There are different reasons why people draw tattoos on their bodies. It could be to preserve some memories, as an art expression, or to show loyalty to a cause one belief is ideal. However, as time goes by, some may grow wary of this artistic expression, and the next thing is that they are looking for ways to clean it off their bodies.
Below is a well-articulated list of four standard tattoo removal methods and their relative price difference.
TCA tattoo removal
TCA is far the cheapest means of effectively removing a tattoo from the body. Between 1979-1984, a medical study was carried out that deals with tattoo removal using TCA. The first phase of this research included 670 volunteer patients. At the end of the survey, 85% of the total volunteers were satisfied with their results. Another study was carried out in 1988, which involved 40 volunteers who underwent the medical procedure of Using TCA for their tattoo removal, with 90% satisfied with the outcome.
Although TCA is traditionally used for facial peels and acne scars treatment, the study carried out in the last 30 years indicated that it is highly effective for removing a tattoo from the body.
Tattoo removal cream
To date, there is no medically approved tattoo removal cream. However, there are some brands out there in the market that claim otherwise. Some cosmetic brands even claim their cream is highly effective in removing tattoos from the skin while guaranteeing that their product is less expensive and highly effective than laser surgery.
Cream can’t remove tattoos because it cannot penetrate the skin layer where the tattoo is the location of the skin pigment. Since most ink removal cream contains a skin pigment fading or melanin chemical as the main content, the best result these creams can achieve is to fade the skin pigment above the tattoo layer but cannot obliterate the tattoo.
The fallout from ink removal cream is that you may end up spending over $50 to $70 monthly without any guarantee the tattoo will be removed anytime soon.
Also, most ink removal manufacturers don’t have precise detail on their product contents and don’t have a refund policy if the cream does not perform its function.
Dermabrasion
Another name for this tattoo removal procedure is “Surgical skin planing” and “Non Chemical peel.” The modern process for carrying out dermabrasion involves freezing the topmost skin layer above the tattoo and using an electrical surgical sander to remove the skin where the tattoo pigment is placed. This tattoo removal method is highly effective, but at the same time, it is expensive, bloody, and requires medical expertise to execute flawlessly.
Laser tattoo removal
Laser tattoo removal costs around $150 – $350 per session. Medical advancement has made it possible to use laser tattoo removal dark-spotted color tattoos effectively without side effects. Dark colors like grey, black and blue are the easiest colors easily removed using a laser procedure. Light color like yellow, pink, and light blue may be a bit difficult and require more than one session to finally remove from the skin pigments leading to an increase in the cost of removal into thousands of dollars.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the size and tattoo color, there is always a medical procedure for removing them when the need arises.
There is a countless procedure that anyone interested in removing their tattoo can use medically. While the laser surgical method is effective, it may be out of reach for anyone working on a budget. The dermabrasion method is expensive but effective.
Tattoo removal cannot be a perfect way of removing a tattoo because it does not get to the root of taking out the tattoo skin pigment. On the other hand, TCA is not expensive compared to the laser dermabrasion but is practical and appealing to anyone working on a budget.