So you need to have a tattoo removed…don’t sweat it. People get tattoos removed for lots of reasons. Maybe they got it when they were in a completely different stage of their life and it doesn’t reflect who they are anymore. Maybe the tattoo wasn’t done well and it’s lost its color and shape. (Is that a dolphin or a grey hammock?) And maybe you really did tattoo the name of your high school sweetheart on your upper arm but he went and broke your heart by running off with Shelby. The point is: many people find themselves in need of tattoo removal for one reason or another. The good news? It can be done.
Now for the bad news. Tattoo removal can be quite painful, but since you’ve already gotten a tattoo, you are probably used to some amount of pain anyway. Or at least you were at one point. Tattoo removal also takes time: it could take anywhere from 10 months to two years to completely remove a tattoo, depending on the size, location on your body, age of the tattoo, and the type of ink used. But if the tattoo removal is really important to you for any of the reasons mentioned above, then it will be worth the pain, time, money, and effort to see it gone for good. There are several different ways to go about tattoo removal, which we will discuss below, including what we feel is the best tattoo removal method.
Different Methods for Tattoo Removal Over the Years
Salabrasion
The oldest method for tattoo removal is called Salabrasion. In this method, the skin is covered with salt and water, then scrubbed with an abrasive device until the tattoo is gone. It’s a low-cost option, but it is likely to cause skin damage and scarring where the tattoo used to be.
Dermabrasion
In Dermabrasion, a surgeon uses a rapidly rotating device to sand down the outer layer of your skin. Don’t worry: they numb you first! Your skin will be sensitive and red for several weeks afterward, and it will take a few months for it to look normal again. It can cause darkening of skin and scarring in some cases, however.
Removal Creams
Removal creams are what they sound like–a cream that you rub onto your tattoo over the course of weeks or months to make it slowly disappear. They are nice in theory, but they usually only cause the tattoo to fade, not to completely go away. And harsh chemicals used in these creams can cause skin reactions, skin lightening in people with darker skin tones, and even permanent tissue damage in some cases.
Solution Injections
In this case, professionals inject acid-based solutions into subcutaneous skin tissue in the hopes of dissolving the ink from underneath the epidermis. However, this method can also leave unwanted marks and scars after the procedure.
Laser Treatment
Laser treatments are arguably the most effective method of tattoo removal. In this case, a laser produces pulses of light energy which heats the ink under the skin and then breaks it down into tiny particles. These particles are small enough to be flushed out by your immune system, gradually breaking down the tattoo from the inside. This method is especially safe and effective because only the ink is broken down, not your skin, so there is minimal risk of scarring or tissue damage.
Advanced Laser Treatment Offers Best Tattoo Removal
Laser treatments are the best option for tattoo removal because:
- It is non-invasive. No harm is done to your actual skin.
- It’s fairly quick. While laser treatments can still be painful, the pain does not last as long as other treatment methods because the actual sessions are fairly short. For example: for a tattoo that’s 5 square inches in size, the appointment may be 10 minutes long but the laser treatment lasts for maybe 30 seconds. Of course, you will still need multiple sessions to completely remove the tattoo.
- It’s cost-effective. In the long run, laser treatment is more cost-effective than other types of treatment because you won’t need touch-ups or additional treatments for scarring down the road.
Feel Good About Your Skin Again
Right now we have two lasers on deck that are leading the way in tattoo removal and beauty treatment technology: the Quanta EVO and the PicoWay. These are the best laser tattoo removal machines on the market. The Quanta EVO Laser is used exclusively for tattoo removal. It’s ideal for removing black, red, brown, yellow, purple, green, and blue ink. With the addition of the PicoWay Laser, we can now remove an even wider range of ink colors from just about every skin tone out there. We only carry the best tattoo removal lasers because we only want the best for our clients.
While it’s true that there is no quick-fix for tattoo removal, we’re experienced, professional, and honest with our clients—you won’t find better laser tattoo removal this side of the Rockies.
You can either come visit our team at Ink-B-Gone in our store or go to our website for a free, no-strings-attached consultation and to see our pricing structure. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
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