The Skinny On Tattoo Removal Clinics

Studies suggest that nearly 50% of all people with a tattoo eventually want them removed. Is it any wonder that tattoo removal clinics are popping up almost as quickly as tattoo parlors themselves? But how do they help remove one’s tattoos? And does the process hurt? Here we give you the lowdown on everything you need to know about tattoo removal clinics.

Removing a tattoo used to be one of the most painful procedures you could get. Early tattoo removal clinics were nothing more than dermatology wings which offered methods such as excision, which consisted of little more than just removing the patch of tattooed skin with a scalpel, or dermabrasion, which literally ‘sanded’ away the tattooed skin. Not only was the pain factor huge--and the risk of infection great--but the area of the skin treated most often looked worse than the actual tattoo ever did.

But then somebody figured out you could use a laser to remove a that tribal heart tat and tattoo removal clinics were born. The process is actually quite simple: when tattoos are administered they are placed on the dermis, or secondary layer, of the skin. This is so they will be permanent and not fade with the shedding of surface skin. Laser tattoo removal does not actually ‘remove’ the tattoo, but breaks up the molecules of the ink into smaller pieces so that they can be absorbed by the bloodstream.

Tattoo removal clinics now service millions of people each year because their process is relatively painless—many describe it as being akin to being flicked with a rubber band—and because the results are also quite satisfactory. Although, it goes without saying, the more intricate and colorful the tattoo is the more difficult it is to remove.

Each session at a tattoo removal clinic usually consists of one specific laser used for each color of the tattoo. The sessions are spaced apart by about three weeks, and depending on the complexity of the tat, the removal may take only one session or up to a dozen. This gives the body a chance to absorb the ink molecules and for the skin to recover from the effects of the pulse laser.

To get more information visit your local tattoo removal clinic for a consultation. They can give you an accurate assessment of how long your tattoo removal may take and what expectations you can have about your laser procedure.