I ran across this tattoo and I couldn’t help but wonder….what was this person thinking? Well, unless we actually meet the person who had this done, which we likely won’t, chances are we will never find out. But this tattoo of a garden chair may just be an excellent example of what may one day be buyer’s remorse. **here’s hoping** Thinking about this led me to wonder about tattoo removal. Today, buyer’s remorse for body art is not as scary as it used to be. Essentially, you won’t need a sander to have a tattoo removed today, so how does tattoo removal today work?
Yes, we know that laser technology is the “It” thing when it comes to tattoo removal. So I want to talk about this a little bit, because, while it is generally known that lasers are used to remove body art, I am sure there are a lot of people that have questions about it, or simply want to know more about it. Knowing more about this technology may put some minds to rest and make all the difference in swaying someone towards getting, or not getting a tattoo, if you are in the group that is sitting on the fence over it.
Let’s talk first about the most common question. Can all tattoos be removed? You will find that most dermatology surgeons will say that no, complete removal is not possible. However, with every tattoo there are variables that will determine the effectiveness of the removal. These variables are something to keep in mind in the event that you are considering a tattoo, and using laser removal as your ‘buyers remorse backup plan’.
Essentially, tattoos are intended to be permanent, so removing them will be very difficult. It will be hard to find a surgeon that guarantees complete removal, and if you find one, you may want to be cautious as they may be guaranteeing something they can’t do, simply to get you to whip out your checkbook. Whether or not your tattoo can be completely removed depends on a wide range of factors. How big is your tattoo? Where is it located? How well do you heal? How was the tattoo applied? And how long ago did you have it done? If you had yours done by a more experienced artist for example, it may be easier to remove as likely the pigment is more evenly distributed across the same level of skin. It is also thought that newer tattoos are more difficult to remove than older ones, as there is more pigment to remove, and pigment fades with age.
Those are the basics when it comes to answering the question of can all tattoos be removed. The easy but most confusing answer is yes and no. It all depends on the tattoo. Keep an eye out for more articles on buyer’s remorse, and what you can expect with laser tattoo removal in terms of pain, costs, and ultimate effectiveness.