A tattoo used to be a permanent and irreversible adornment to one's skin. However, in recent years dermatologic surgeons have developed safe and effective techniques to successfully remove unwanted tattoos. (Read "Do's and don'ts for tattoos and piercings")
Patients request removal of a tattoo for a variety of reasons — social, cultural or physical. Some patients develop an allergic reaction to a tattoo several years after the initial application. Because each tattoo is unique, removal techniques must be tailored to suit each individual case. For instance, professionally applied tattoos tend to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin at uniform levels. Thisuniformity allows dermasurgeons to use techniques that remove broader areas of inked skin at the same depth.
Homemade tattoos are often applied with an uneven hand and their removal may be more difficult. Deeper blue and black ink colors are particularly difficult to remove. Professional tattoos made with some of the newer inks and pastel colors may also be difficult to remove entirely. REMOVING TATTOOS
Tattoos can be removed by a dermatologic surgeon on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia. The most common techniques used are:
