Pretty in Ink? - Tattoo Removal Treatment

Pretty in Ink?
September 10, 2007
by llanor alleyne
Metro

ROFILE. Permanently signing someone elseÌs name anywhere on your body might seem like a wonderful expression of your undying devotion, but what if love ends and you still have that pesky tattoo scripted with a name you canÌt even bear to say in public? Take heart: That ink might not be as indelible as you and the tattoo artist might have thought.

There are several ways to remove tatts, including exci?sion (cutting it out surgica?lly), dermabrasion (sanding the skin with an abrasive instrument) and salibrasion (sanding the skin with salt), but none are as popular or as ef?fective as laser surgery.

ÏLasers selectively damage tattoo ink without injury to the surrounding skin,Ó explains Dr. Roy Geronemus, director of The Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. ÏSo unlike other techniques, which would have to remove skin or injure normal skin in the process, if the correct laser is used, then you can actually get safe and effective removal of specific colors within tattoos.Ó

Before you call up your doctor and get the lasers beaming around that tatt of Tweety Bird (it seemed like a great idea when you were 16), there are some factors to consider. In addition to treatments being rather expensive, they also depend on what kind of tattoo you have. According to Geronemus, different colors within a tattoo are absorbed differently by laser light. Cur?rently, laser treatment for tattoos works best with reds and blacks and is a more difficult proposition when it comes to yellow, orange and metallic colors.

But donÌt expect the tatt to disappear after one session. Depending on the size and placement of

the tat?too, laser removal can take anywhere from two to six treatments Û and some?times longer, especially if the tattoo was professionally done.

Skin color is also a factor.

ÏDarker skin often interferes with the absorption of laser light, so it makes it more difficult to reach the tattoo and [can] injure some of the normal skin,Ó Geronemus says. ÏYou have to use the correct laser with darker skin types that will minimize that risk.Ó

While laser treatment is not as painful as other removal methods, you can expect some side effects such as scabbing, burning or itching after each session.

ÏIt takes time to heal after each procedure,Ó Geronemus says. ÏThere is a very, very small risk of scarring from each procedure, but we simply donÌt see that very often. And there is a slight risk that it will leave a slight change in pigmentation.Ó

If you simply must get that butterfly on your hip, you might want to wait. New York-based company Freedom-2 is set to unveil a new ink that will make that body artwork much easier to erase when you canÌt stand the sight of it anymore.

Before you take the leap

Some tips from Geronemus to consider before getting a tattoo:

Ô Wait one month. Chances are you will change your mind.

Ô Go to a professional and make sure new needles are used all the time.

Ô Keep the colors simple.

Ô Think small Û smaller

tattoos are easier to hide and eventually remove.

Ô Perhaps show your love for a person in another way.

Ô Remember that you will not always be buff Û body changes can make tattoos less attractive in the long run.

Ô Plan for the future Û think about your career, because many employers do not like visible tattoos in the workplace.