Think Before You Ink - Some Things To Know Before Getting A Tattoo

It goes without saying that when you get a tattoo, you’re choosing (hopefully not on the spur of the moment) to put a permanent mark on your body. It’s a quick decision to make, but can be a much tougher one to reverse. And though it might be impossible right now to imagine a day when you’re not going to want your boyfriend’s initials or your favorite team’s logo branded on your body, it’s worth learning a few facts about tattoos and tattoo removal now – so you’re not surprised by them later.

When you get a tattoo, an electric machine vibrates a cluster of needles hundreds of times per minute to puncture your skin. It then deposits pigments made of carbon and organic dyes mixed with metallic elements into the deep layer of your skin called the dermis. The more intricate and multi-colored your tattoo, the longer the tattooing process will take.

It’s estimated that more than 20 million Americans have at least one tattoo, and that 36% of all 18-30 year-olds have some kind of ink on their bodies. But here are a couple other numbers for you: 40-50%. That’s the estimated number of people who regret their tattoos, and decide to get them removed. Sometimes it’s because the tattoo is faded and just doesn’t look good anymore. Some people can develop an allergic reaction to the dye, or are scarred during the tattooing process. And often people reach a different phase in their life and their tattoo doesn’t fit the person they’ve become. Unfortunately, getting rid of these marks that were intended to be permanent is easier said than done.

Lasers became the treatment of choice for tattoo removal starting in the late ‘80s. Up until that point, processes for tattoo removal read like something out of a horror movie: Dermabrasion, where skin was sanded to remove surface and middle layers; cryosurgery, where the tattoo area was frozen before it was removed; excision, where a tattoo was removed with a scalpel and the wound was closed with stitches. A pretty gruesome ending to what may have started as a multi-colored butterfly.

Though those procedures are still used in certain cases, lasers have replaced them as the standard tattoo removal treatment. Lasers work by producing short pulses of intense light that pass through the top layers of your skin and get absorbed by the tattoo pigment. That light energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into small particles that then are removed naturally by your body’s immune system.

Laser tattoo removal is minimally invasive, low-risk and effective – all good things. But it’s not a quick or simple process. What’s so complicated about it? There are a number of different types of lasers out there, and their effectiveness depends on the color or colors of your tattoo. The laser that’s the best for removing green pigment is different than the laser of choice for black pigment, which are both different than the laser that delivers the optimal wavelength to get rid of red pigment. And the complexities don’t stop there. The number of treatments you’ll need to completely remove your tattoo also depends on the type of ink your tattooist used and how deeply he or she injected it. And speaking of type of ink, there are over 100 varieties of tattoo inks out there, and sometimes pigments undergo chemical changes after you get tattooed. All that combined with the size and placement of your tattoo, and your body’s ability to heal, make it impossible to predict how many treatment sessions your tattoo removal might entail.

So you still want to get one, huh? Here are a couple things to keep in mind on the off-chance you decide you want your tattoo removed somewhere down the line. Solid black or green tattoos are the easiest to remove. The hardest are mutli-colored tattoos, especially those with floral and pastel colors. There’s also a revolutionary kind of ink available, called Infinitink, that’s been scientifically formulated to be removable with minimal lasering. An Infinitink tattoo is just as permanent as any other and is applied by inserting ink through the skin – just like a normal tattoo. But unlike normal tattoos that usually require several laser treatments to remove, Infinitink tattoos can be removed with one lasering and save you time, money and pain.

And a final piece of advice: When it comes to choosing a doctor to remove your tattoo, go with one who has multiple lasers and can customize your treatment to your skin type and tattoo color. Facilities that have a single laser for all tattoos – unless it just happens to be the perfect device for your skin type and ink color – should send up a red flag. The one-laser-fits-all approach probably means your results won’t be as good, and there’s increased potential for injury and scarring. So even if getting a tattoo was a spur of the moment decision, choosing a doctor to remove it shouldn’t be.

After all this, you may still be left with one question - “Should I still get the Red Sox tattoo I’ve always wanted now that I’ve started dating a Yankees fan?” Sorry. Only you can answer that one.