Tattoo Removal Essay Example
Tattoo Removal Essay Example

Tattoo Removal Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1260 words)
  • Published: July 3, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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Because every tattoo is different and unique there has to be different ways to remove the tattoos. Some of the removals available today are: Laser Removal, Intense pulsed light therapy, do-it-yourself cream removal, cover-up with another tattoo, fading with saline, as well as other medical methods, such as dermabrasion and excision. The most effective and most popular way is laser removal. The down side to this treatment is that it is very costly, can leave scarring, and can take a several sessions to get your tattoo removed. It is estimated that close to 25 percent of the U.

S. population has some sort of tattoo. According to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as many as 50 percent of individuals with tattoos may at some point in their lives want to have their tattoos removed. Lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pi

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gment colors with a high-intensity light beam. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths making it easier to remove. Other colors, such as, red selectively absorb green laser light. Various colors can only be treated by selected lasers based upon the pigment color (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1995-2009)).

After graduating from college you are considered a certified laser specialist (CLS). The colleges that do offer tattoo removal prefer that the student have some sort of professional education in lasers before taking a class. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologist also remove tattoos and are usually the most highly recommended for tattoo removal. When getting a tattoo removed it can come with some pretty high costs. The typical price for tattoo removal is $200 to $500 per treatment session and as high as up to $10,000

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There are a few factors when specialists are deciding how many sessions must be done.

The first factor is the size of the tattoo. The smaller the tattoo is, the fewer sessions you have to go to. They type of ink that is used in another factor and whether the tattoo is new or old. The most important factor is the color of the tattoo. The color is primarily the main concern when doing tattoo removal. If the laser removal process is too painful the patient may chose to a shot to help ease the pain. Cost for these shots start at $50 per shot. Having a tattoo may turn out to be very expensive if you choose to remove it at a later date with laser removal.

Some insurance will cover the cost of tattoo removal as it might be under the cosmetic procedure category, depending on the type of insurance. Although, some insurances will not cover it unless it is deemed as “medically necessary,” more often than not your insurance company will not cover these procedures. Some scarring can occur but if a professional does the removal and uses one of the newer laser machines you are less likely to get much scarring or infection. If done by someone who does not know what they are doing it can cause much more damage than good.

There is also no guarantee that there will not be any scarring. Another form of tattoo removal is intense pulsed light therapy (IPL). IPL tattoo removal sends short bursts of intense light at the skin. These bursts of light are not lasers or anything close except for the

fact that they both contain light particles (IPL Tattoo Removal-Powered by Wordpress (2009)). IPL therapy is one of the newer methods for removing a tattoo and some say it is more effective and less painful than the laser tattoo removal treatment. However, it is more expensive. On average the cost per pulse is $10.

The amount of sessions depends on the size and color of the tattoo. Each session is only a few minutes long but the removal should be completed over six to twelve weeks. Excision is the process of cutting off the skin and sewing back the skin once the tattoo is removed. This is done by a professional only as it is a very serious process. Removing a smaller tattoo is usually easier and can be done with one session. When getting this process done you will get a local anesthetic to numb the skin, once it is numb the doctor will remove the first and second layers of skin and then stitch the gap close.

The cost of this process starts about $150 and depending on the size of the tattoo cost can go up to 10,000 dollars. There are home treatments that some like to try first before using a costly and possibly painful treatment. Many will try a removal cream or lotion. The cream or lotion is put onto the tattoo and rubbed in. This process is supposed to help fade the tattoo away. The lotions and creams are said to be painless and do not harm the skin, though not many people choose to use this form of tattoo removal. Many say that using at home creams and

lotions is just a myth and a way for companies to steal your money.

Not only because the creams or lotions do not work but because it takes a long period of time to see any change. Therefore, by selling a product that does not work as well the price will start to add up from buying so many bottles. These creams are sold over the counter, no prescription is required. Insurance does not cover these creams and the beginning price for a bottle of cream or lotion starts out at $125 and up. Another form of tattoo removal is the option to cover up the already existing tattoo. Most all tattoos can be covered up by another tattoo and should be done by a professional tattoo artist.

The tattoo of course will cost some money, but in the end your tattoo will be covered up. It is best to shop around in your area to find the best tattoo artist and the best price. It is never a good idea to go to someone’s home or basement. Depending on the size of the tattoo you want to cover up will tell you the price. If you have a smaller tattoo of course it is going to be less expensive compared to a larger tattoo that is being covered up. Size and color will always be considered first by the tattoo artist and may take up to a few sessions to get a larger tattoo covered.

The last form of getting a tattoo removed is called dermabrasion. This is sanding away the top layers of skin to remove the ink for the skin. This process

usually takes quite a few sessions for the tattoo to be removed. Dermabrasion is to be done by a plastic surgeon only! It is considered a type of plastic surgery and therefore a local anesthetic is given when the procedure is done. Dermabrasion has a high risk for scarring the tissue where the tattoo once was. The average cost of dermabrasion is between $3,000 to $4,000 dollars per session.

This is by far one of the more expensive procedures and most insurance will not cover this procedure. A tattoo can be removed anywhere on the body, the face, chest, legs, arms stomach, back, etc. Although, some have described the pain of laser removal feeling like grease splatters on their skin or like someone is snapping a rubber band against their skin over and over again. Despite these small fall backs tattoo laser removal is still the most popular method. Tattoo removal can be found in most states. By simply using the internet anyone can find a tattoo removal place close to their location.

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