By Whether you have a tattoo that is no longer what you want it to be or the color has faded, it is never too late to get rid of it.
The most effective way to remove a tattoo is by laser therapy. Several sessions are needed to completely eliminate the ink from the skin.
What is a tattoo?
A tattoo is a permanent, colorful design made with needles that inject pigments into the skin’s top layer. It’s a form of body art that’s usually used to mark personal identities and tell stories, as well as for cosmetic purposes like covering birthmarks or improving skin color.
Archaeologists have found a wide variety of ancient tattoos, from a 5,200-year-old frozen mummy in Africa to elaborate geometric designs in Polynesian cultures. These marks have long served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, adornments and even forms of punishment, says Joann Fletcher, research fellow in the department of archaeology at the University of York in Britain.
Early tattoos were likely created by scoring the flesh with knives and then rubbing in ink, ash or another dye agent. These works were more susceptible to infection and may have been less detailed than modern tattoos, which use sterile needles attached to an electrically powered machine to pierce the skin in small, repetitive strokes.
Many people choose to get tattoos for aesthetic reasons. The designs can be anything from simple symbols or letters to detailed sketches and caricatures. They can also contain a single color or several different colors.
A tattoo artist will first sketch the design, using a pencil or digital drawing program. Once the artist is satisfied with the final look, he or she can begin transferring it onto paper with a stencil.
Once the tattoo is ready to be transferred, the skin will be cleansed and a bandage will be applied. The artist will then give you aftercare instructions and explain the process of healing the tattoo so that it will heal properly and as quickly as possible.
Aftercare for a tattoo is important so that you can avoid infections and rashes. Most tattoo artists keep their studios clean and wear gloves to protect themselves from germs. They also use autoclaved needles to minimize the risk of infection.
The tattoo process can be painful, but it’s not usually an excruciating experience. It’s not recommended to get a tattoo if you are prone to atopic dermatitis, a skin condition that causes itchiness and itching at the site of a tattoo.
How do tattoos get into your skin?
When tattoos are inserted into your skin, the needle first travels through the epidermis (the outer layer of your skin) and into the dermis (the deeper layer of your skin). Beneath the epidermis lies the hypodermis, which is where you have fat cells, hair follicles and lymph vessels.
When a tattoo needle punctures the skin, the blood rushes to the area. This causes the skin to swell and release fluid that forms a clot called plasma. This is the body’s natural response to injury and helps stop the bleeding.
Once the clot is formed, a process called phagocytosis begins to eat away at any foreign material that might have been left behind. It involves specialized immune cells called macrophages.
Some macrophages swallow ink particles and send them out into the lymphatic system, while others remain in the skin. These immune cells are important in the tattoo fade process.
But the chemistry of tattoo ink makes this process difficult for the body. The pigments used in tattoos are small, and the chemistry of the skin allows them to stick between the dense collagen fibers that make up your dermis.
This is why you don’t see any color on the surface of your skin for about three to four weeks after your tattoo is completed. Most of the dead skin cells that are still on the surface have cleared out, leaving a fresh, shiny layer of skin beneath it.
In the days and weeks following the initial tattooing, these pigments are reabsorbed by special cells that live within the dermis. These are called fibroblasts.
Over time, the fibroblasts begin to reform and re-attach to the basement membrane that lines your skin. Eventually, the granulation tissue that originally held the ink particles becomes replaced by a network of connective tissue that surrounds these cells and effectively traps them.
In this way, the tattoo pigments are trapped and remain in your skin for a very long time. However, this process does not explain how tattoos fade over time.
How do tattoos fade?
There are a variety of factors that determine how tattoos fade. These include sunlight, ink quality, body placement and aftercare habits.
Generally, tattoos fade within days of their application as your epidermis acclimates to the new pigments. It takes months for the deeper layers of skin to heal and for your tattoo to appear vibrant again.
As your skin ages and loses elasticity, it will sag, which can cause your tattoo to fade faster than it otherwise would. This is a natural part of the aging process and can be minimized by taking care of your skin, Graham says.
It is also important to keep your tattoo clean, he adds. This will help prevent bacteria from building up and causing infection. It is also important to make sure you are following your artist’s aftercare instructions so you can prevent fading from occurring.
Aside from taking care of your tattoo, a healthy diet and lifestyle can also play an important role in preventing fading. Getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and drinking plenty of water can all help your tattoo look its best.
Additionally, limiting your exposure to the sun can help keep your tattoo looking its best as well. UV-rays can break down the pigment particles in your tattoo and cause it to fade, so be sure to use sunscreen on a daily basis when you are out.
Another thing that can lead to fading is friction from everyday activities. Athletes who participate in sports that involve a lot of contact with padding and equipment can have their tattoos fade more than average due to the constant friction they endure.
Lastly, wearing tight clothing that rubs against your tattoo can also cause it to fade more quickly. This can be especially true for those who are overweight or pregnant.
Keeping your tattoo clean can help prevent this from happening as it will reduce the buildup of bacteria and oil. It is also important to wash your skin gently and avoid using harsh scrubs or cleaning products on the tattooed area.
How do tattoos get removed?
If you want to remove a tattoo, there are several methods that can be used. One is laser tattoo removal, which uses a laser to heat the ink particles and break them down into smaller ones. It can take several laser sessions to remove a tattoo and it’s best to wait six weeks between each session.
The treatment is somewhat painful, and you may need to use topical skin numbing medications. However, most people find the procedure is relatively tolerable.
It is possible to remove a tattoo using dermabrasion, which is a surgical method where a medical grinding tool is used to remove the outer layers of the skin that contain the ink. This can be done with a local, regional or even general anesthetic. The procedure will result in an open wound that needs to be taken care of with daily cleaning of the wound and application of antibiotic ointment.
Another option for removing a tattoo is excision, which involves cutting away the area of skin with the ink and then sewing it back together. It’s a little less popular than the other two methods, but it can be effective depending on the size and complexity of the tattoo.
Aside from the fact that it is invasive, excision can leave scars on the skin, so you should be aware of this before choosing this method. You should also know that it can be more expensive than other removal options.
Other removal methods include laser surgery, dermabrasion and chemical peels. These are all less invasive than laser tattoo removal but still have the potential to leave scars on your skin.
Surgical tattoo removal requires a local, regional or even a general anesthetic and will leave a surgical scar on the skin that will need to heal. You should take good care of the area after surgery by cleaning it daily with soap and water, applying an antibiotic ointment and changing the wound dressing.
The amount of time it takes to get rid of a tattoo will depend on a few factors, including the type of ink and color, where it is located on your body and your immune system’s ability to clear it. The faster the immune system can eliminate the ink particles, the quicker it will fade. The tattoo’s location will also play a role, since areas with better circulation tend to heal more quickly than those that have poorer circulation.
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