Tattoo Removal - What You Should Know

Tattooing is a way to make permanent markings on a person's body by injecting ink into the dermis layer of the skin. This form of marking is also often referred to as "body art" or "inking." Tattooing has been practiced by many cultures since ancient times. It was often used to identify a person as a member of particular tribe or religious group. In the modern western world tattoos are still often associated with gangsterism and organised crime. More recently, however, it has become culturally acceptable and even trendy to have tattoos. There are times and circumstances, though, when people will want to consider tattoo removal.

Motivation for tattoo removal
Many factors influence why people may want to consider tattoo removal. Reasons commonly given include; the subject being too young and impulsive when the body art was done and later regretting it, a change in job (especially in a conservative environment), marriage, divorce, having a baby, ending a romantic relationship (especially where the tattoo incorporates the former lover's name) and religion. A less common, but very significant reason, is when reformed gang members wish to remove the markings identified with a particular gang.

Methods of tattoo removal
There are three commonly used methods of tattoo removal The first and most common is laser treatment. Short-pulsed laser beams are used to break down the inks in the tattoo. This allows the body to absorb the inks and leads to the tattoo fading or even disappearing totally. Darker colors like black or blue respond better to this form of treatment than lighter inks such as green or yellow.
The second most common method is dermabrasion. The top few micrometers (0.001 of a millimeter) skin is literally scraped away using an abrasive material like sandpaper. The raw wounds created by using this method usually take several months to heal. The final method is surgery. A surgeon cuts away the affected tissue with a scalpel and then stitches the wound closed.