Tattoo Removal Cream Reality

Laser Tattoo Removal Risks

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:07:37 +0000

Some people stay clear of laser tattoo removal not only because of the high price, but also because of the risks/side effects that are associated with it…

The laser may burn your skin.
Your skin may become discolored. It may either become too light or too dark.
Rather than lightening some tattoo inks actually darken when exposed to a laser.
Scarring may occur.
Some tattoo ink breaks down into toxic substances.

To deal with the pain that accompanies tattoo removal, the technician may give you some cream before the treatment and/or anesthesia during the procedure. Ironically, this pre-op cream may be the only “tattoo removal cream” that does any good.

Furthermore, tattoo removal is not perfect. There’s a very good chance that your tattoo will still be a little visible. After paying so much, some patients want everything to be removed.

Other Alternatives to a Tattoo Removal Cream

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:05:17 +0000

Although laser removal is the most common form, you have other options…

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is similar to laser removal. Rather than the beam being focused, however, the light is spread out. It is more expensive, may give you the same results as light therapy, and is generally more expensive. You can expect to have to get around 5 treatments, with each treatment costing around $200. Exactly how much you’d pay depends on the same factors as tattoo removal: size, color, skin color, depth, and ink type.

If you want to get rid of your tattoo because it looks bad, you can always get another (more tasteful one) on top of it. It will be in the same shape as your old one. Not only will you skip all the expensive cost of a laser or IPL removal, you’ll get a nice looking tattoo in the process!

Some tattoo parlors, rather tattooing ink into your skin, offer to inject a saline solution into your tattoo so that it fades a little. However, the saline doesn’t do that much. Usually the saline is not a tattoo removal technique, but something that is done before a cover-up tattoo is applied. If you want to get a cover-up make sure to look at the artist’s portfolio so that you know what to expect. When getting a cover up, keep in mind that the artist can’t apply, for example, light green ink, on dark pigment. Regardless, because a lot of tattoo artists have become skilled in cover-ups, you are likely to get a design with which you are happy with.

Although laser technology and IPL have made dermabrasion, excision, and salabrasion nearly obsolete, they can be used in some cases for tattoo removal.

These days, dermabrasion is used to treat conditions such as excessive acne, skin pigmentation abnormalities, and scar removal. This technique essentially sandpapers your skin so as to get rid of the abnormalities. Over time, your skin will grow back without your previous imperfections. Although this technique may sound simple, don’t think that you go to Home Depot, buy sandpaper, and brush away your tattoo.

Salabrasion is similar to a dermabrasion except that salt and water is used to sand off the tattooed skin.

If you choose to get an excision, your tattooed skin will be removed and then sewed back up. If the tattoo is small, you’ll just get stitches. If, however, the tattoo is large, the replacement skin will come from a donor area somewhere on your body. You will get rid of your tattoo once and for all. However, that ugly tattoo will be replaced by a scar, which is easier for many people to walk around with than an unwanted tat. You can expect to pay around $500-$1,000 to get your tattooed skin peeled off. For people who have small tattoos, excision is definitely an option worth looking at. Seeing that a tattoo removal cream, with no guarantees, can cost $200 for a 6 month supply, an excision for around $500 isn’t all that bad.

Laser Tattoo Removal

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:01:24 +0000

Laser tattoo removal is the most common form of removal. The laser is beamed into your skin and only works on the ink residing within the deeper layers. The ink is broken up and absorbed by your immune system, which can take some time. For this reason, you are going to have to wait about month (some sources say 4-6 weeks) before you get another tattoo removal session. Because the tattoo is flushed out with the help of blood circulation, you will see faster results if your tattoo is located on your arm than on your foot, for example. You may need anywhere from 6-20 sessions, meaning that the entire removal process can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. Each session will cost around $300. Because some people need as many as 20 sessions, the total cost can easily get into the $6,000 range. Although the laser works on the tattoo within your skin, whenever it pulsates into your skin, it will feel like a rubber band lightly flung at you. Although some people say that this really hurts, it’s really nothing to worry about.

