Delete tattoos: is it possible?

Deleting tattoos is more frequent than it may seem In a first impression. Although, when a person is tattooed, it is assumed that it is something for a lifetime, with the passage of time there may be a regret or a desire to change.

According to some statistics collected among people with tattoos, after five years of having done one, almost 60% are sorry. Of that repentant group, not everyone proceeds to erase the tattoo, but a large part does.

Dermatologists have seen increasing consultations to erase tattoos around the world. This, of course, is also associated with more people getting tattoos. However, from 2012 to the present, tattoo removal procedures doubled at their annual average.

The procedure is not easy, because the tattoo is an ink that is located in the dermis, the intermediate layer of the skin that is below the surface. The needle for tattoos penetrates the epidermis, which is the superficial layer, and deposits drops that are impregnated in the cells.

In addition to difficult, the procedure becomes expensive, and that makes erasing tattoos not accessible to everyone. It should also be borne in mind that, once the procedure is completed, some scar marks and changes in skin color may remain.

Techniques to erase tattoos

To erase tattoos there are three basic medical techniques. Each one has its indication and its ideal patient to apply. It will be the dermatologist who decides what is the technique of choice in each case. Let's take a closer look at each one:

To be

The most commonly used technique is the laser known as Q-switched. It is a very powerful pulse laser, with some variations according to the type of skin to be treated.

One-time removal is not possible. Laser treatments to erase tattoos consist of several sessions They depend on the size of the tattoo to be removed, the colors of the tattoo, the time it takes on the patient's skin and the type of skin.

Some tattoos require up to eight laser sessions. Each session lasts approximately twenty minutes, but the sessions cannot take place day by day. Some time must pass between each application, sometimes up to a month. Consider then that a treatment can last almost a year.

The laser is applied in outpatient offices, not in operating rooms. Local anesthesia is used to decrease the pain of the laser pulse. After application, some adverse effects appear in the pulsed region, such as inflammation and, perhaps, bleeding. The doctor in charge of the treatment will be the one who indicates the care to be taken into account.

Conventional surgery

Tattoos can be erased through classic surgery. It is possible to perform this procedure on small tattoos, otherwise, it would be impossible to close the skin again.

This technique is a simple and simple removal.. Anesthesia is placed, the edges to be removed with a scalpel are defined, the piece of skin is removed with the tattoo and closed with suture. Obviously, there is a scar.

The technique is totally effective. for the objective it pursues. However, logically, it is for small tattoos, which do not affect the aesthetic with the scar.

Read on: How to reduce your skin scars naturally

Dermabrasion

The third existing technique to erase tattoos is dermabrasion. As his name shows, With the dermabrasion technique, the skin is sanded to remove the cells with ink and allow part of that ink to flow out in liquid form.

The procedure begins with the cooling of the skin to numb it, as if it were anesthesia. Then, an apparatus that rotates at many revolutions is applied to the tattooed skin, with a brush capable of causing abrasion of the skin.

It is a painful procedure which applies in a single session. The inflammation of the treated area lasts several weeks. It is estimated that adverse effects can last up to a month.

It is a less effective technique than the laser, for example, but less expensive. This factor causes some people to choose it, although it currently constitutes a minimal portion of the treatments.

Some techniques to erase tattoos leave a scar

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Aftercare when erasing tattoos

Whatever the technique used to erase tattoos, it will be necessary to take special care later. Adverse effects are present with any of the three procedures.

Between the general measures to take after having attended a session to erase a tattoo, we have:

Remember: it is possible to erase tattoos, but the process to achieve it has its difficulties. Not only do we have to think about existing techniques, but also about these subsequent adverse effects that require special care.

If you are thinking of deleting a tattoo you have, Ideally, consult a dermatologist who can advise you. He will evaluate your tattoo and your skin to suggest the best technique for your specific case.