Tattoos rock, period. That said, some could be better. I know I’ve got ink that I regret and want to change. That’s where tattoo removal comes in. You don’t have to get it completely removed, you can get a cover up which improves on what you’ve already got.
The problem is you’ve heard so much about tattoos and tattoo removal from “experts down the pub” who frankly know very little about it and probably have never had it done. This article is an attempt to bust the myths surrounding tattoo removal.
Tattoo Removal Myths
- It’s expensive. Not as expensive as you might think. Many tattoo studios now offer laser tattoo removal so you don’t have to go to a snooty clinic staffed with people who don’t understand tattoos and look down their noses at tattooed people. Tattoo removal can usually start from about £50 in a tattoo studio. Tattoo studios can afford to keep their prices much lower than the big clinics because they don’t have the massive overheads and out goings. Also bear in mind that tattooists will not recommend lasering unless it’s really necessary – if a cover-up will suffice, they will say so, as they’re not losing business by doing so.
- The people doing it are unqualified. Any good operation offering Laser Tattoo Removal will be registered by the Care Quality Commission. The CQC are the same outfit which register and allow hospitals to ply their trade. Check to see if the organisation are CQC registered, if they are (it’s usually something they are happy to talk about and will usually be proud of) that means they have training and understanding and should be a “safe pair of hands”. Its also means the premises and equipment meet certain standards and that policies and procedures are in place for your safety.
- It hurts! Well it’s not painless but it’s much quicker than having a tattoo done. Let’s face it if you can have a tattoo done, laser tattoo removal can be less painful than getting the tattoo done in the first place.
- You said “laser”!! That’s scary!! Not really, when most people think of lasers they start thinking of Goldfinger (No Mr Bond I expect you to die), Star Wars (or any sci-fi) and Austin Powers (frickin laser beams). Laser tattoo removal is nothing like that as the laser operates in short bursts, fractions of a second and is targeted at your tattoo. It does not affect the surrounding skin.
- It’ll scar me. No. Any place which offers laser tattoo removal should follow a few simple steps. Firstly you should have a consultation (again look for places which offer free test patches and consultations) which will involve medical questions which will cover your general health and any medication which you are taking or have recently been taking. If you are fit and healthy, you answer the questions honestly and follow the aftercare, you should be fine. Laser tattoo removal should not scar you as instead of forcing the ink out through the skin it breaks the ink down and your immune system then attacks the ink pulls it through your lymphatic system and it eventually ends up in the toilet, sadly no cool black pee!
- Tattoo Removal is going to burn me. In the old days tattoo removal was done using a CO2 laser which did burn off the skin. Check the organisation you choose uses a Q-switched Nd-YAG or a Ruby laser. These are much more gentle and pass freely through ordinary skin.
- Creams are cheap and effective. No sorry. The only way a cream could conceivably work is by having some form of chemical (often an acid) in it which breaks down the ink. The problem is the active ingredient in the cream seems to damage the skin and often leaves a scar. Scaring and burns are common and if you look on line there is lots of discussion on scar removal after people have used such creams. Buyer beware! Also be aware that once an area has been scarred, laser clinics will be unwilling to treat the area.
- I’ve heard about dermabrasion. Ok think about that word there “abrasion” then think what that means. If somebody abraids your skin deep enough to get rid of a tattoo, they remove several layers of skin, including the dermis – the bit that does not renew itself. Scarring is more likely. I guess the logical end point to this is a Black and Decker Sander as a method of tattoo removal.
- My tattoo is made of lots of different colours so you can’t remove it. Black tattoos have a habit of reacting really well to laser treatment as does red. The difficult colours to remove are whites, yellows and pinks but on the positive side if you want to go down the cover up route then these colours cover really well. There are 2 different types of Laser used for tattoo removal the Nd-YAG (check its Q-switched) best for 80% of all colours, and the Ruby laser which is used more for greens and blues. The only real time a tattoo can be super difficult to remove is if the tattoo contains metal based inks.
- But I’ve been told by tattooists that you can’t or shouldn’t get rid of tattoos! Not true. There is a certain amount of this from the tattoo industry which can be summed up by the idea that a tattoo is a permanent work of art. This is one school of thought and certainly the permanence of tattoos is part of the attraction. BUT sometimes mistakes are made, either from poor choice of “artist” or just because people and attitudes change as we mature. If someone has a tattoo that is wrecking their self esteem and body image, they should have the option to fix it. Laser is part of the solution.
- Why can’t I just get a cover up? Well sometimes you can, but not everything can be covered – or more importantly, not everything can be covered WELL. A cover-up tattoo should always stand up as a good tattoo in its own right – a big black blob is just not to cut the mustard! So beware of people who promise they can “cover it with loads of black”. You may end up with a tattoo that’s even worse than the original. Also be aware that even the best cover-ups are rarely 100% effective – if the tattoo underneath was very dark and strong (like old English lettering, for instance), it may creep back through in time. Some tattoos just require a little help from the laser before attempting the cover-up. The result will be far superior.
- Doesn’t it take loads of sessions though? Not necessarily. If you are looking to fade a tattoo ready for cover-up, sometimes you may need only 2-3 sessions, which will take 3 months max. It all depends what you want to cover it with though – a new light tattoo, like a portrait, will need more of the old tattoo removing that if you were trying to cover the old one with a Japanese dragon. Remember, Rome was not built in a day – but good things come to those who wait
