When you change your mind about a TV you bought, returning it is no big deal. But when you have buyer’s remorse about a tattoo, you can’t just take it back. Luckily, tattoo removal at PureMD with three locations in Ohio is easier than ever, so you don’t have to live with tattoo regret.
How to get rid of tattoos
If you’re living with tattoo regret, you’re not alone. Some 7 million to 20 million people in the U.S. have at least one tattoo. About half that number will regret getting their tattoos for reasons including:
- Acute inflammation
- Interference with career opportunities
- Love fades faster than tattoos
Tattoos consist of small amounts of ink that are deposited via needles into the top layers of the skin. The ink is usually made from lead, manganese, copper, and mercury—heavy metals that make the tattoo permanent.
Tattoos fade over time because your white blood cells engulf the ink particles, which your body considers intruders. But your body’s immune response won’t get rid of the bigger ink particles. To remove the entire tattoo, you must turn to a laser.
Lasers, which produce intense light in short bursts, penetrate the top skin layers that have absorbed the tattoo ink but do not damage un-inked skin. The laser energy explodes tattoo pigments into tiny fragments, which the body eventually eliminates. You may need more than one laser treatment, depending on your tattoo.
What to expect during treatment
PureMD uses a PicoSure® laser to get rid of tattoos.
At the beginning of each appointment, a PureMD staffer will numb the area of your tattoo with a special cream designed to minimize pain. Yes, you will feel some pain; it’s like someone is dripping hot oil onto your skin. However, compared to older tattoo removal treatments, the pain is way less, and the treatment is way faster.
After about 10 minutes, the cream comes off, and a PureMD team member quickly moves the PicoSure laser over your tattoo. In the end, the tattoo is cooled with an ice roller and bandaged. Sessions last up to 10 minutes, depending on your tattoo size.
Here are some tattoo removal side effects
Even with the state-of-the-art PicoSure laser, which is FDA approved, you can experience these side effects from tattoo removal.
- Swelling
- Blistering
- Appearance of white patches
- Minimal bleeding
If your artistic tastes have changed, and you want to get rid of your tattoos, call PureMed at 937-240-3634, or schedule an appointment online.
