What is Tattoo?

A tattoo is a form of body modification where a design is made by inserting ink, dyes and pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The art of making tattoos is tattooing. Tattoos fall into three broad categories: purely decorative; symbolic; and pictorial.

People get tattoos for many reasons, be it cultural, personal, or simply because they like the design. Tattoos are becoming more mainstream, too, with face tattoos even growing in popularity.

Just as there are many reasons people get tattoos, there are many reasons why people may want to remove them.

Although tattoos are permanent, this is only to an extent. They can be removed if you decide you no longer want them.
Let’s take a look at the ways you can remove a tattoo, including cost, how long it’ll take, and more.

The American Academy of Dermatology distinguishes five types of tattoos: traumatic tattoos, also called “natural tattoos”, that result from injuries, especially asphalt from road injuries or pencil lead; amateur tattoos; professional tattoos, both via traditional methods and modern tattoo machines; cosmetic tattoos, also known as “permanent makeup”; and medical tattoos.

i) Traumatic tattoos
A traumatic tattoo occurs when a substance such as asphalt or gunpowder is rubbed into a wound as the result of some kind of accident or trauma.Coal miners could develop characteristic tattoos owing to coal dust getting into wounds.These are particularly difficult to remove as they tend to be spread across several layers of skin, and scarring or permanent discoloration is almost unavoidable depending on the location.

An amalgam tattoo is when amalgam particles are implanted in to the soft tissues of the mouth, usually the gums, during dental filling placement or removal. Another example of such accidental tattoos is the result of a deliberate or accidental stabbing with a pencil or pen, leaving graphite or ink beneath the skin.

ii) Subcultural connotations Tattoo
Many tattoos serve as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, amulets and talismans, protection, and as punishment, like the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. Tattoos may show how a person feels about a relative (commonly mother/father or daughter/son) or about an unrelated person. Today, people choose to be tattooed for artistic, cosmetic, sentimental/memorial, religious, and magical reasons, and to symbolize their belonging to or identification with particular groups.

iii) Cosmetic Tattoo
Permanent makeup is the use of tattoos to enhance eyebrows, lips (liner and/or lipstick), eyes (liner), and even moles, usually with natural colors, as the designs are intended to resemble makeup.

A growing trend in the US and UK is to place artistic tattoos over the surgical scars of a mastectomy. “More women are choosing not to reconstruct after a mastectomy and tattoo over the scar tissue instead… The mastectomy tattoo will become just another option for post cancer patients and a truly personal way of regaining control over post cancer bodies. However, the tattooing of nipples on reconstructed breasts remains in high demand

iv) Functional Tattoo
Functional tattoos are used primarily for a purpose other than aesthetics. One such use is to tattoo Alzheimer patients with their names, so they may be easily identified if they go missing.

v) Medical Tattoo
Medical tattoos are used to ensure instruments are properly located for repeated application of radiotherapy and for the areola in some forms of breast reconstruction. Tattooing has also been used to convey medical information about the wearer (e.g., blood group, medical condition, etc.). Additionally, tattoos are used in skin tones to cover vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder.

SS blood group tattoos (German: Blutgruppentätowierung) were worn by members of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany during World War II to identify the individual’s blood type. After the war, the tattoo was taken to be prima facie, if not perfect, evidence of being part of the Waffen-SS, leading to potential arrest and prosecution. This led a number of ex-Waffen-SS to shoot themselves through the arm with a gun, removing the tattoo and leaving scars like the ones resulting from pox inoculation, making the removal less obvious.

Tattoos were probably also used in ancient medicine as part of the treatment of the patient. In 1898, Daniel Fouquet, a medical doctor, wrote an article on “medical tattooing” practices in Ancient Egypt, in which he describes the tattooed markings on the female mummies found at the Deir el-Bahari site. He speculated that the tattoos and other scarifications observed on the bodies may have served a medicinal or therapeutic purpose: The examination of these scars, some white, others blue, leaves in no doubt that they are not, in essence, ornament, but an established treatment for a condition of the pelvis, very probably chronic pelvic peritonitis.

Who are Best candidates for tattoo removal?

Older tattoos as well as amateur (“stick and poke”) tattoos are easier to remove than newer ones.

Some colors are easier to remove than others as well. These include:

• black
• brown
• dark blue
• green

Larger, darker, more colorful tattoos are more time-consuming and expensive to remove than smaller, lighter, and less colorful ones.

Due to the risk of side effects, it’s also more difficult to remove tattoos if you have:

• darker skin
• a preexisting skin condition, like eczema
• a health condition that affects the skin, such as herpes

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t remove your tattoo if any of this applies to you. It just means you may need to take a bit more time to find the best removal option for you.

Your Dermatologist can also help you if you have a health condition. For example, they can prescribe antiviral medications to prevent a tattoo removal procedure from triggering a herpes flare-up. They can also refer you to a dermatologist for further guidance.

How does laser removal work?

Most experts Dermatologists consider laser removal to be the most successful and cost-effective way to remove tattoos.

Today, most tattoos are removed with a Q-switched laser. It sends out energy in one strong pulse. This pulse of energy heats up the ink in your skin to dissolve it.

You’ll need to receive a number of laser treatments over several weeks or longer to remove your tattoo.

Often, lasers don’t completely remove a tattoo. Instead, they lighten or fade it so it’s much less noticeable.

1. Q-Switching Laser and How Tattoo Removal Works
A laser can produce the right wavelengths of light, but unless this energy is applied for the right length of time and with sufficient power, the desired effect will not be achieved. Tattoo ink can be difficult to shatter and remove, and only Q-switched lasers are able to produce sufficient fluence (energy or power) to remove dark and bright tattoos without unattractive side effects like scarring. Q-switched laser pulses last mere nanoseconds (billionths of a second), providing high levels of fluence for quality ink shattering. Learn more about Q-switch laser technology here.

