There is no "underground" community, no dark den of drunken sailors initiating themselves into manhood via cheap, ill-conceived exercises in bodily perforation; it's just a group of people who delight in using their bodies as billboards. Joanne McCubrey, "Walking Art: Tattoos," Mountain Democrat Weekend magazine, 9 February 1990

Laser Tattoo Removal



Research has shown that nearly half of those between the ages of 18 and 40 have a tattoo or several tattoos. The problem here is that a majority of those who have tattoos have later decided that they dont want them anymore. The biggest complaint to tattoos is dissatisfaction, which has led to a recent increase in tattoo removal. Its been proven in the past that women research their removal options more than men due to the fact that men have less of a stigma when it comes to tattoos.


Often times, the ink that is used during tattoos can lead to infection, simply because the type of ink being used isnt regulation for tattoo parlors. Clean equipment is also essential with tattoo parlors; otherwise someone can end up with hepatitis B, C, and various other infections. There are many serious diseases and other sicknesses that can occur if a tattoo parlor doesnt keep their materials and parlor clean.


In the event of infection or if someone just doesnt like their tattoo, there are ways to get them removed. Skin grafting and dermabrasion are good examples of tattoo removal, although the most popular and most common these days is laser removal. Laser removal is the fastest and by far the most preferred. With this surgery, the laser being used will zap the metal ions that are found in the pigment of the tattoo, fracturing the ink into very small pieces that the body can easily dispose of.


There are several great things about laser tattoo removal, although there are some bad things as well. In some cases, where infection is involved, the surgery will be a bit different. First, youll need to get the infection out of the area before the tattoo can be removed. Depending on how bad the infection is, you may end up staying in the hospital for a few days. For this very reason you should always make sure that the equipment is clean and sterile before you ever get a tattoo.


Laser tattoo removal can be very painful, depending on the area that you have the tattoo on. Almost all surgeons will use numbing ointment and local anesthetics before they do the removal, so you experience little to no pain. Even though you may think that you have a high tolerance for pain and can deal with the treatment, you may still want to take any type of numbing that you can get.


Before you decide to get a tattoo removed with laser removal, you should always make sure that you choose a surgeon you can trust. Lasers can be very dangerous, and there are always side effects and risks involved. Although laser tattoo removal is certainly an option for getting rid of a tattoo the best thing to do is think long and hard before you get one to begin with.