As amazing as most tattoos are, there are some that haunt and plague us on a day to day basis. We all know the examples I’m talking about. An old flame’s name, a horrible quality tattoo, something you once loved and believed in but now can not even stand the idea of, or a trend tattoo that you only got because of all the hype of it when it was popular.
I am not trying to be a hater because I personally believe if it makes you happy, that is all that matters. However, we all know the tattoo history: there was the time of tribal tattoos, tramp stamps, and arm bands.
Now there are infinity symbols, anchors, dream catchers, and bird silhouettes. According to tattoo removal professionals, same as people start to regret trend tattoos once the trend is gone, this regret is felt amongst other types of tattoos too.
However, it is important to know that plenty of people also love their tattoos, so don’t be afraid to get what you want.
Due to there being a high demand of people wanting to get rid of tattoos that they try to hide due to embarrassment or hating it, tattoo removal methods have become very popular.
People believe that these methods are painful, takes sessions, but work perfectly. This is where issues occur. Tattoo removal methods such as creams, gels, and lasers have become easily available, but no one really seems to know all the facts and what actually works, how it works, and all the risks associated with tattoo removal.
Laser Removal
Removing a tattoo with lasers is the most effective and sought after method of tattoo removal. However, it is rivaled by some tattoo removal creams. When it comes to using a laser for tattoo removal it is important to know that it will be extremely costly (around thousands of dollars), and sometimes it doesn’t even work.
Before you get your tattoo removed it is a good idea to talk to multiple different specialists just so you can get all the information you need and hear a variety of responses which will help you figure out what to do.
Usually, specialists will tell you that it will take 6-10 treatment sessions with 8-week breaks in between them. However, more often than not, 10 sessions is not even enough and you will need lots more of these very painful sessions. Many people who have done laser treatment say that they like having space so they can forget how painful the lasers are, but they keep going because the pain is necessary in order to remove their tattoo.
There are also different types of lasers which use different wavelengths in order to remove different colours so you should also ask your specialist to ensure the right ones will be used and that the place you are going to has them.
When it comes to using lasers to remove tattoos it is important to know that the results vary depending on what size your tattoo is, how saturated it is, your skin, how old it is, how well you took care of it, how deep the ink went, and where it is located on you. The closer the tattoo is to your heart the easier it will be to remove your tattoo, as the areas closest to your heart have the best circulation which will result in a quicker removal and a smoother healing.
Professional tattoos vs. amateur tattoos
In addition, the difference between professional and amateur tattoos is obvious and important when it comes to removing them by using a laser. Professional tattoos are smoother and involve a deeper penetration of ink used in tattooing. This results in a harder tattoo removal, as a professional tattoo is much more lush, well saturated, and vibrant.
Amateur tattoos are the opposite: ink in amateur tattoos is inputted in the skin at different depths and is sloppily done, which can be easier to remove due to it being less saturated, but it can also cause difficulties due to the inconsistencies of the ink depth and saturation in the skin.
The results that come from laser tattoo removal vary, and it is important to know what can happen before you start, in case you want to consider different methods of tattoo removal, or just want to get a cover up tattoo. In many cases, the results are great, but in many other cases people have ended up with their tattoo just being partially faded, scarred, being permanently raised, or just being left with ghost images.
After treatments with the lasers, people have also experienced blisters, swelling, pinpoint bleeding, redness, the temporary darkness of skin in that area that goes away in 5-8 hours, sometimes even hyper (darkening) or kyro (lightening) skin in the area that is permanent or it lasts for 6-12 months. There is also the risk of infections, scars, burns, and textural changes to the skin.
Gel And Cream Removal
A very popular method of tattoo removal is using fading gels and creams. You can usually buy these for $100 or less. However, this new sought after method has a lot of issues associated with them as well.
Due to the very strong chemicals being applied to your skin daily, there may be some long-term health risks and side effects which haven’t been discovered yet. Another problem is that they can cause side effects similar to the laser ones: scars, burns, different textures of skin, and a few more. In some cases, it even removes and peels off layers of skin, but never enough to remove the tattoo ink. Instead, it just harms the area around the tattoo.
Some tattoo websites have recommended a tattoo removal cream/gel called “Trufade”. Apparently, this cream/gel is superior in all the categories: it’s formulated to erase all colors and eliminate old and new tattoos, it does not contain acids or TCA’s, it doesn’t have the potential to scar skin, and is dermatologist certified. It is even priced under $50. All other gels and creams tend to be lacking in at least one of these departments.
Although tattoo removing creams and gels are getting more popular, many people don’t use them mostly because it’s hard to find one that isn’t unregulated, and they tend to be very abrasive and damaging to the skin. Additionally, there just isn’t enough research and information to prove against more serious damage down the road, or that they actually work.
When it comes to tattoos the best form of removal is actually just getting a cover up of your tattoo. This is an option many people don’t actually consider due to cost, and their hatred for their current tattoo. However, this is actually the most affordable (in most cases) and the one that has no negative impacts to your body unlike using lasers, creams, and gels to remove your tattoos.
If you can think about any creams/gels that work amazingly well for tattoo removal, or if you have any thoughts or recommendations on this topic as a whole, feel free to share!
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