When a person decides that they have fallen out of love with their body art, there are a couple of different things that probably led them to that point. Sometimes, people get body art that they strongly identify with when they are younger, but when they get older it just is not the same. Of course, one of the main reasons that people get rid of body art is because it honors a relationship that the person is no longer a part of.

Whatever the reasons, the next step is for the person to think about tattoo removal. In order to have a better understanding of this process, it would be better if the person had a better idea of how tattoo removal evolved from a very rudimentary thing into a high tech medical procedure.

Simply put, just a couple of decades ago there were pretty much only two things that a person could do if he or she wanted a tattoo gone. The first thing that they could do was to expose the tattoo to the sun, because tattoos do have a tendency to fade over time when exposed to direct sunlight. However, this was not the best idea, because sun exposure could, and still can, lead to skin cancer.

Other tattoo removal methods were not so much actual removal methods as they were methods of just covering the tattoo up. For example, if a person had a tattoo that they did not like, they would just keep it covered by clothing whenever possible. Or (and some people still do this today) people would get another tattoo over the original one.

Nowadays, there are two main tattoo removal methods available. The first method is one that is considered to be a bit controversial. At the same time, however, people who are on a limited budget decide to choose this method because it is less expensive. This method involves the person who wants to get rid of their tattoo applying a clear liquid chemical known as TCA to the tattooed area with a q tip every few weeks. Following the directions is very important, because otherwise the person could end up scarring their skin.

The other removal method, which involves lasers, is considered the safer one in that it is done as an outpatient procedure by a dermatologist. In this procedure, a topical anesthetic cream is first applied to the area that is being tattooed. Next, the dermatologist will use a handheld device to deliver laser pulses (the sensation feels like a rubber band being snapped against the skin) to slowly erase the tattoo.

How does the laser itself work? Laser removal takes place over several sessions, wherein the heat of the laser is used to eradicate the skin molecules that have bonded to the tattoo ink. Next, the laser light stimulates more blood to flow in the skin area, which in turn incites new skin tissue to develop. The sessions will take place over several weeks in order to allow the skin to properly heal.