How to Get Rid of Unwanted Skin Decorations? How to Remove a Tattoo?

There are permanent or temporary ones. Made with an ink or henna. For some, a form of artistic expression. For others, an unsightly and unnecessary thing. How to remove a tattoo that you don’t like anymore?

Types of tattoos

A basic division mentions temporary and permanent tattoos.

• A permanent tattoo involves introducing a tint into the epidermis and aims at changing the skin pigment.
• A temporary tattoo is done in the same way – with a needle and pigments yet the effect lasts for a month, a year or three years. It is because of the pigments which are absorbed or simply fade after some time.

A henna tattoo (Mehendi) is an alternative to the temporary tattoos. It lasts 1-3 weeks.

How to remove a tattoo?

There are lots of ways of getting rid of an unwanted tattoo.

• Laser tattoo removal involves absorbing pigments by the laser beams.
• Surgical removal involves cutting a tattoo out. Because it always entails scars, this method should be only used with small tattoos.
• Mechanical dermabrasion is about removing the surficial skin layers together with the pigment, using a special device. The effect isn’t spectacular because the tool fails to reach the deep skin layers where the pigment is located.
• Salabrasion uses sodium chlorine to remove the ink. It isn’t effective and may leave you with scars.
• Chemical peel involves applying some acid to the skin area covered with a tattoo. The acid aims at exfoliating the skin. This method entails risks of scars and hyperpigmentation, too.
• Injecting salt solution or cream into the tissue that clings to the tattoo. The salt solution combines with the ink, smudging the tattoo and consequently – making it fade. On the other hand, the cream softens the pigment.
• Cover-up means covering an unwanted tattoo with a new one which is made with a darker pigment.
• Camouflage involves covering the unwanted tattoo with a new tattoo having a skin-like ink.

Before deciding on a tattoo, remember that there are no tattoos that last forever. With years passing, tattoos lose the intensity. On the other hand, a temporary tattoo, which is supposed to last for some time only, may turn out to leave you with unsightly marks.