What are the different methods to remove tattoos?
by NUYU Laser Tattoo Removal.
Salabrasion is the oldest tattoo removal method used. It consists of the abrasion of the epidermis and dermis with a salt-based solution.
Dermabrasion is a mechanical method that consists of the abrasion of the epidermis and dermis with a rotating mechanical instrument. These two methods are very complicated, painful and cause visible long-term damage to the epidermis. They are hardly ever used anymore.
Skin excision refers to the surgical removal of the tattooed skin. This method leaves a scar, which size may vary depending on the size of the tattoo. Excision can be a good method for small tattoos but is somewhat difficult or impossible for larger areas. Skin grafts can also be performed with skin excision.
Subcutaneous injections of glycolic acid-based solutions or other liquid solutions involve injecting these solutions under the skin, so that they may affect the ink of the tattoo. These solutions often have an effect on the epidermis and dermis and may leave long-term scars or burn-like marks. Moreover, the effectiveness of this method is not consistently proven, since the mixture ink-solution cannot easily be expelled from the dermis to the epidermis. At NUYU, some of our clients tried these methods before consulting us, and suffered visible long-term changes to their epidermis.
A tattoo removal cream may be attractive, due to its low cost and perceived ease of use. It is very difficult to remove ink from the dermis with a tattoo removal cream though, regardless of type (peeling, TCA, or other). In best-case scenarios, they can superficially fade inks located in the epidermis.
Laser treatment uses the laser beam to penetrate down to the dermis through the epidermis, fragmenting tattoo ink into fine particles. Post-treatment, the lymphatic system identifies the ink particles as foreign bodies and flushes them from the body. After each treatment, more particles are eliminated and the tattoo fades, completely disappearing in certain cases.
To learn more about Tattoo Removal cream, laser tattoo removal and other methods, click on the Wikipedia website here.
