Are you thinking about having a tattoo? Well, perhaps you’d like to think again…
According to the American Society of Dermatological surgery, over 50% of tattoo recipients eventually want to have their tattoo/s removed. Figures in the UK are even worse with 75 percent of tattooed British people wishing they had never ‘inked’.
In the book Art, Sex and Symbol, author Ronald Scutt says that even among sailors in the Royal Navy, where tattoos form such a part in tradition, over 50 percent regretted ever getting a tattoo – and among the married this figure rose to over 70 percent.
Consequently, the dermatology tattoo laser removal business is booming following the tattoo-craze of the past decade. Tattoo removal using laser surgery these days is among the fastest growing areas of the dermatology industry and dermatologists are raking in profits.
Depending on the size of the tattoo and colours used, laser tattoo removal surgery can be very painful and very expensive. Tattoos performed by commercial tattoo parlours are much more difficult to remove because the tattoo is deeper, the ink more complex and thicker. Therefore, it normally takes between 10 and 15 laser surgery sessions to remove the average tattoo, but 25-30 sessions are not uncommon, depending on the complexity of the tattoo.
When you think that the average single session costs between US$ 400 – US$ 800, the removal surgery can be very expensive, costing as much as US$ 20,000. That US$ 25 tattoo might cost around US$ 5000 to remove and unfortunately, health insurance does not cover tattoo removals.
Leading plastic surgeon Tolbert Wilkinson, of San Antonio, Texas, who has removed countless tattoos says, “If people only realized how difficult it is to remove a tattoo, understood how costly and how painful tattoo removal is and recognized that society as a whole still views tattoos as a stigma, maybe they would think more seriously before getting one. Laser removal costs a minimum of US$ 7,000. (national average) per tattoo, and takes at least ten to fifteen treatments, spread out over 2 or more years. Even with this treatment, the tattoo is still visible.”
Given the expense of surgical removal, many people are turning to gentler and less expensive options when considering removing their tattoos. Thankfully many creams and lotions now exist for home use – this means that the user has no appointments to keep, no prescriptions, no laser goggles, no harsh burning, no dry needling, no surgery and most importantly, no large bills to pay…
At sites like Tattoo Removal you’ll find Tatoo Removal information, raves and reviews and links to the stores that stock tattoo removal products you too can use at home.
Having a tattoo is a crucial decision to make – whatever design you choose and whereever you place it, people are going to make judgements about your choices – both negative and positive – for the rest of your life. Add to this the fact that your tattoo is not going to look so crisp, bright & sharp as the first few months after it was drawn…you therefore need to prepare yourself for the reality that your tattoo will eventually appear dull, its outline blurred and its design may well be dated. Therefore – think before you ink!
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Tags: TATTOO COVERUP, TATTOO FADE, TATTOO FADING, TATTOO FADING CREAM, TATTOO OFF, TATTOO REMOVAL, TATTOO REMOVE