Tattoo Removal: Think before you get body art, or you’ll pay later
Getting body art has become a commonplace in the American culture. As appealing and expressive as body art can be, it can become a source of frustration or embarrassment for some people, depending on their individual situations. The most common reasons for regret are "too young when I got the tattoo," "it's permanent and I'm marked for life," and I just "don't like it." Many people get their tattoos in their late teens or early twenties. Later, when their life changes they often feel embarrassment - for example, on a new job, during significant life event (wedding, divorce, baby), or in other social situations.
While it is possible to remove tattoos, fully or partially, the cost and pain of removing tattoos are typically greater than the cost and pain of getting them.
So what are the available tattoo removal options?
Tattoo removal has been performed with various tools during the history of tattooing. Today, common methods include dermabrasion (removing the surface of the skin by abrasion), chemical peels (a chemical solution and sometimes acid is used to scrape away the outer skin layers until the dermal layer with tattoo pigmentation is reached), tattoo removal creams (for those who want a do-it-yourself option, effectiveness of this method is debatable, though), cryosurgery (application of extreme cold to tattooed area of the skin), and excision (surgical removal).
While these methods are still used, laser tattoo removal is quickly becoming the most popular procedure for removing tattoos.
Laser surgery is one of the most effective tattoo removal options and causes least damage to the skin. The laser beam reacts with the ink in the tattoo and breaks down tattoo pigmentation without damaging the surrounding skin. The broken-down ink is then expelled by the body, mimicking the natural fading that time or sun exposure would create.
The healing process is much shorter than with other methods; however, multiple sessions are necessary - up to 8 or more. At $150-$500 per session, this makes the laser treatment very costly - it can run up to $10,000. The number of sessions and spacing between treatments depend on various factors, including the area of the body treated and skin color. The procedure is not covered by insurance, so a tattoo that may have only cost a couple hundred dollars to get, may cost much more to remove.
Regardless of which type of tattoo removal method you think is best for you, you should ultimately consult your doctor before making a final decision. Each of methods has pros and cons and requires consideration. A free consultation allows the patient and the provider to meet without obligation or fee. And sometimes, after looking at all of the options, some people decide to keep the body art, or even add to it, in order to change whatever they didn't like about it in the first place.
April 17 2009 04:27 am | Cosmetic Surgery