November 2007 Blog Archive
Friday, November 30, 2007
One Woman's Tattoo Removal Story
Getting anything life-changing done can be frightening. So it's understandable that you feel a little bit nervous about the idea of getting your tattoos removed. You're fairly certain that you don't want them anymore but you also know that getting them taken off is just as symbolic as getting them put on was. You're feeling a little wary.
Sometimes hearing other people's stories about an experience can assist you in sorting out your own feelings about the situation. For that reason, you might want to hear the tales about other people's tattoo removal while you think about whether or not to get your own. This can be a great way to get a better perspective on the situation.
You can read one woman's story about tattoo removal
here. She explains why she got her tattoos, what options she considered before tattoo removal and why she ultimately chose removal as the option that was right for her. As you go through her story, you can ask yourself questions about the similarities and differences between her experience and yours.
Of course, reading or hearing other people's tattoo stories shouldn't be all that you do to make a decision about your own tattoo removal. It's important that you
find a doctor who can assist you in sorting out fact from fiction and choosing the tattoo removal process that is right for you.
photo link
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Celebrity Tattoo Removal in Retrospect: Kathy Griffin
It's been
more than a year since Kathy Griffin got
celebrity tattoo removal. So why are we mentioning it now? There are two reasons. The first is that we know celebrity tattoo removal is hot right now and you want to know about every famous person who has ever had it done. And the second is because her tattoo removal points specifically to one of the main reasons that people (celebrities or not) get their tattoos removed.
Kathy Griffin's tattoo was of something special. It wasn't the name of a sweetheart but it was something just as potent: a tattooed-on wedding band. When she divorced husband Matt Moline after just five years of marriage, it was fairly obvious that the ring had to go. You just can't keep a wedding ring on your finger after a divorce whether it slips off easily or not.
Kathy Griffin's tattoo removal exemplifies one of the major reasons that people get their tattoos removed. Just last week we pointed out
five celebrity couples who had gotten tattoos and then split. We're all about preventing unnecessary medical treatments so if you can have a little foresight and forego the tattooed-on wedding bands, you're better off. But if you can't,
laser tattoo removal can do as much for you as it did for Griffin.
photo link
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
5 Places in California where you can get Tattoo Removal
You're thinking about getting a tattoo removed. In fact, you've been thinking about it for a long time but you've been putting off actually looking in to getting it done. Maybe you were afraid of the cost. Perhaps you were afraid of the pain. Or maybe you just didn't know where to go.
If you're located in
California, here are the five tattoo removal facilities that are currently a part of our network:
1.
Tattoo MD in Los Angeles / Santa Monica
2.
Providence Holy Cross Medical in Mission Hills
3.
DermaCare of Mission Valley in San Diego
4.
An Enhanced You in San Francisco
5.
Cosmetic, Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center in Thousand Oaks
In addition, TattooHealth.org has headquarters located in California. Learn more
here.
If you're interested in tattoo removal but aren't living in California, you aren't out of luck.
Check here for a tattoo removal specialist in your area.
It's important that you work with a qualified professional on getting your tattoo removal. That's because a good doctor can help you determine which kind of removal treatment is best for you. He or she can also answer all of your questions about the removal process and help ease any lingering fears that you may have.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Celebrity Autograph Tattoos Beg for Removal
TMZ
reported last week on a woman who has gotten some tattoos that no one else in the world has. She has the autographs of celebrities inked onto her arms. Apparently this super celebrity fan has a list of celebrities whose autographs she desires and she heads to events they might be at to try and get their John Hancock. Once obtained, she takes the art to her tattoo artist and gets the work done.
Now, it's her business if she really wants Punky Brewster's signature on her arms. But whether or not she's really going to want all of these names on her body for the rest of her life is a little bit questionable. Some of the people that she's got autographed on to her aren't even famous now. In twenty years, she may not even recall who they were. So it wouldn't be too surprising if she started trying to find a
tattoo removal specialist somewhere down the line.
This is one kind of
celebrity tattoo removal you don't hear a lot about!
