Tattoos have always been a trend. You might have had a variety of reasons for getting a tattoo like to express the positive vibe in you, show your love towards your partner, fashion sake or simply because you like getting inked. But the fact is that three out of every five people regret getting a tattoo after some time as it might have seemed like a nice idea then but now it might be representing a tainted memory from their past, or to improve the chances of getting a job or maybe they've moved on and there might be change in lifestyle.
And most of them express distress over it as tattoos are permanent. But not any more! If you feel you have unwanted tattoos, there is no reason for you to be stuck with it for a lifetime as there are highly advanced treatments available to get rid of your tattoo permanently.
There are two types of Tattoo Removal treatments:
- Laser Tattoo Removal
- Tattoo Removal Surgery
Laser Tattoo Removal
You should first schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, who can evaluate your tattoo and advise you on the process. Firstly, the anaesthetic cream will be applied to the tattoo to numb the area. During the laser treatment, pulses of a high-intensity light beam from the laser are directed onto the tattoo, breaking up the tattoo pigment present underneath the skin. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths, making it the easiest colour to treat while Other colours can only be treated with selected lasers based upon the pigment colour. In order to reach all of the ink in the skin, multiple treatment sessions are required for clearance. The number of treatments needed also depends on the depth, size and colour of the tattoo.
Tattoo Removal Surgery
Depending on the size of your tattoo and the colour of the pigment which can unresponsive to laser therapy, tattoo removal surgery to cut out the inked section of skin could be an option. Surgical removal of the tattoo is done under local anaesthesia. Unlike laser, surgical excision helps in removing the tattoo in just one go usually, unless it's too big. The surgeon will cut away this tattoo, bring the edges of the skin together and close these with stitches. There is likely to be a minimal amount of bleeding which is cauterised in order to seal the wound. Your doctor might prescribe few painkillers and antibiotic tablets for a week and will guide you with the post-operative care. You will be asked to come for suture removal 10 days post surgery. There are limitations as to what can be achieved surgically and this will depend predominantly on the size and location of the tattoo, as well as skin laxity. Compared to laser removal which leaves the imprint of the tattoo sometimes, surgical excision will only leave a thin pencil line scar, which should fade with time.