Will a Laser Remove My Tattoo?

Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so removing them is difficult. There are several methods of tattoo removal which have proven effective. The degree of remaining color variations or blemishes depends upon several factors, including size, location, the individual’s ability to heal, how the tattoo was applied and how long it has been in place. For example, a tattoo applied by a more experienced artist may be easier to remove since the pigment was evenly injected in the same level of the skin. New tattoos may also be more difficult to remove than old ones. Doctors say they can’t predict the exact degree of removal because they generally don’t know which of the 100 tattoo inks available today were used. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently lists tattoo pigments as “color additives,” which are intended only for application to the top layer of the skin.) Consult with a removal specialist — be sure to take a list of questions along. It is a fact that black tattoos are removed much easier than tattoos with colored ink such as red, yellow or green. At the very least laser treatments can significantly lighten tattoo ink, and in many cases the treatments are greatly successful and the tattoo is no longer visible without careful inspection.