Tattoo Removal

Ok, so maybe the great flaming Teradactyl tattoo you proudly displayed on your forearm at 20 years old, doesn't quite fit your 45 year-old personality.What's there to do about it? Can that formerly magical tattoo be removed?

Well, today, many times the answer is "yes". There are many types of tattoo removal options available these days. Some are less invasive than others and depending on how large your tattoo is, you can expect variations in the amount of time needed for healing, level of scarring and also in the number of procedures needed to remove the tattoo.

Methods of Tattoo Removal

Excision

Basically, this method involves removing the entire tattoo by excising it. Whether this is a good option for you depends partly on how large your tattoo is and where it is located on your body. If you're a muscular, or active person - and your tattoo is located on your lower or upper back, or other location you move around a lot - keeping your stiches "stiched, might be tricky. I know this personally from having this type of small incision (for moles, not a tattoo) on both my upper back and on my side. It was difficult to keep from putting pressure on the stiches - and as a consequence, ended up with more scarring than necessary - and these were relatively small incisions. This is definitely something you'd want to talk over with your doctor.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is a non-invasive method of tattoo removal that, for lack of a better word, "sands" your tattoo off your body. Check with your doctor to see if this is a good option for you.

Laser

Yes, we live in the space age of the 21st century.., and laser tattoo removal is said to be a super option for getting that fire-breathing teradactyl off your arm. Apparantly, there are several types (colors) of laser light that, when directed at your tattoo, break up the color in the ink and make it vulnerable so that your body will remove the tattoo naturally. More than one session is typically required to complete the removal job.

There are one or two other methods of tattoo removal too, but the above seem to be most popular.

The Great Cover-Up

If you're more concerned with covering up the Teradactyle tattoo, but removal isn't a concern, you could always talk to a good tattoo artist to see about tattooing over the offending body art, or designing your existing tattoo into a new design. They would likely talk to you about what type of new design you're thinking of, as well as whether the new color or design would be a good choice to either cover, or integrate with, your old tattoo.

Conclusion

So if your new job as a Kindergarten Teacher doesn't fit well with your Black Sabbath forearm art, consider talking to a dermatologist about your options for tattoo removal. Remember to discuss the healing time required, as well as the extent of scarring you should expect.