The evolution of tattoo removal

Tattooing has been practiced for many century’s and is still very popular today. In fact, it has been reported that in Britain, over a third of 16-44 year-olds have at lesat one tattoo. Once a sign of rebellion now they are evidence of an individuals craven conformity to cultural norms.

Although tattoos were once considered to be permanent, this is no longer the case. We know that for a good few hundred years, people have been trying to
remove tattoos. Although some of these techniques may have received a bad reputation in the past, there are now a number of treatments than can easily either partially or fully remove tattoos. This is great news, as tattoo removal is on the rise, with reports saying that in U.S.A, 11% of the population have a tattoo, with 50% of these people looking for it to be removed.

History of tattoo removal

Contemporary laser removal methods have only been around for about the last 40 years. However, before this, there are still records of tattoo removal, as far back as the 6th century. In these cases, resin from a tree called Terebinth was rubbed onto the area. It was written that it would take 20 days for the ‘stigmata’ to be removed, without a scar.

In the past, it has also been reported that many other forms of tattoo removal were tried, including the application or injection of wine, lime, garlic and even pigeon excrement.

This moved on to a number of other common techniques including:

• Dermabrasion – this uses a range of strong abrasive devices to remove the top and mid layers of skin.
• TCA (Tricholoroacetic acid) – this is an acid which is put on the skin to remove the top layer of skin.
• Salabrasion – this process involves rubbing the skin with salt to remove the top layers of skin.
• Cryosurgery – this is a process where the area is made extremely cold to destroy the tattooed area. It is most commonly used for removing diseased tissue, but has been used to remove tattoos as well.
• Excision - this is where the tattoo is removed from the skin by being cut away. The skin is then sewn back up.
• Skin Grafts – this is where skin is taken from another area of the persons body to replace the skin with the tattoo which is cut away.

We have now come a long way since injecting lime into the skin. Lasers are now the most common method of tattoo removal, with Continuous-wave lasers initially being used, followed by Q-switched lasers.

At ProSkin Clinics, we have now gone one step further, with the introduction of Picosure laser technology. We are one of the only few clinics in the UK who offer this technology, which is revolutionising tattoo removal.

Q-switched lasers vs. Picosure lasers

With traditional  Chrome Hearts Wallet Chain lasers, removal is mainly achieved via heating the area. However, with Picosure, heat is created but the special technology helps to shatter the ink into tiny particles which the body is then able to eliminate itself.

There are a number of other reasons why Picosure lasers are the best way to remove tattoos:

• It has a much faster laser pulse compared to traditional Q-switched lasers, allowing tattoos to be removed much faster. It also requires 3-4 times fewer treatments compared to traditional lasers.
• They are much more effective on strong colours such as blues and greens as well as more complex tattoos.
• The side effects of tattoo removal are reduced.
• Having your tattoo removed via Picosure lasers will cost less than traditional methods.

If you have any questions about tattoo removal, please leave us a comment below. Or, get in touch with us! Call ProSkin Clinics on 020 3757 8162, or visit our website: http://52.51.166.162/picosure-tattoo-removal/