Tattoo laser removal--do what? Ok, ok, I know a lot of hard core tattoo fans are going to balk at the idea of going and seeing someone about getting a tattoo removed. But for the rest of us who, may have had a “wild side” growing up and got a tattoo but now, think that it doesn’t fit our personality or lifestyle or whatever reason, tattoo laser removal is an option. I remember a few years back a comedian, sadly, I can’t remember their name, who joked about a lady getting a butterfly tattoo on her breasts that turned into a condor after years of a sagging bosom.

People choose to get tattoos removed for many reasons. In some job markets, it can be a little difficult to find a job with a mega-death flaming skull of Satan on the side of your neck. While tattoos are gaining in popularity in Japan, they still have an association with the Yakuza and people sporting tattoos are often denied entry into public baths and pachinko parlors. I have one friend, an English teacher who suffers through the hot and humid summer months in long-sleeve shirts because his arms are covered in tattoos. People trying to get out of gangs can also often choose to have tattoos, especially gang-related ones removed. Finally, a lot of people just have “buyer’s remorse,” after getting a tattoo.

The way tattoo laser removal works is by using a laser—big surprise right? Well during a removal session, the laser beam is pulsed at the tattoo in short bursts. Normally, your body is able to naturally get rid of anything small and foreign that gets into the skin but with tattoos, the pigment is to big and that’s what makes it permanent. What the laser does is break up the tattoo pigments that are in the skin, making them small enough for the body to expel on its own.

I’m sure that everyone is familiar with the fact that lasers come in a lot of different colors. For example the laser at the checkout stand at the grocery store is red. I think for hobbyists, green lasers are fun to play with. Well the point here is that because the lasers themselves come in different colors, they are only effective on different colors of tattoo pigments. For example, a green laser is most effective on red ink.

So now that the facts are out of the way, what can you expect, if you decide to have a laser tattoo removal? Well for one thing, it takes a lot longer to have a tattoo removed and can cost a lot more  than it does to get a tattoo. Some smaller tattoos can usually be done in one sitting lasting a few hours. Well it’ll take at the very least three sittings and as many as twelve to have have a tattoo removed. And while I'm talking about sessions, you can expect the price to run from anywhere between $150 to $300 a treatment.

Laser tattoo removal is painful. You’re probably thinking yeah so what, so was getting the tattoo. Well it’s painful enough, that very few people go through with the procedure, without some kind of pain control cream. Some find it painful enough to get an injection, much like when going to the dentist. Of course one downside to getting an injection is that it can make it more difficult to remove the tattoo and thus require more sessions.

If you do decide to have your tattoos removed, here is what you can expect to go through after the procedure. Just like when you got the tattoo, there may be some bleeding and swelling as well as some redness. Similarly, the tattoo may crust over. You’ll also need to keep a topical antibiotic ointment on your tattoo. And I’m not giving medical advice here, but my experience and talking with doctors, being fastidious with the ointment can go along towards preventing scarring. That’s not medical advice, just passing along what I was told.

Finally, there are some complication to having tattoo laser removal. Are you surprised? Well like I mentioned above, it can cause scarring. Another complication is burning of the skin. The laser that are used for targeting dark pigments may be just as effective on the body’s natural melanin, the pigment of the skin that causes freckles, or is dominant in black and hispanic people. The point is that black and hispanic people, especially, run the risk of skin becoming lighter in color at the removal site. Likewise, some pigments like yellow, can become darker after a tattoo removal session.

According to a February 12, 2008 Harris Interactive poll, 84% of Americans having tattoos expressed no regret about their decision to get a tattoo. For the 16% that did express regret, the most often cited reason is that they were too young when the first got the tattoo. And while the expense and amount of time spent having a tattoo removed, tattoo laser removal is time and money well spent.