Whether you got a tattoo on a whim or after a lot of thought, this ink on your body is pretty permanent.
Tattoo removal is possible but carries risks, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tattoo ink and pigment, as well as the laser devices used to remove them. State and local authorities usually oversee tattoo practices.
The FDA has cleared several types of lasers for tattoo grinding or removal. They should be used by or under the supervision of a healthcare professional. The procedure requires using the right type of laser, understanding how the tissue reacts, and knowing how to treat the area after the procedure.
One challenge with removal is that tattoos are more than skin deep. The needle injects ink into the skin, penetrating the epidermis or outer layer. And it also deposits a drop of ink on the dermis, the layer underneath.
Skin cells are more stable than those in the epidermis, which, according to the FDA, means the ink will stay in place for most of a person’s lifetime.
Lasering is the most common method of tattoo removal or lightening, according to the FDA. The laser light energy breaks the tattoo ink into small particles and the immune system clears these particles over time.
Different types of lasers can be used depending on the colors of the tattoo. Different colors of ink absorb different wavelengths of light, the FDA explained in a news release.
For this reason, the removal of multi-colored tattoos may require the use of multiple lasers. The most difficult colors to remove are green, red and yellow. Dark blue and black are the easiest.
It is especially difficult to remove flesh-colored or white ink and permanent makeup tattoos because the pigment in these colors can oxidize, turning black, when treated with a laser. Once the pigment has oxidized, it cannot be treated with a laser.
Permanent makeup is a tattoo intended to take the place of eyebrows, eyeliner or lip liner.
Laser removal requires multiple treatments with a few weeks between treatments to give the skin time to heal. The size of the tattoo and the colors will affect the duration of the treatments and how many are needed.
Complete tattoo removal may not always be possible.
Laser tattoo removal can be painful. It’s like snapping a thick rubber band to your skin, the FDA noted. Numbing cream may be used.
A side effect of tattoo removal is that the treated skin may be lighter in color than the skin around it. Scarring, infection, spotting bleeding, redness or pain are other possible side effects.
There are other, less commonly used, methods of tattoo removal.
These include dermabrasion, in which a motorized wire brush or abrasive is used to ‘scrape’ the top layer of skin. A different type of laser called an ablative laser can burn off the entire top layer of skin. The skin where the tattoo is located can also be surgically removed.
These methods do not remove the pigment, but instead wound the skin over and around the pigment to stimulate an immune response that can lighten the pigment as the skin heals, the FDA said.
While it is possible to lighten pigmentation with these methods, there is a greater chance of scarring and unwanted cosmetic effects, the FDA said.
Although some creams and ointments are said to allow a person to remove a tattoo themselves, these products have not been tested by the FDA. There is no evidence that they are safe or effective, the FDA said. Products may cause skin rashes, burns or scarring.
More information:
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has more tattoo removal.
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Reference: Tattoo regrets? Here are some tips on safely removing old “Ink” (2023, August 7) Retrieved January 17, 2024 from
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