A tattoo is meant to be permanent. Unfortunately, what a person might want today may not be what he or she wants two or twenty years from now. Both the procedure of and cost of getting a tattoo are relatively minor in comparison to having it removed at a later date. It may be wise to consider these facts before visiting your local tattoo artist with design and cash in hand.
Two of the most commonly used methods for getting rid of an unwanted tattoo are also two of the most unsatisfactory. The first method involves removing a piece of skin from a less-noticeable part of your body, and grafting it on top of the tattoo. This odd form of "plastic surgery" covers up the tattoo, but generally leaves scar tissue, as the skin is not in its normal state. Another popular method is to simply go to a tattoo artist and have another design tattooed on top of the unwanted one. With this method, the black outline from the original tattoo will be noticeable through the new one; the larger the original, and the more black ink it has, the more difficult it will be to cover it.
A surgical method which is equally if not more unsatisfactory is called dermabrasion. In layman's terms, you can think of it as going at your skin with sandpaper. Even when this method is performed by a licensed physician, you will likely decide that the resulting scar is worse than the original tattoo. The reason for the scarring is that removing a tattoo by this method means going through the tattoo and the underlying skin. The scarring left by this method will leave that portion of your skin a much lighter color and a different texture than the surrounding skin. Of all tattoo removal methods currently in practice, dermabrasion is the method which will leave the most noticeable scarring.
Excision rarely presents a satisfactory alternative, either. As its name implies, the excision method of tattoo removal consists of having the tattoo surgically cut out of the skin, and the surrounding skin then sewed back together. The scar may not be as noticeable as one from the dermabrasion method, but the rather gruesome excision procedure itself more than makes up the difference in terms of a procedure which you will probably not like going through.
A variety of creams are sold for tattoo removal. Tattoo artists state that they are a waste of money and time, as they do not work. Whatever new concoction is sold under the guise of being a sure method of getting rid of a tattoo, a potential customer should keep in mind that since the tattoo is not simply on the top of the skin but deep into its layers, over-the-counter creams sold for this purpose will do little if any good. The chemical peel method which uses trichloroacetic acid produces some degree of results, as it actually removes the layers of the skin.
Currently, the use of lasers is one of the most common methods of tattoo removal. It is not as simple as it may sound, however. First, depending on size and details of the artwork, removal by laser can take up to ten sessions in order to achieve a degree of results. One source states that each session can cost between $250-$850 per session. It has been said that the laser removal method can be quite painful.
The most recent tattoo removal method is Intense Pulsated Light Therapy. Although it is considered to be less painful, and produces better results than removal by laser, it is also much more expensive.
The most common sense way of looking at the subject is that if you're planning to get a tattoo, you should plan on keeping it. None of the methods currently available for tattoo removal are guaranteed to produce satisfactory results, and those that show any amount of success in the final results are quite expensive.
Let's say that you've considered all the effects of having tattoo. It's been considered that it'll be a lifelong commitment and is a permanent mark on the body, aside from having it surgically removed. You know what type of design you'd like to have created. You know exactly where on the body you'd like it imprinted. Now, you've got to find a good place to have it done.
The first thing to do is some research. Ask friends and family members who currently have tattoos where they got theirs done. Find out what their experiences were like. Ask if it was a clean environment, if it was comfortable and if the designs turned out to their satisfaction. Many times, tattoo parlors will be able to refer names of customers who can recommend their services.
While word of mouth is typically the best advertisement, you can also simply try opening the phone book. Locate local tattoo parlors and give them a call. They should be more than willing to answer any questions you might have. At best they should allow you to come and visit the facility to become comfortable with the surroundings prior to committing to becoming tattooed.
During a tattoo parlor visit, first determine the cleanliness of the facility. Make sure tools are sterilized between each customer and disposable and single use needles are indeed disposed of after each use. General cleanliness is just as important; if care isn't taken with building upkeep, then it can be believed that care won't be taken elsewhere in the business.
Chat with the tattoo artists and the staff members. If you don't feel comfortable asking any questions or expressing concerns with them, chances are you won't feel comfortable having them put a permanent mark on your body. You should feel completely at ease as it's possible that a large amount of time may be spent with them.
Check the designs of particular tattoo parlors. One very helpful tip is to compare art with an actual tattoo to compare how closely the tattoo resembles the tattoo itself. It's wise to inspect what kind of design range the tattoo artist is capable of. One might have a hundred different photos of skulls and crosses but it can be very different than having a butterfly, rose or a name tattooed on. Be sure the artist is very flexible.
The Internet can be a very useful too when it comes to business searching. Simply type in "tattoos" and the name of your geographical location into any search engine and you should be given a list of choices for places to check out. The Internet can also prove helpful to get opinions on certain tattoo parlors through blogs, forums and chat rooms. Information obtained from the Internet should always be double checked and checked again for confirmation as opinions will widely vary.
When finding a tattoo artist in your area, it's important to always be comfortable with your decision. While it is understood that the tattoo will be a permanent mark on the body and great thought should be put into the design and the location on the body in which it will be placed, it is also imperative to be sure you are completely comfortable with the tattoo artist. After all, you'll want to be positive that this lifelong design will be done accurately and correctly.
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