In this day and age, tattoo removal has generally been refined to one of two methods, or sometimes even a combination of the two. Chemical peels using trichloroacetic acid (or TCA) to fade the tattoo are quite successful. The British Journal of Plastic Surgery and the South African Medical Journal have reported that using TCA was successful in fading or even removing tattoo inks from subjects in two separate medical tests. In both cases TCA was found to be a safe, simple, and effective means of removal.

Use of lasers to remove tattoo ink is a recent method, but has gone through several refinements to achieve this success without the creation of unsightly scarring. Originally, the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers was successful in removing the ink, but was prone to scarring. The development of Q-switched lasers in the early 1990’s has resulted in the removal of darker inks with relatively little risk of scarring. In the late 1990’s Q-switched lasers were further refined to remove multiple tattoo inks with little risk of unsightly scarring.

The use of lasers to remove tattoos works in a slightly different method than abrasions or chemical peels. Rather than damaging the surrounding tissue to raise and exfoliate the ink, the laser uses an intensely focused beam of light in the form of a laser (Light Amplified Stimulated Emission of Radiation) to break up the ink, which is then absorbed into the body, much as a sliver or small thorn eventually absorbs. It usually takes several months for the ink to be absorbed however.

An advantage to using a laser is that the healthy surrounding tissue and skin cells are not damaged in any way, unlike abrasions and chemical peels. The laser may be applied in a continuous wave or in micro pulses of light. When the ink absorbs the energy from the concentrated light, it causes the ink to break up, allowing the absorption into the body. Lasers are a good choice for spot removal of a certain portion of a tattoo, if you only wish to remove a name or change it in a particular tattoo.

Sometimes, a combination of chemicals and lasers are applied to the tattoo. The initial TCA treatment can dramatically lighten the tattoo, reducing the number of expensive laser treatments and months of absorption required to remove the tattoo. Whichever method or methods you choose when deciding to remove some or all of the ink from your person, it is wise to research all available options and consult with an expert to determine which is the best option or options for your particular case.