How tattoo removals work
Aren’t we lucky that tattoos don’t have to be as forever as we wanted them to be when we first got them? There are a variety of tattoo removal methods that can be used to remove a tattoo if desired. Each of these works in a different way.
Laser removal is one of the most popular, most effective, and least painful ways of removing tattoos. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers are used for several other purposes. The technique for tattoo removal via laser is called Q-switching. There are three types of lasers used for tattoo removal: Q-switched Ruby, Alexandrite, and Nd: YAG. The laser method works by using an intense beam of light to lighten or completely remove the tattoo. Since the laser is designed to target only ink pigments, laser removal works without harming any healthy cells surrounding the tattoo. The light is delivered either continuously or in pulses. The way the light is delivered depends on the kind of laser and the treatment. The ink particles in the tattoo absorb the light from the laser. When the ink absorbs the light, the particles are broken up into even tinier particles. These smaller fragments of ink are absorbed into the body’s natural cleansing system and passed through the body eventually as waste. This process can take several weeks. If the tattoo is larger or has larger ink particles multiple treatments may be necessary to completely remove the tattoo.
Another tattoo removal method Infrared Coagulation uses infrared light similar to that of a laser. This method works by burning the layer of skin that has the tattoo ink. After the layer is burned, the area will scab over. In a few days the scab will fall off. The ink will fall off with the scab.
Excision is a method where the skin containing the tattoo is surgically removed. The surgeon removes the skin with a scalpel and closes the wound with stitches. If the area of skin is large, the surgeon may need to take skin from another part of the body to close the wound. Dermabrasion involves scraping the skin to remove the tattoo. The top and middle layers of skin containing the tattoo are sanded down. Salabrasion is a method where the area of skin is rubbed with salt or a salt sanding block. Each of these methods could prove to be painful and leave scarring.