There are various medical procedures for permanent tattoo removal, ranging from surgery to laser therapy. However, each procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you want to get rid of a tattoo, let’s take a look at the following explanation first.
Until now, the most effective way to remove permanent tattoos is through medical procedures. This method is known to remove permanent tattoos on various parts of the body, whether arms, back, or legs.
However, to determine the right medical procedure, you need to consult a doctor first. The doctor will adjust it to the position, size, and age of the tattoo and of course the history of skin disorders that you have, such as eczema and psoriasis.
Various Ways to Remove Permanent Tattoos
There are several ways to remove permanent tattoos medically, including:
1. Laser technique
Laser technique is one of the most common ways to remove permanent tattoos. Through laser light, the tattoo color will be broken down into smaller particles, then these destroyed tattoo ink particles will disappear naturally with the help of the body’s immune system.
In the process of laser permanent tattoo removal, black, brown, dark blue and green tattoos are easier to remove than red, orange, yellow, white and light blue.
This procedure is generally safe, but it can cause pain or stinging on the skin. Therefore, the doctor will administer a local anesthetic on the skin before performing laser therapy to remove the tattoo on your body.
After laser therapy, you may experience side effects such as scarring, skin discoloration, or infection. However, skin infections can generally be prevented by administering antibiotic ointment as prescribed by your doctor.
In addition, laser tattoo removal can also take quite a long time, even requiring more than 1 procedure session if the size of the tattoo is quite large or the color of the tattoo is bright.
2. Surgery
In addition to lasers, tattoos can also be removed with surgical procedures to remove tattooed skin tissue. This action can be performed by a plastic surgeon. The surgical techniques performed can vary, depending on the size of the tattoo on the part of the skin to be removed.
In small tattoos, generally only the tissue is taken, then the skin will be sewn so that it is reunited. While in large tattoos, it is not uncommon to need a skin graft procedure, which is taking a little skin from another area of the body to cover the part that was taken.
After the surgery, the incision area will also be given an antibiotic ointment to prevent skin infection. This method is considered very effective in removing permanent tattoos in a short period of time, but surgery more often causes scars.
3. Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a way of removing permanent tattoos by using a tool that can scrape off the top layer of skin. This process aims to remove the tattooed skin layer.
Dermabrasion often causes pain, so this action is generally preceded by the administration of a local anesthetic. During the procedure, dermabrasion creates a large open wound over the skin.
These wounds take longer to heal than laser removal. In addition, dermabrasion tattoo removal usually requires more than one procedure. Hence, people often opt for laser compared to dermabrasion.
Just like any other medical procedure, the above three procedures also come with the risk of side effects, namely:
- Injury to the skin tissue
- Infection
- Scarring or permanent scars
- Skin discoloration
- Allergy to anesthetic
Therefore, tattoo removal needs to be done by a doctor who has the competence in performing the procedure. Once the procedure is complete, the doctor will administer the necessary medications to reduce complaints of pain, prevent infection, and minimize the risk of side effects.
As stated above, before doing a permanent tattoo removal procedure, you should consult a doctor first. The doctor will help you determine the right method so that the results obtained can be maximized and the side effects are minimal.