Here is a video of the woman telling you who each of these celebrity tattoo autographs are and what her plans are for future autographs.
photo link
Monday, November 26, 2007
New Removable Tattoo Inks Named Hottest 2007 Product
You probably already knew that
new tattoo inks are coming out on the market which will make
laser tattoo removal easier. But did you know that these inks are considered among the hottest of products created in 2007? BloggingStocks has been busy compiling information on all of their favorite products for the year and they didn't fail to mention the importance of this one (their story
here).
Their blog post on the product offers one of the best simple description of how the tattoos inks work:
This new tattoo technology is made of biodegradable dyes that can be dissolved in one semi-painful tattoo-removal treatment. The one-time laser application simply bursts apart the embedded ink capsules, which break open to be safely absorbed into the body. The ink is still permanent for those willing to make a lifelong commitment, but a changed mind doesn't carry quite the price tag.
Of course, this doesn't help those of you who have already gotten a tattoo using the old inks. But tattoo removal techniques have also improved over the last few years so if you don't want that tattoo anymore, you do have options.
Question of the Day: What tattoo / tattoo removal products do you think were hottest this year?photo link
Friday, November 23, 2007
Celebrity Tattoo Removal: Couples who Split
We all know that one of the
biggest reasons to get tattoo removal is because the body art honors a relationship that was more temporary than the tat. We also know that celebrity relationships tend to heat up more passionately and fizzle out more quickly than relationships for the rest of us. Combine those facts together and it's no surprise that
celebrity tattoo removal is on the rise.
Off Beat Ink published an article earlier this month about five celebrity couples who got tattoos and then split up. (It's of little surprise that Angelina Jolie is in two of these five couples.) These folks haven't gone and gotten celebrity tattoo removal yet but it's safe to bet that at least a few of them have thought about it. Most of them ended up getting additional tattoo work done instead to alter the tattoos or their meanings. But they know what's underneath that extra ink and that makes tattoo removal an appealing option to consider down the line.
Celebrities aren't the only ones
getting tattoos removed. Breaking up with your sweetheart should be able to be remedied with a large pint of ice cream and a series of martini nights out with your friends. But if you slipped a little and decided to get a tattoo with your lover's name or personal symbol, you can get tattoo removal to rid yourself of the relationship. Maybe down the line you'll make choices that are a little smarter than the stars.
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
Celebrity Tattoo Removal: Blast from the Past
Celebrity tattoo removal is picking up in popularity. But there are some folks who took advantage of the opportunity to get their body art mistakes erased a long time ago. Case in point:
Tony Danza. The star best known for his role as
Alyssa Milano's television dad in
Who's The Boss used to have a tattoo on his arm but it's been gone for nearly a decade.
Danza was eighteen when he got a tattoo on his upper arm. It was an illustration that read
Keep on Truckin'. It was quite retro and often gained reference to being a "thing from the seventies". Such a tattoo could even get some great media attention now as a throwback to the past. But it didn't really suit Danza's acting plans or his lifestyle.
In the 1990's, when
laser tattoo removal was beginning to get some attention, Danza decided to get it removed. Not too many people would say that Danza is a trend setter. However, he opted to get his tattoo removed long before a majority of celebrities were going to the doctor for this type of procedure. Perhaps he's more cutting edge that you might think.
photo link
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Cast Your Vote for Celebrity Tattoo Removal
If you could decide which Hollywood star was in some serious need of
celebrity tattoo removal, who would you pick? Would you go with someone like
Travis Barker who has so many tattoos that he's just begging to get some of them taken away? Or would you be choosier, selecting a specific tattoo that you just don't think goes with a certain celebrity's style?
Here are three tattoos that we think the stars they belong to should consider removing:
Pink has a lot of tattoos and some of them are super sexy. But the barcode that's on the back of her neck is just begging to be removed. Not sexy, not cute, not necessary.
We know that this tattoo means a lot to Pete Wentz. He sports it on his flat stomach and it's the logo for several of his projects. But we still think that it's something that not everyone needs to see on his body. Twenty five years from now, that's not going to look good. Some might even say it doesn't look good now.
Christina Ricci looks cute with most of her tattoos. But the phrase that's poking out beneath the bottom of her bikini top is just plain distracting.
