How to Remove a Tattoo - Learn How to Remove a Tattoo With 6 Different Methods

Finding out how to remove a tattoo can involve several options. Complete removal of a tattoo can be almost impossible, although there are some removal methods that are effective. Many people don't think about how to remove a tattoo, when they are deciding to get one. Tattoos that seemed trendy or a good idea in younger years can be embarrassing or too visible in the wrong places, for later years in life.

Of course, a tattoo is something you should not take lightly when you are thinking about getting one, as they are meant to be a permanent marking. However, as you get older, and skin starts to sag, an attractive tattoo can turn into a distorted mess that nobody can read or understand. A tramp stamp on Grandma just doesn't look like it fits, nor is it attractive, assuming you can tell what it is.

This is where how to remove a tattoo comes in handy. There are several methods that vary in cost and effectiveness:

• Laser removal-This is where a laser sends pulses of light at a high concentration. It can be a painful procedure that normally involves several sessions that range from $200-$500 each. Considering it can take up to 20 sessions in some cases, laser removal can exceed $10,000 and is not covered by insurance. It also causes scarring, blisters and scabs.

• Dermabrasion or Salabrasion-Both of these methods involve sanding the upper layers of skin off and both are very painful, obviously. Salabrasion uses a salt water solution before abrading the skin. Dermabrasion uses a numbing solution, and then sands the skin layers off. Both of these methods may not be as effective on certain tattoos. They also cause scarring in the area where the procedure was done. These involve several sessions at a dermatologists, so cost depends on the number of visits.





• TCA or Trichloroacetic acid-This is an exfoliate method that slowly fades the tattoo by using acid. It is similar to wart removal acids that remove the skin layers, and does not work overnight, but fades over a period of time. More affordable than surgery, it can be a good method how to remove a tattoo.


• Glycolic acid peel-This is used in many at home chemical facial peels and uses alpha hydroxyl acid. It will fade a tattoo over time, and is another at-home way of how to remove a tattoo, with less cost than surgery.

• Surgical Removal-Done by a doctor or dermatologist, this can leave scars. An incision is made and stitched up. This is primarily used for small tattoos and can be costly. Because it is cosmetic surgery, often it is not covered by insurance.