Tattoo removal

Tattoos can be very interesting, cool, or pretty to look at depending on the individual design and talent of the tattoo artist. However, sometimes we get tattoos in a time in our lives when we are feeling a bit too rebellious or daring. Worse yet, maybe that tattoo of an enormous spider on your bicep was the result of a night with too much partying and you can't remember when or how it got there.

There are many places where showing off a tattoo is inappropriate, like in the office, in the hot springs or public baths in Japan, or in front of your grandparents. In some cases, the tattoo design might not have been thought out very well. Chinese characters are really neat but suppose you chose one based on the way it looked and not the meaning. You may be walking around with the word ‘moron' tattooed between your shoulder blades. I'm sure that if you had known the meaning at the time you were faced with the decision of choosing a kanji, ‘moron' would've been at the bottom of your list.

Now it's time to get rid of your unwanted tattoo. There are several options available to you based on the size and location of the tattoo, and your budget. Of course, laser therapy is the preferred removal method because of its near painlessness and success rate. If you choose laser removal, the pigments of the skin that make up your tattoo will be targeted with the laser and basically removed. This procedure can cost a pretty penny according to a number of factors but it's well worth it.

Dermabrasion isn't as neat and painless as laser therapy but it's cheaper and does do a pretty good job of removing the tattoo. A rotary abrasive tool is used to ‘sand down' the top layer of skin, removing it so that a new layer of skin can replace it. The healing time will be longer than laser therapy and bleeding is to be expected.

Excision is another form of tattoo removal which literally removes the tattoo entirely or in sections. A surgeon will surgically remove the skin, and once again, you will experience bleeding and a longer recovery time.

If you are interested in removing your tattoo, it's best to see your local physician or a dermatologist to examine your options and choose a method that works best for you and your financial situation.