What's your vote? Of the three tattoos above, which do you think is the best candidate for celebrity tattoo removal?Photos found here:
Pink,
Pete,
Ricci
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Great Example of Need for Tattoo Removal
Imagine this: You go to get a tattoo in a foreign country. To make sure that it's done correctly, you sketch out what the tattoo should look like on paper. Since you're getting work done on both your left and right arms, you label one image "left arm" and the other "right arm". When the tattoo is done, you look down at it and see that you've actually gotten the phrases "left arm" and "right arm" tattooed along with the images you desired. Oops.
That's a true story. And that's not even
the whole story.
The tattoo was a commemoration of the Day Premiers sports event. Which you can kind of tell from the tattoo, if you glance quickly at it. If you look more closely you'll see that the tattoo actually reads Gay Premiers. Oops.
How does a bad tattoo like that happen? Well, it starts with going to get a tattoo in a foreign country where you aren't familiar with the language. That's just a breeding ground for miscommunication. But it gets significantly riskier when you get drunk before the procedure. There's a reason they don't usually give tattoos to drunk people. (There are a few reasons actually and bad choices is one of them.)
It makes for a good story but the guy is probably not going to want to live this story for the rest of his life. Sounds like a perfect case for
tattoo removal if you ask me.
photo link
Monday, November 19, 2007
25 Treatments Later Tattoo Still Remains
Here is yet another example of why you want to
find a good doctor to perform your
laser tattoo removal:
The
Lansing State Journal reports on the case of a woman who won free tattoo removal three years ago. She has undergone twenty five different tattoo removal treatments and the tattoo is still on her body.
Here are the basics of her story:
A columnist wrote a story about regrettable tattoos. This prompted a doctor to approach the columnist and suggest running a contest for people who regret their tattoos. The person with the best story of regret would win free tattoo removal to be performed by the doctor. The contest took place and the winner was a twenty-something mother who didn't want to keep the top-hat-adorned-skull that covered most of her upper arm.
The woman claims that she was told that she would receive one treatment monthly for approximately one year. The doctor informed her that these twelve treatments should complete the removal of the tattoo. Twenty five treatments and three years later, the tattoo is still there. The doctor is going out of business, moving from the tattoo removal field to work in
hair restoration in another area of the state. And the woman is left with a partial tattoo on her arm.
The fact of the matter is that the doctor might have done all that he could to remove the tattoo. Large multi-colored tattoos sometimes don't allow for complete removal. However, the doctor was obviously remiss in his failure to explain the details and risks to his patient. Without the complete information, she couldn't make a good decision about whether or not to undergo the laser tattoo removal treatments. She also wasn't informed enough to decide to nix the treatments when they obviously weren't working.
A
good doctor will inform patients in advance of all of the details about the procedure. While the doctor might think that one year of monthly treatments should be sufficient for removal, he should also inform the patient about the "what if" of surgery. Getting something for free isn't always the best way to go. Instead, get a good affordable tattoo removal doctor to make sure that you're getting the service you need to get the job done.
photo link
Friday, November 16, 2007
Celebrity Tattoo Removal Candidate: Travis Barker
Although
celebrity tattoo removal is increasingly popular, there have only been a few celebrities to date that have been open about removing their tattoos. For example,
Charlie Sheen recently announced that he would be removing his tattoos so that his new lady love wouldn't have to be reminded about his sordid past every time that she looked at his body. But Sheen is the exception in a Hollywood that doesn't yet speak too openly about celebrity tattoo removal.
Despite the fact that more celebrities are getting tattoos than getting them removed, there are a number of famous people who might consider celebrity tattoo removal. They may not realize that they need it but the more tattoos that they get, the more they up their chances of someday wanting to get them removed. For example, Travis Barker (the drummer from celebrity band Blink 182) is apparently happy with
his tattoos and isn't talking about removing them. However, the sheer number of art images that Barker has on his body increases the likelihood that one day he's going to take a look at them and think, "hm, perhaps I don't need all of this". At that time,
laser tattoo removal might come to mind.
