How to Get Rid of a Tattoo

Posted on : March 4, 2016  By : Wellness

Having a tattoo you no longer like and would prefer to get rid of can be unpleasant, especially because you have a constant reminder on your skin. You might not be able to forget that you have it, but, luckily, your tattoo doesn’t have to be permanently embedded in your skin any longer.

Tattoos can now be removed fairly easily and, while it requires important emotional and physical decisions, it might be worth the effort just to remove all the unwanted ink from your skin. Getting rid of a tattoo carries several implications, however, and at Apple Wellness Center we want you to be informed about each step of the process.

Tattoo Removal Options

Some people might prefer not to have it removed, but replaced instead, in what is commonly called ‘cover ups’. Nowadays, you can get beautiful art to cover up the tattoo you wish to hide, and people will be none the wiser, however this process might not be suitable for everyone. This is because replacing an old tattoo has to be done with dark colours and, if the tattoo underneath doesn’t allow it, you might have to use laser removal.

Laser tattoo removal is an increasingly common procedure that works by breaking up the pigments of colour in the tattoo, using a high-intensity light beam. The broken particles of ink are absorbed by the body in a process that mimics the natural fading that occurs over a long period of time or when exposed to sunlight.

Removal Process

Because a tattoo is nothing more than thousands of big colour pigments in the skin, the laser process targets those specific particles. The pigments heat up and fragment into smaller pieces and, while they can reach extremely high temperatures, this is done so quickly that the heat dissipates without damaging the skin.

There are several key components of this process. The beam has to go through the skin until it reaches the pigment, and it has to be a colour which highly absorbable by the pigment, not the surrounding skin cells, which means that different pigments need different laser colours. Also, the duration of the pulse has to be short, a matter of nanoseconds, because otherwise it can lead to scarring or burning of the skin; and sufficient energy needs to be delivered during each burst, as low energy will not allow the pigment to fragment.

Other Implications

A very important consideration is pain. While this process can be painful because it’s burning colour pigments in your skin, it will be worth it when you no longer need to live with a tattoo that you deeply regret. It’s a decision you must make yourself, as it also depends on your tattoo or pain threshold.

The laser removal process can take a very long time, and might require several consultations to properly remove the ink. In some cases, a tattoo can leave what is called ‘ghosting’, a faint impression of the design – this happens because some inks are more challenging to remove. For instance, recent tones of pastel are highly reflective, which makes them incredibly difficult to remove.

The removal of cosmetic tattoos can be difficult, and might even darken. However, further treatments will eventually make the ink fade, and the same happens with ghosting.

At Apple Wellness Center we know what it means to finally be able to remove a tattoo that you hate, so we pride ourselves on offering high quality tattoo removal services to help you achieve this goal. For more information, contact us or call us on (587) 332-6767 and a member of our team will be happy to help!

Posted in : Tattoo Removal