While there are various types of painless tattoo removal on the market today, what’s important, though, is whether they actually work.
Generally speaking, little to no pain experienced during tattoo removal means a less successful attempt. The vice versa is also true: surgically removing a tattoo by cutting it out of your skin will certainly work - but it can also be highly painful if not done correctly.
Does a happy medium exist between the two?
Laser tattoo removal is reported to be less painful than receiving the tattoo in the first place, plus a treatment session only lasts a few minutes. What’s more, a trusted institution with accredited staff can ensure the complete removal of your unwanted tattoo.
Which Types of Tattoo Removal Are Painless?
The most common attempt at painless tattoo removal is through topical creams and ointments.
It’s important to note that topical tattoo removal creams (applied on the epidermis or outer layer of skin) are generally unable to penetrate deep enough into the skin to reach where the tattoo ink particles are housed (dermal layer of skin.)
These tattoo removal creams can be split into two categories:
- chemical, and
- natural
- Chemical Tattoo Removal Creams
Chemical tattoo removal creams generally contain hydroquinone, which is a skin bleaching agent. Applying this to the skin reduces its melatonin and effectively fades the skin’s pigments. Ultimately, it is intended to bleach and lighten the tattoo as well.
This tattoo removal technique is relatively painless. After continuous application, you could eventually fade the unwanted tattoo. But, removing the tattoo is at the cost of the skin around it, which could never return to its normal pigment shade again.
- Natural Tattoo Removal Creams
Many people opt for a more natural approach and make the tattoo removal cream themselves using household ingredients. These DIY creams mimic chemical ones: they intend to bleach the skin.
Things such as lemon and salt are used to make a paste that acts as a natural bleach.
The coarse salt can be scrubbed against the skin to exfoliate layers of dead skin until you go down deep enough into the skin’s layers to reach the dermal layer. But, this starts becoming painful, as it mimics dermabrasion by sanding down the skin.
Which Types of Tattoo Removal Really Work?
The most successful way to remove a tattoo is by entering the dermal layer of skin to access the tattoo’s ink particles.
This can be done by:
- surgery, or
- laser treatment
- Surgically Removing Tattoos
This is a foolproof tattoo removal procedure: having a tattoo surgically removed will ensure that even the most permanent tattoo disappears completely.
The surgeon will apply an anesthetic to the skin, so you shouldn’t feel anything at all. The skin surrounding the small tattoo area can be sewn back together after it has been removed. A larger tattoo could require a skin graft from another part of your body.
In the end, not only will you be left with a prominent scar, the healing of your wound will be long and painful.
- Laser Tattoo Removal
The laser tattoo removal procedure consists of pulsing light energy deep into the dermal layer of the skin. Each flash of light is so hot and so quick that it completely shatters the tattoo ink pigments into pieces.
Numbing cream is applied before each treatment, but people have reported laser tattoo removal treatment to feel like:
- a rubber band snapping on your skin;
- scratching sunburnt skin;
- splattered bacon grease; or
- a cat licking your skin with its rough tongue.
After laser removal, the body’s immune system can collect the tiniest fragments and excrete them naturally. Each time you go for a treatment, the ink particles will be broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until the body can excrete them.
Different factors influence how many laser tattoo removal sessions you’ll need in total. A tattoo will be completely removed once all the tiny particles of ink have been excreted by the body.
If you have laser tattoo removal from a trained professional and are disciplined with your aftercare responsibilities, there are minimal chances of scarring.
Which Tattoo Removal Procedure Is More Painful?
Now that we have established that both surgical tattoo removal and laser tattoo removal methods work, it’s time to compare their pain factors.
Surgical tattoo removal is done under anaesthetic, so you shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure whatsoever. But, having a portion of your skin cut out can result in painful aftermath and a long healing process.
Laser tattoo removal is done in combination with numbing cream, but some people experience the sensations mentioned above that could be perceived as painful. It’s instead the aftermath that could be more painful, with potential swelling, blistering and scabbing.
The biggest factor for many people might be that laser tattoo removal requires numerous treatment sessions, each with the same aftermath. If you have a tattoo removed surgically, you only have to deal with the aftermath once.
Key Takeaways
How you choose to remove unwanted tattoos can be a very personal decision, depending on your priorities.
If you prefer a completely pain free removal process, you can try natural or chemical tattoo removal creams - but be aware that they might not work very effectively.
If you want to remove a tattoo completely, your best bet is laser removal or surgery. But, both of these options come with downtime afterwards that could be painful - with laser therapy, this applies to every single treatment session.
Surgical removal of unwanted tattoos can result in scarring. On the other hand, with the correct aftercare and lots of patience, laser therapy can achieve complete tattoo removal, leaving skin looking as good as new.
Laser removal performed by skilled professionals can certainly produce the best result. At the Tattoo Removal Institute, we believe in our personally curated offering so much that we even offer a price match guarantee, and we promise to beat our peers in terms of price and service.
Take a look through our before and afters, and book a no obligations, free consultation today.
