeding, redness, or soreness, none of which should last for long. As with dermabrasion, the tattoo may not be able to be completely removed with laser treatment.
Laser devices are cleared for use by, or under the supervision of, a health care professional such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. The removal procedure requires using the correct type of laser, understanding the reaction of tissue to laser, and knowing how to treat the area after the procedure (which is just as important to prevent scarring).
Tattoo removal is considered a cosmetic procedure and is therefore not covered by health insurance plans. Tattoo removal can be expensive depending on the size and colors used. The average cost of tattoo removal is $49.00 per square inch of the tattoo. The process usually requires more than one treatment, sometimes as many as 10 to 12.
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Written by Unknown
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