1 Hospitals For Tattoo Removal In North Carolina

Tattoo Removal (click for worldwide facilities list): There are many of reasons for possibly wanting a tattoo removed. Most dermatologic surgeons caution that complete tattoo removal is not possible. Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so removing them is difficult. Few surgeons guarantee complete removal. There are several methods of tattoo removal, which have proven effective. The degree of remaining color variations or blemishes depends upon several factors, including size, location, the individual's ability to heal, how the tattoo was applied and how long it has been in place. All tattoo removal methods involve some pain and discomfort.

Lasers:
Lasers are the most common method of tattoo removal. Lasers work by producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system. Researchers have determined which wavelengths of light to use and how to deliver the laser's output to best remove tattoo ink. The laser selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin. More than one treatment, which actually only takes minutes, is usually needed to remove an entire tattoo. The number of sessions depends on the amount and type of ink used and how deeply it was injected. Three-week intervals between sessions are required to allow pigment residue to be absorbed by the body.
Side effects of laser procedures are generally few but may include hyperpigmentation, or an abundance of color in the skin at the treatment site, and hypopigmentation, where the treated area lacks normal skin color. Other possible side effects include infection of the site, lack of complete pigment removal and a 5 percent chance of permanent scarring.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy:
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, or IPL, is the newest and greatest dermal enhancer currently being used. IPL is a safer option than tradition laser resurfacing. A gel is applied to the skin and then a wand is used to emit pulses of light onto the skin area being treated. This method is said to be less painful than laser therapy, and more effective, resulting in less total treatment sessions.

There are other methods of tattoo removal such as creams/rubs that are absorbed into the skin slowly fading the tattoo away, dermabrasion, cryosurgery, TCA (a chemical solution is applied to the skin that causes it to blister and eventually peel off), Glycolic Acid, chemical extraction, and excision where the tattooed area is cut out of your skin, and the surrounding skin is sutured together. If it is a large tattoo, skin from another part of the body might be needed for a skin graft. Some of these methods leave more scaring than others.

http://www.tattoos-away.com/intense-pulsed-light-therapy.html
http://tattoo.about.com/od/tatremoval/a/tatremoval.htm
http://health.howstuffworks.com/tattoo-removal2.htm