Tattoo removal lasers produce specific wavelengths of light that have been proven to be absorbed by certain colors of tattoo ink while avoiding damage to surrounding skin tissue and chromophores (such as melanin and hemoglobin). When the laser energy is applied for the right length of time, at the right level of energy, and in the proper wavelength, the tattoo ink is selectively targeted.

Each wavelength effects how tattoo removal works and corresponds to a certain range of tattoo ink colors, which why different types of tattoo removal lasers are available. The most popular wavelengths used  for tattoo removal are 1064nm and 532nm, which can both be achieved with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser

The Science behind the Results with Q-Switched Lasers

Laser tattoo removal is the only clinically-proven method of removing a tattoo without causing scarring.  For more than a decade, Q-switched lasers, like those manufactured by Astanza, have been designed to create ultra-short pulses of light energy that shatter ink in a tattoo.

The production of ultra-short (nanosecond) pulses of the precise wavelengths of light energy best designed to shatter tattoo ink is the hallmark of Astanza’s technology.  No other manufacturer has made the same commitment to this precise field of lasers, and practitioners worldwide demand the power and reliability of Astanza’s superior Q-switched lasers.

Laser-Skin Interaction
During a tattoo removal procedure, laser light is applied to the tattooed area of the skin. The light is selectively absorbed by the tattoo ink particles, leaving the surrounding skin tissue and chromophores unharmed.

The tattoo ink particles absorb the laser energy, heat up, and shatter into smaller ink particles.

In the days and weeks following a laser treatment, the body’s immune system flushes away the shattered ink particles, causing the tattoo to fade.  Over a series of treatments, more and more of the ink shatters, leaving the skin free of ink.

2. Surgical removal
During surgical removal, the skin is numbed with an injection of a local anesthetic. The tattoo is removed with a scalpel, and the edges of skin are stitched back together. After the procedure, antibacterial ointment helps promote healing.

Surgical tattoo removal is effective — but it leaves a scar and might be practical only for small tattoos.

3. Dermabrasion
During dermabrasion, the tattooed area is typically chilled until numb. Then the tattooed skin is sanded down to deeper levels with a high-speed rotary device that has an abrasive wheel or brush. This allows the tattoo ink to leach out of the skin.

The affected area feels sore and raw for several days after the procedure. Recovery can take up to two to three weeks. Due to unpredictable results and less effective outcomes than laser or a combination of laser and excision, dermabrasion isn’t a common choice.

4. Co2 Laser
The carbon dioxide laser thus ablates superficial layers of skin, resulting in removal of some of the tattoo pigment with significant inflammation and results in scarring. This laser has been used for almost 25 years for tattoo removal, rarely removing the tattoo completely and almost always leaving a mild scar. All the treatments are FDA approved.

Aftercare after Tattoo removal with Lasers

Your surgeon or Dermatologists will give you specific aftercare instructions.

In general, apply the prescribed or recommended ointment for several days after the procedure to help heal your skin and avoid risk of infection. Keep the site clean and out of the sun for at least two weeks.

Scarring and other risks

Everyone who chooses surgical tattoo removal experiences scarring. However, you can reduce the risk of severe scarring.
Be sure to follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions for best results. Don’t pick at the site, and avoid strenuous activities that put tension on the area immediately after surgery.

Aftercare

Your clinician may recommend applying an antibacterial cream to the treated site as it heals to avoid infection and reduce scarring.

The treated area will likely feel painful and raw for several days after the procedure. Your skin may look red or pink during this period.

Full recovery can take two to three weeks. The pinkness of the treated area usually fades in 8 to 12 weeks.

Your clinician may also advise you to:

• Avoid direct sunlight for three to six months after the procedure.
•  Apply sunscreen to the site every time you’re outside.
• Avoid wearing tight clothing on the site until it heals.
• Avoid soaking the site in water as it heals.

Scarring and other risks

Some people experience scarring from dermabrasion treatments. You can reduce scarring by:

• using the prescribed ointments
• wearing sunscreen
• avoiding the sun
• using anti-scarring oils and creams, after the treatment site has fully healed

After treatment, dermabrasion may cause:

• changes in skin color, such as lightening, darkening, or blotchiness
• infection
• redness, swelling, and bleeding
• scarring from poorly done dermabrasion

To prevent these complications, be sure to follow your clinician’s aftercare instructions. Make sure the clinician has proper licensing and good reviews, too.

Can removal creams help?

Tattoo removal creams are the most widely available and least expensive option. There’s a reason why: There’s no solid evidence that they work.

According to experts and anecdotal evidence, the best these creams do is fade or lighten a tattoo.

Due to the high risk of skin irritation and allergic reaction, experts don’t recommend using DIY tattoo removal creams to get rid of your tattoo.

Tattoo removal is a procedure done to try to remove an unwanted tattoo. Common techniques used for tattoo removal include laser surgery, surgical removal and dermabrasion. Tattoo ink is placed beneath the top layer of the skin. That makes tattoo removal more complicated and expensive than the original tattoo application. But it’s now easy at Elements of Aesthetics clinic under Dr.Stuti Khare Shukla

Don’t attempt tattoo removal on your own. Do-it-yourself tattoo removal creams and other home treatments aren’t likely to be effective and can cause skin irritation or other reactions you might consider tattoo removal if you regret a tattoo or you’re unhappy with the appearance of your tattoo. Perhaps the tattoo has faded or blurred, or you decide that the tattoo doesn’t fit your current image.

Tattoo removal might also be important if you develop an allergic reaction to the tattoo or other complications, such as an infection.