Painless Tattoo Removal

Whether your tattoo demonstrates affection, represents a personal philosophy, or even a favourite TV show, if you're one of many to find themselves in the unfortunate position of bearing a piece of body art that no longer suits you, fret not! Getting your skin back to its natural state is easier than you might think but pain may unfortunately, be inevitable.

How does it work?

A tattoo is made by inserting a coloured ink, also known as pigment, into a deeper layer of skin called the dermis. After a short period of healing, the ink is trapped within the structure of the skin itself. Simple and effective, but worryingly permanent if in later life you find yourself looking at your tattoo with less fondness and more regret.


How do I get rid of it?

Tattoo removal is in principal quite simple, the pigment trapped within the skin needs to be removed. Whereas in the past the methods were physical and rather nasty, for example either excision (surgical removal) or dermabrasion (effectively sanding off the tattooed skin), modern technology has saved many a regretful patron these painful pigment removal techniques.

Today the method of choice is laser treatment, which has now advanced to a point where the procedure is effective, safe, and affordable. While the word 'laser' might provoke images of super-villains in a James Bond-like setting, the word actually simply refers to a focused beam of light which, in this context, reacts with pigment molecules in the skin to break them down. The process actually mimics the effects of sunlight which causes the natural fading of tattoos over time.

Another option which runs along the same vein is Intense Pulsed Light therapy, which applies focused light in a similar way, but through a gel applied to the tattoo for a less painful, more effective removal technique conducted through fewer sessions. Unfortunately this also comes at a higher cost which can be pricey, particularly for larger or multiple tattoos.

That easy? Not quite...the pain

There are however limitations and risks to laser based tattoo removal. Completely removing a tattoo by laser treatment takes place over a number of sessions, and can be painful. These are typically six weeks apart to give the skin time to recover and repair itself. The success of these treatments in terms of removing the tattoo cleanly is very much dependent on the healthy recovery of skin cells between sessions. Despite these measures however, there remains a risk of scarring which depends on the individual, the inks used in the tattoo, and the quality of the laser used, hence the importance of finding a qualified, experienced, and reputable facility to which you can entrust your skin. Laser tattoo removal can be quite painful for some people and if you are looking for a pain free option, then you may just have to resort to creams. Surgery is of course likely to be the most painful option and also the one with the best results, though scarring is a problem. There is no real painless tattoo removal if you are looking for complete removal. While not without its caveats, laser treatment is at present the most popular, convenient, and affordable method of tattoo removal. So whether for a high end job interview, simple regret, or even just to make space for a new design, tattoo removal is now an easier and more practical solution to the follies of youth or love, but there is an unfortunate element of pain involved.

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