Laser tattoo removal can be really expensive. It’s not uncommon for people to fork over thousands of dollars to get their tats eliminated. Exactly how much you’ll end up paying depends on…

How big your tattoo is.

What color it is. The darker the ink is, the harder it is going to be for the laser to do its magic. Colors like black and dark blue require more treatments than colors such as light blue and green.

What color your skin is. The lighter your skin is, the better the laser will work on you.

How deep it is. If you got your tattoo done at a professional place, it is likely going to be deeper, and thus more expensive, than a tattoo from some mediocre parlor.

What type of ink was used. Tattoo artists use all sorts of inks, some of which are much harder to remove.

It all comes down to the number of sessions you need. The cost of a single session is around $300, without too much variance. How many sessions you need varies significantly, hence the wide price differentials. If you have a very small single color tattoo, you may find that all you need is 1 of 2 sessions to render it almost invisible. When looking for a tattoo removal clinic it’s a good idea to talk to a dermatologist so that they can give you some recommendations on the local laser tattoo removal centers. Although you may want to save money on laser light removal, you also don’t want to get a place that cuts corners, giving your minimally effective results in the process.

If you’re serious about getting a tattoo removal (this means passing on any tattoo removal creams) by getting a laser removal, you have to keep in mind that laser tattoo removal is a misnomer. No laser clinic can say that they will get it 100% removed. What they can do is diminish it to a point where the tattoo is barely noticeable.

Paying for Tattoo Removal

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:57:22 +0000

Tattoo removal creams are a hit or miss. Feel free to try them out. But if they don’t work, you only have yourself to blame. There is no scientific study proving their effectiveness, just ad copy that presents amazing before & after photos. If you have ever used photoshop before, you know that it’s pretty damn easy to remove a tattoo from a photo. There are also a lot of “reviews” for these creams that are just sales pages in disguise. Fact is, if you want your tattoo removed, you’re going to have to pay up and get a laser or intense pulse light therapy removal. Although you can end up paying as much as $10,000 to get your tattoo removed, it is known to get you results. If you use a tattoo removal cream and use it for 6 months, there’s a good chance that at the end of those 6 months you are going to be wondering why you just didn’t pay for a laser removal in the first place. And it’s not like you have to pay for the cost to remove it right away. You can get financing from companies such as Care Credit. Furthermore, because laser and intense light pulse therapy can take 6 months to see the final results, you’re going to be paying in chunks here and there. You should also consider getting a loan from your bank. This can be in the form of a traditional loan, a home equity line of credit, home equity loan, or a cash out refinance. You can also use a credit card to pay off the tattoo removal. If you do use plastic, be smart about it so that you don’t end up in debt.

Many people look for tattoo removal creams because the prices associated with laser tattoo removal scare them away. Did you know that you can get a laser tattoo removal for free? There are a lot of dermatologists out there that will give you a laser tattoo removal in exchange for community service. By volunteering somewhere over the weekends you can feel good about yourself and get your tattoo removed in the process. Do a search for “tattoo removal” in your area. Then call each place to find out if they would allow you to pay for the removal by getting involved in community service. Although many places will say no, it won’t hurt to ask.

The Murkiness of Tattoo Removal Creams

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:53:18 +0000

There’s a lot of junk floating around the Internet and it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. I have no doubt in my mind that the manufacturers of these products post fake positive reviews. I also don’t doubt the fact that some real people have gotten some results. Things get even more complicated when you consider the fact that the people who recommend laser or IPL treatments are the ones who get paid if you use them. There’s reason to believe that dermatologists don’t give any tattoo removal cream a chance because one cream that actually works would hurt their own bottom line.

If your finances aren’t all that great and you can’t afford a laser removal, a tattoo removal cream, even if it costs $200 for a 6 month supply, sounds like a really good option. After doing my research, I can’t help but come to the conclusion that, most likely, you won’t see any results. If you will, they’ll likely be very minimal.