Photo Link (more Barker tattoo images available there)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Bad Breakups are Biggest Cause of Tattoo Removal
People get their tattoos removed for all kinds of different reasons. Often, they enter a new phase of life (moving from college to career, for example) and they find that the tattoos aren't appropriate for their new existence. Sometimes they indulge a tattoo addiction and get laser tattoo removal just to make room on the body for new art. But one of the biggest causes of
tattoo removal has got to be the bad breakup of a relationship.
People get tattoos that symbolize their
relationships all of the time. Sometimes they get the name of a loved one inked onto their bodies (although this practice is decreasing in popularity because people are beginning to understand that they may not want that on their bodies forever). Sometimes they get
matching tattoos or "half on me, half on you" tattoos with their partner. Other times, they get something on their own that represents the relationship's importance to them.
When the relationship ends, that physical reminder is constantly haunting the person with the image of what could have been.
Laser tattoo removal is one way to get past the pain of the breakup and move on. You can get that image out of your eyesight and begin to forget about the relationship. With technological advancements making tattoo removal increasingly easy, you can now get tattoos that are as temporary as your relationships.
photo link
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Celebrity Tattoo Removal: The Star on the Wrist
If there is one image that people should consider
tattoo removal for, it's the star on the wrist. The tattoo of a simple star inked on to the underside of the wrist caught on over the past couple of years and sweeped the nation. Whereas every girl used to have a butterfly somewhere on her body, now everyone seems to have that star.
This trend was facilitated by the fact that a large number of celebrities added their bodies to the craze. (Eva Longoria and Ashlee Simpson are showing it off in the above picture by
WireImage.com.) As that trend passes and the trend towards
celebrity tattoo removal picks up, it seems that this would be a perfect tattoo to think about getting taken off of those mostly-perfect bodies.
Tattoo removal for the stars should be a relatively simple process. That's because the stars themselves are a relatively simple tattoo. They are small and usually of a single color. This makes the removal process go more smoothly. Of course, the exact number of tattoo removal treatments required depends on the specific design of the star and the composition of the body that it's on. But for the most part, this should be a trend that we can see easily fade away.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Half of People with Tattoos Consider Tattoo Removal
How many people do you know that have a tattoo? How many of those people have thought about getting it removed? If you guessed that less than half of the people you know with tattoos have considered the option of
tattoo removal to rid themselves of the images, you underestimated.
"Some surveys estimate that more than 10 million Americans are inked with at least one tattoo, but at least 50 percent of those people consider removing them." (Source: The Jambar)
Does this mean that more than half of the people who have tattoos regret them? Not necessarily. Tattoo removal isn't always done just because someone regrets their body art. in fact, many people now consider their tattoos to be temporary even at the time that they get them.
Laser tattoo removal provides people with the option to get a tattoo that they know will only be meaningful for a short time and then to get it removed and replaced later on.
The statistic also doesn't necessarily mean that you have a 50/50 chance of getting your tattoo removed. The choice to enjoy the benefits of tattoo removal depends on your reasons for getting the tattoo, the place you have the tattoo and your own life changes. You may get a tattoo today and have it for the rest of your life. Or you may get it today and realize tomorrow that it wasn't the right choice for you. Tattoo removal provides you an option just in case you want it.
photo link
Monday, November 12, 2007
Prince Wants Celebrity-Inspired Tattoos Removed From Websites
Last week, celebrity musician (and diva of sorts) Prince heightened his campaign against material about him that is available on the Internet. He has a recent history of suing sites (such as YouTube) for linking to material that is related to him. The most recent change in his approach is that he is now
suing his fans' sites.
For example, one site has fans that are showing off images of their tattoos that were inspired by Prince. Prince wants those pictures removed from the Internet. Of course, this legal battle of his isn't too likely to go anywhere. The art on those individual's bodies isn't his; it's theirs. They have the rights to those images and can post them if they'd like. But stranger things have been known to happen in court cases.
The next thing you know, celebrities will be asking for
tattoo removal from all of their fans who were inspired by their own body art. It seems strange to alienate your fans who are simply trying to support your work. You have to be pretty devoted to an artist to get tattoos inspired by them. (Sounds like a situation that leads to a lot of tattoo removal!) But he must have his own motivations.
