The methods for removing tattoos have come a long way.  There was a time, not too long ago when getting rid of a tattoo meant surgery or processes that involved sanding or even acid. Ouch!  Well technology has advanced and the two most popular methods today involve using fade creams and lasers.

While the fade creams are popular, their effectiveness remains a big question.  That leaves laser technology– which is considered the safest method and produces the best results for most people. But laser tattoo removal does not come without its drawbacks.  It can be expensive, very uncomfortable and still comes with the risk of possible scarring.

How painful is laser removal?  That is different for each person, because every person has a higher threshold for pain.  It also depends on the parts of the body where the tattoo being removed is located. Areas like the toes and feet can be much more painful than other parts of the body.   The feeling having a tattoo removed by lasers is said to feel like a rubber band snapping over and over again in a very concentrated area.  To minimize the pain, some people prefer to have a topical numbing cream applied over the tattoo prior to the treatment.   The laser procedure actually goes pretty fast-just takes a few minutes for each visit.

The cost of having a tattoo removed with lasers will vary depending on the size, the type and color of ink that was used, how deep it has penetrated the skin, age of the tattoo and skin type.  More than one application is normally needed.   After each treatment you will need to give several weeks for the wound to heal before returning for follow up visits.  For complete removal it can take anywhere from just a few visits to more than a dozen.   This is only meant to be an estimate, but a 3 inch square tattoo, requiring 9 visits, can cost between $800 and $1,000.

Scarring associated with laser tattoo removal used to be more prevalent than it is today.  This procedure does not come without its risk for scarring, and you should always consult a dermatologist or medical professional first, but with the newer lasers the risk for scarring is much less common today.  The one factor that comes into play with scarring is the skin type of each individual.

Author: Barney Garcia

People like to get tattoos when they are younger and sometimes do so for stupid reasons. Often, after ten years of so of having a tattoo, the person may decide they don’t want it any more. There are many reasons that a person may want to have a tattoo removed. Perhaps they have a named of an old lover tattooed on them, or they have a gang tattoo that there are no longer associated with. Some people have tattoos in places that will prevent them from getting a job they want. Some people might also have a tattoo that symbolizes hate or racism, and they no longer feel this way. Whatever the reason is, there are methods of removal out there.

Laser tattoo removal is one option for people considering the removal of a tattoo which is the most common method of tattoo removal. Laser removal involves targeting the tattooed area with pulses of concentrated light that will in turn break the ink fragments up into tiny particles which are then removed by you’re immune system. This process does not happen after one session, however, and the more treatment you have, the more likely the laser will destroy the ink. However, the more treatments you have also means heightened damage done to your skin. Excess treatments can lead to blistering of the skin, painful sores on your skin, scabs and even scarring. Since technology has advanced so much, the risks of skin damage have become minimal and many experts say it is very rare for scaring to occur. However, there is always some risk involved. Laser tattoo removal can be quite painful, as some people have described it as feeling like being splattered with hot grease.

Laser tattoo removal can also hurt your wallet though. Depending on the size and detail of your tattoo, you might need to have up to ten sessions in order to fully remove all of the ink. Each session costs in the range of $250 to $850. There are many other options for you to consider before you decide if laser tattoo removal is right for you. No method is 100% effective and guaranteed, but many will get you the results that will satisfy you. Laser removal is one of the best treatments for removing a tattoo, but remember, if you have a large colorful tattoo, you may spend thousands of dollars on treatment and it will not even be fully removed.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/

By C.D. Northup

Once the distinctive mark of social rebellion and a marginalized lifestyle, tattoos are now indelibly etched into the dermis of mainstream culture. But despite the social acceptability of being “inked,” there are a number of reasons why someone who has a tattoo may not wish to have it anymore. It may be that your purple butterfly of youth is now starting to look more like a bunch of grapes and you don’t want to sit around watching them turn to raisins. Perhaps the once-love-of-your-life turned out to be not so lovely after all and you don’t want to have to limit yourself to only dating people named “Guido.” Fortunately, you are not alone, and as tattoos become more and more commonplace, the technology used to remove them is slowly becoming more advanced as well.

Laser Tattoo Removal: The “What” and “How”
Laser tattoo removal is a significant improvement over older tattoo removal methods in several ways. Most notably, it does not involve cutting or abrasion and, in most cases, does not leave noticeable scarring in place of the tattoo. However, it’s not exactly a Magic Eraser for your skin, either.

Laser tattoo removal works by passing specific beams of light into the skin, the energy from which is absorbed by the pigments in the tattoo. This causes the pigments to break down and the tattoo to begin to disintegrate and fade. The process is gradual, usually requiring several treatments spread out over a year or more. Because different pigments absorb different types of light in different amounts, colorful tattoos are harder to remove and take longer than simple black or blue ink designs.

It’s also worth noting that removing the tattoo is significantly costlier and more painful than having it put on in the first place.

It’s also worth noting that removing the tattoo is significantly costlier and more painful than having it put on in the first place. The sensation one experiences while undergoing laser tattoo removal has been described as similar to having rubber bands snapped against the skin, or being spattered with hot oil. It’s also relatively expensive, as each individual treatment can run between $200 and $500, depending on the size and color of the tattoo, and most people require five to ten treatments to achieve acceptable results.

An Insider’s Perspective
Curious about the motivations behind getting, not getting, and removing tattoos, I conducted an informal survey of my peers. Despite the small number of people included in my survey, I found that the percentage of respondents who reported having tattoos (36 percent) was in line with most national estimates. Among those who had never gotten a tattoo, 67 percent claimed that they had genuinely considering getting one at some point in their lives. But the response I found most interesting came from a 29-year-old male who admitted that he is currently in the process of having a tattoo removed.

“I’ve decided to remove or even cover [the tattoo] up with another piece of tattoo art. The first time I got the tattoo, there was a lack of direction and not much thought put into the process, hence the unprofessional look and decision for removal. I wish the damn laser procedure wasn’t so expensive. I’ve invested more on the treatment than the actual tattoo itself. I am still paying for the consequences. The laser is more painful when taking off a tattoo than [getting the tattoo in the first place].”

This young man describes a sense of regret about a decision made in haste, under the wrong circumstances, for the wrong reasons. He is not alone. Business is booming for practices that provide laser tattoo removal, which suggests that a fair number of people who currently have tattoos will eventually decide that it is worth the pain and price to have it removed.

When Good Technology Falls into the Wrong Hands
Unfortunately, some people’s laser tattoo removal experiences involve much more unpleasant issues than pain, expense, and regret. Botched treatments, administered by under-qualified laser technicians, can cause burns, scarring, and other types of serious skin damage. State regulations are often slow to catch up to technological advances; at present, only Kentucky currently requires a medical doctor to be present during the laser tattoo removal procedure. This leaves many patients at the mercy of laser technicians who are simply not qualified to be providing such a delicate procedure.

Getting It Right, the Second Time Around
Just as it is vital to choose your tattoo artist carefully in order to avoid infection and poor quality work, it is extremely important to choose a qualified dermatologist or other medical professional to perform your laser tattoo removal. Don’t look for bargains or discounts for this kind of treatment, because there is a very good chance that you’ll get precisely what you paid for. Take your time, do your research, and make sure that you know what you’re getting into before handing over your credit card.

Article Source: http://www.docshop.com/2007/12/09/getting-de-inked-the-reality-behind-the-miracle-of-laser-tattoo-removal/