Tattoo Removal Creams Overview Part 2

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:50:11 +0000

“One month into it, I can’t say that the results are impressive…The colors in the tattoo have seemed to have gotten dull and less brilliant but that may just be wishful thinking/imagination.”

“I have been using TatBGone and it did some fading.”

“Well, I am 3 months into the treatment, and it seems to be working very well for me.”

“Tat b gone does NOT work. Don’t waste your money.”

“I tried it. Well my yellow bear is gone. Took 5 1/2 months.”

“I tried Tat B Gone for 6 months too be exact now and have seen no difference!”

http://www.faqs.org/qa/qa-634.html

“I ordered a 6 month kit of Tat B Gone and started treating one of my tattoos. In the end it took almost 9 months but it is gone. I am glad I took the chance and am happy to recommend you do the same.”

http://www.tattoosdb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=202

Obviously, the results here are pretty mixed. The overall impression I get is that it may work and it may not work. I’ve read some posts from people who’ve said that the product worked out well for them, but not for one of their friends. Because each of us has different skin growth, it is not that surprising that the results vary from person to person. Dermatologists are naturally inclined to say that laser tattoo removal and intense pulse therapy are the only things that work because they get paid (very well) if you use these services. A 4 month supply of Tat B Gone will cost you $175 with no money back guarantee.

Tattoo-Off

What can I say? The only review I found was from someone who was mad enough with the product to write a long review detailing her experiences. The full review can be found here. Bottom line with Tattoo-Off, do not buy it. The reviewer here said that the product simply does not work and that it offers no money back guarantee. If you’re still interested, you can get a 5 month supply for $149.

Dermasal

According to the website your “old tattoos will disappear like magic”. If you search for “Dermasal” in Google you’ll notice that the third search result is a huge forum post, with very detailed user reviews. There are a lot of reviews that basically say that it is a ripp-off and doesn’t work. There are some reviews that say it does. Who to trust? I can’t help but think that the makers of Dermasal took matters into their own hands and posted some positive reviews on that website.

Tattoo Removal Creams Overview Part 1

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:44:10 +0000

Does a tattoo removal cream work? The short answer is yes, but with minimal effectiveness. It may not work at all for you. Although they advertise themselves as replacements to tattoo laser removal and intense pulse therapy, which are very expensive and can do the job very well, they may fade the tattoo, but not enough to see that much of a difference.

Wrecking Balm

The most popular tattoo removal cream is Wrecking Balm, which claims that its results are “devastatingly effective”. It claims to work by brushing off the top layer of your skin so that new skin cells form, with your tattoo fading in the process. As such Wrecking Balm is not so much a cream as it is a chemical peel. Chemical peels have been acknowledged by some dermatologists to give some results. But what results can you get with Wrecking Balm?

An epinions review said that the cream resulted in minimal fading, but not enough to justify the price. The reviewer recommended this product to those who have small tattoos that are already light in color.

Fox News DC has a video clip on their site. The conclusion they came to is that it doesn’t work. However, because they only tested it on one person, they can’t conclusively say that it doesn’t work at all. After two month’s use, the cream did not work at all. Rather than honoring their 60 day money back guarantee, they told the user featured in the video that it can take 6 months to see any results. After 6 months, there was no visible improvement, but the good news was that Wrecking Balm offered to give the customer her money back.

Various message boards online have said that the results of the Wrecking Balm tattoo removal cream are minimally effective or do not do anything at all.

Bottom line: Although this product may work, you’re likely better off saving your money, time, and energy by getting a professional treatment done in the form of a laser tattoo removal or an intense pulse light therapy removal. Because Wrecking Balm sticks to their money back guarantee, it’s worth trying out if you’re not in a rush to get your tat removed.

Tat B Gone

Tat B Gone is another tattoo removal cream that has some popularity and claims to be a viable alternative to laser tattoo removal. After browsing online for reviews of this product, here are some real testimonials, which will give you a good idea of its effectiveness or lack thereof…