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Friday, November 09, 2007
Factors Influencing Tattoo Removal Success
Tattoo removal is a serious thing despite the fact that it's getting more common. It's something that you have done fairly easily at your local physician's office, but you should know all of the facts before jumping in to getting tattoo removal. As was pointed out in a
recent online article, there are many factors that can affect the full success of tattoo removal. The article mentions the size of the tattoo, the color and the location on the body.
Although it discusses the different methods of tattoo removal (including
laser tattoo removal and excision), it does not mention that the removal method itself can also greatly affect the success of the tattoo removal. You should work with a
qualified professional to take into consideration the factors (such as size and color) and determine which of the tattoo removal methods is best for you with those factors in mind.
Additionally, you should think about
what it means to get tattoo removal. Many people find that they don't actually need full removal of the tattoo. Instead, they merely need to get the tattoo lightened in order to cover it up with a new tattoo design. If this is the case for you, you may find that the potential difficulties of tattoo removal don't even apply to you. Get all
the facts before you decide either way about tattoo removal.
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Nip/Tuck Should Consider Showing Celebrity Tattoo Removal
Nip/Tuck is a
plastic surgery television show that is going downhill fast. In it's fifth season, it's going to need to do something interesting to recapture the attention of viewers. That viewership has been fading as surely as tattoos do under the tattoo removal process and it's going to completely disappear if the show doesn't perk up. It moved to a new setting this season, from Miami to Los Angeles, so many viewers are hoping to see a focus on
celebrity plastic surgery to represent the new locale.
One topic that Nip/Tuck could consider for developing the show a little bit more would be to show
celebrity tattoo removal. Celebrity tattoo removal is
getting increasingly popular, and it's a trend that more and more people are interested in. If Nip/Tuck could take advantage of the relative newness of this interest, it might be able to grab on to a few more viewers at this crucial time early in the season.
Of course, showing some celebrity tattoo removal isn't going to make the show a success. But it could be a great start to getting it back on track. If they could get an actual tattooed celebrity to make a guest appearance on the show, the results would be even better. But this trend is rapidly getting the attention of people across the nation so they'd better jump on it quick if they want to be innovative in their approach.
photo link
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Who Can Legally Perform Your Tattoo Removal?
There was an article written for
Marine Corps Times which discusses the ins and outs of tattoo removal. It's no surprise that the article garnered some attention since a large percentage of the people who get tattoo removal are military men. They get tattoos when they're young and then decide later on that the look isn't really for them, so they get a little bit of laser tattoo removal work done and they put their years of service behind them.
So the basic topic of the article isn't surprising, but it does address an important aspect of tattoo removal that often gets missed in discussions. While most articles cover the basic information about how the
tattoo removal process works and what the costs are, they don't go into information about who can perform tattoo removal. The reason for that may be because there's not a clear cut answer as to who can legally perform removal of tattoos.
As was pointed out in the military tattoo removal article, rules vary from state to state. While much other
plastic surgery is regulated by the FDA, they don't have rules as to who can purchase laser tattoo removal equipment so the regulation is done by the individual states. Some states have decided that operation of laser tattoo removal equipment is a medical procedure and that only doctors can do it. Others agree that it's medical and say that the procedure has to at least be supervised by a doctor. And other states don't regulate it at all.
To be on the safe side, you should do your research into the person who is going to be performing your procedure. You can start by
looking for a doctor who is part of our network here on the site. You should feel comfortable asking
questions and getting all of your concerns addressed before the procedure is completed. Just because not all states are cautious doesn't mean you shouldn't be.
photo link
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Tattoo Removal Increasingly Common Among Younger People
A
report recently at the Des Moines Register suggests that not only is tattoo removal becoming an increasingly popular procedure but also that we are seeing younger and younger people getting it done. The report looks realistically at the ups and downs that are attributed with
laser tattoo removal, the people who often get it done and the reasons that so many people are starting to see laser tattoo removal as a viable option for their bodies.
