Many of us are looking to remove a little colored piece of our past. Today more than ever, women are getting more tattoos and that means more are looking to remove their tattoos.
A 2008 Harris Interactive poll reported that 16 percent of all adults and 36 percent of people 25 to 29 years old had at least one tattoo. It also found that 17 percent of tattooed Americans regretted getting it done. Surveys of tattoo removal patients were also completed in 1996 and 2006, and provided more insight. These patients were typically tattooed in their late teens or early twenties, and just over half were women. Ten years later, the patient's life had changed, and more than half reported that they "suffered embarrassment." A new job, problems with clothes, and a significant life event (wedding, divorce, baby) were also commonly cited as motivations for wanting a tattoo removed.
Today, getting a tattoo removed is easier than ever. Chicago-area dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Northwestern University, Amy Taub, M.D., tells patients that the laser is the most popular and effective treatment for removal.
Dr. Taub provides patients with adequate anesthetic prior to laser treatments to remove a tattoo because it can be painful. With anesthesia injected under the skin, the treatment is more tolerable.
“Tattoo removal has come a long way. But removal is still work. The number of treatments required often corresponds to the number of colors in the tattoo. More colors mean more treatments,” says Dr.Taub. Some pigments are easier to remove than others. The patient’s skin type, location and size of the tattoo, and the pigments used are all factors to consider when undergoing laser treatment. Laser treatment sessions typically take two weeks to heal.
Treatments are not cheap…They cost $500 to $1,000 per session but are reliable. Dr. Taub reminds all patients seeking tattoo removal services to look for a clinic or medical specialists who routinely remove tattoos with up-to-date lasers.
Dr. Amy Forman Taub is a board-certified dermatologist who founded Advanced Dermatology, Skinfo® Specialty Skincare Boutique and SKINQRI in Lincolnshire, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Advanced Dermatology is a state-of-the-art medical and cosmetic dermatology practice nationally recognized for excellence in dermatologic care. Skinfo and skinfo.com, a professional skincare website, offer physician-dispensed and cosmeceutical-grade skincare products and product information to the public. Dr. Taub is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at Northwestern University Medical School.
Information provide by Patty Mathews.
