The Methods With very small tattoos, some cosmetic surgeons will perform an excision. This basically means cutting out the tattooed skin and sewing the remaining edges back together. There is a small amount of bleeding associated with this method but is usually managed easily. When this application is used on larger tattoos, its process is repeated several times starting with the removal of the center of the tattoo and working outward. In some cases, a skin graft from another part of the body is inserted where the tattooed skin is cut out. The advantage of excision is that the entire tattoo is completely removed, but the risk is that there will be some scarring where the skin was sutured back together.
Your plastic surgeon may also try dermabrasion on your tattoo. This involves temporarily "freezing" the affected area with a chemical then sanding it down with a small abrasive rotary. The sanded skin will peel off, removing the inked area. There will be some bleeding, so a bandage will be necessary for a few days afterwards.
One of the safest and most popular methods today however, is laser tattoo removal. After the application of topical anesthesia, laser beam pulses are aimed at the skin to break up the inked pigment. The pigment is then absorbed into the body after which the immune system works to expel the tattooed cells, gradually removing the coloring. It usually takes several laser treatments (between 5 and 15) though to completely remove the appearance of the tattoo. The number of treatments is determined by the size and the amount of tattoo; the ink used, and the colors of ink that were used.
The Recovery and Risks With laser tattoo removal, the pain is very minimal. In fact, most patients say it is less painful than getting them done in the first place. The amount of time it takes for completely healing is different for all because it depends on the immune system of an individual's body. There are very few risks with the laser technique, although one potential side effect may be skin discoloration in the area of the tattoo. Sometimes a bit of the normal skin is removed, leaving the skin permanently lighter in that patch.
The Results While every tattoo can be reduced in appearance, some are easier to remove than others. The removal of smaller tattoos will generally have better results than the removal of larger one's. Tattoos with red, black, dark orange and blue coloring are more easily removed than those with brown, purple, green, light orange and blue inks. The final results are also typically more favorable for those with lighter skin tones than those with darker ones. In any case there will usually be some discoloration or scarring.
Scars are simply a part of the human body's natural healing process, while tattoos are something people have usually intentionally applied to their bodies. However, as they age many people decide it is time for them to seek the help of a cosmetic surgeon to have the look of scars and tattoos on their body lessened.
Tattoo Removal
Many people in their 40s and 50s reach a point where they have decided that the tattoos they loved as younger adults are no longer appropriate for their current life. Additionally, tattoos do not always hold their quality look over time and sometimes get to a point where they simply must be removed. The good news is that most tattoos can be removed using lasers and other cosmetic surgery techniques. While the tattoo may never be 100% removed, the look of it can be lessened to very acceptable levels.
Scar Removal
Just as people choose to have tattoos removed, they also sometimes choose to have scars removed as well. Whether the scars are caused by an accidental injury or from a surgical procedure, scars can be unsightly if they are in a very obvious location on the body and can cause the owner to become self-conscious about them.
While scars cannot be completely removed by any cosmetic surgeon, their look can be greatly improved through injections and scar revision procedures. The least invasive option for scar removal is through the use of injected steroids. If the scar is located on the face, sometimes a technique known as dermabrasion is used. Dermabrasion involves controlled removal of the top layers of skin using a specialized tool; it will not completely remove scars but it can lessen their appearance.
One of the most common ways for a plastic surgeon to remove scar tissue is to cut out the tissue itself and re-sew up the area using very small stitches. By taking their time, a qualified plastic surgeon can create a new scar in the same area which is much less noticeable than the original for which it is replacing.
Another common plastic surgery scar removal technique involves the cosmetic surgeon repositioning an incision so that it will heal in a natural fold of the skin or in a less visible location on the body.
Skin Grafting and flapping are also cosmetic surgery techniques used to reduce the scar visibility but there are chances that the transferred skin may not exactly match the color and texture of the surrounding skin, thereby producing satisfactory results. Anesthesia for Tattoo and Scar Removal
Tattoo removal plastic surgery is generally done using local anesthetic in a plastic surgeon's office. However, the more invasive forms of scar removal are usually done under a general anesthesia in a hospital or surgery center's operating room.
Final Thoughts
If you will be undergoing any of these removal procedures, it is vital that you work with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and that you take care to follow all of their instructions both before and after your surgery. By doing so you can ensure that you get the best results possible!
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