There is no denying that laser tattoo removal has its negatives. Primarily, these are the cost and pain of the procedure. The report looks at the fact that the cost is due in large part to the high price of removal equipment that qualified doctors have to pay in order to be able to do laser tattoo removal. It also acknowledges that the trend towards getting laser tattoo removal is steadily increasing despite the bad sides of it. In fact, it cites one professional who has been providing tattoo removal for
fifteen years who says that she has seen a more than tenfold increase in the number of people interested in the procedure.
This professional and another are also cited as reporting that their laser tattoo removal patients are getting younger and younger. A woman profiled in the article who was interested in having cherry tattoos that are behind her ear removed is now only twenty five but she has had the tattoos since she was eighteen. Patients younger than her, including those who just want to make room on their bodies for new tattoos, are seeing the value of tattoo removal.
photo link
Monday, November 05, 2007
Unique Tattoo May Require Removal
People get tattoos of all kinds of different things. A
recent USA Today article about changing trends in tattoos starts off with a story about a man who has a tattoo of his family tree on his arm. Although the article goes on to discuss all sorts of different things including how "hip" tattoos are, which stars have how many of them (Britney, nine), and who has had
celebrity tattoo removal, the image of that family tree tattoo leaves a lingering impression.
At first glance, it sounds like an interesting tattoo. Families are important and it's kind of neat to think that you could get your lineage on your arm/leg/back for all the world to see who is important to you. But that assumes that you've got a family which is uncomplicated enough to warrant some sort of permanency. When you start thinking about all of the different divorces, remarriages, step-children, adopted children ... the sprawl of that tree could grow rapidly. And although
tattoo removal is getting increasingly cheaper and more efficient, you probably don't really want to have to get it done every time that a change happens within your family.
photo link
Friday, November 02, 2007
Alyssa Milano Tattoos - Celebrity Tattoo Removal Candidate
Alyssa Milano has recently been getting a significant amount of media attention. She has been the subject of
celebrity plastic surgery news for what appears to be her love for Botox injections. And
Details Magazine did a full feature article on her, discussing the reasons that men can't get her out of their dirty minds. Part of Alyssa's appeal is that she strikes that terrific balance between being a "good girl" and a "bad girl".
Milano's tattoos are a testimony to her ability to maintain that balance. Despite the fact that tattoos have increased in popularity among the mainstream, they still tend to signify a bit of that "
bad girl" side in most people's minds. And Alyssa has a significant number of tattoos which helps boost that bad girl image. However, these tattoos are all feminine and meaningful which help her retain that youthfully innocent demeanor she occasionally manages to pull off.
So what makes her a candidate for
celebrity tattoo removal? The sheer number of tattoos that this gal has gotten makes them rather distracting. People love to see the slight glance at the tattoo which peeks out over the top of her low-rise jeans or which emerges from behind the wings of an angelic dress. But they don't particularly love seeing a tattoo at every turn that she makes. Alyssa seems to love her tattoos and to have gotten them for a reason so she isn't considering celebrity tattoo removal at the current time. But if one day the guys finally get her out of their minds, she might be able to re-boost that allure by giving
laser tattoo removal a try.
photo link
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Cosmetic Surgery Loans for Tattoo Removal
There are two reasons that many people who are thinking about
laser tattoo removal decide not to go ahead with the procedure. The first reason is that they are afraid of the pain associated with tattoo removal. The second is that they are afraid that they can't afford the cost of tattoo removal. While both of these are valid concerns, they shouldn't limit you from getting tattoo removal if you really do want to get rid of those tattoos.
Cosmetic surgery loans are one option that many people are starting to consider for managing the cost of paying for tattoo removal. Tattoo removal is considered by many places to be a form of cosmetic surgery. This makes sense since it is a treatment which is done to cosmetically improve the appearance of the individual. Cosmetic surgery loans offer payment plans that let you create a manageable budget for affording your laser tattoo removal.
As for
the pain … if you were able to tolerate the physical discomfort of getting the tattoo, you can probably bear the pain associated with tattoo removal. More importantly, you should weigh the pain of removal with the pain of keeping the tattoo. People get tattoos removed because they cause emotional pain and because they cause problems with moving forward in careers. The pain of removing the tattoo is only temporary but this other pain can last forever.
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