Could That Unwanted Tattoo Be Removed Completely?
If you are suffering from tattoo regret, there is help available. But successful tattoo removal can be affected by a range of factors.
Tattoos are more popular than ever. No longer the domain of seafarers, pro wrestlers or rock stars, you are as likely to find accountants, writers and even politicians who have a little ink here and there.
Of course, the natural consequence is that more people with tattoos means a greater number who decide they might have acted a little rashly. This is demonstrated by the growing number of businesses offering laser tattoo removal in London and other towns and cities across the country. The technology has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past year or so, and a professionally run clinic can remove the majority of tattoos quickly and effectively. However, every one of them will tell you that not every tattoo can be completely removed. So what are the factors that can affect the removal process?
Size
The smaller the tattoo, the easier it is going to be to remove. If you have a couple of stars on your arm, it is clearly a different proposition for the removals clinic than a full sleeve tattoo.
Colour
The tattoo removal process attacks each colour, one at a time, using a specific wavelength for the laser. The easiest tattoo colour to remove is usually black, while lighter colours can be more difficult, particularly yellows and pale pinks. The colour of your skin can be as much of a factor as the colour of the ink. For example, while removing black tattoo ink from dark skin is quite simple, it is next to impossible to remove lighter inks, due to the effects of the pigmentation when using the specific wavelengths that these require.
Type of ink
There are various types of tattoo ink in use, and each of them has its own characteristics and penetrates the skin in different ways. However, the latest laser technology is able to handle the vast majority in inks in use.
Age of the tattoo
Every tattoo fades to a certain extent with the passing years. If you are seeking to remove a tattoo you had done 20 years ago, it will be easier than trying to remove something that was done comparatively recently.
Location
The success of laser tattoo removal can be significantly affected by where on your body the tattoo is located. Those areas that have a larger blood and lymph node count, which include the face and neck, are typically the easiest for a tattoo removal clinic to work on. As a basic rule, the lower down your body the tattoo is located, the lower the blood and lymph node count and so the more awkward removal might be.
Smoking
It might sound bizarre, but this research paper by academics in Italy found that there was a strong correlation between not smoking and successful tattoo removal. The researchers found that smoking reduces the chances of success by as much as 70 percent. If you are serious about removing that tattoo, it might just provide the added incentive you needed to give up the cigarettes at the same time!
Johnson