Cal
State Long Beach student Atsuyuki Kono shows
off his epidermal artwork.
Jeff
Overley/On-line Forty-Niner
Erasing
body ink gaining popularity
By
Emily Campoy
On-line Forty-Niner
For
anyone who has gotten a tattoo and has to
endure the "I told you so" from
mom about regretting it, there is hope.
Maybe you don't like it anymore, it no longer
fits your lifestyle, your new boss disapproves,
or perhaps your significant other finds
it unattractive. Whatever the case, thanks
to new laser technology and a high demand
for removal, tattoos can be successfully
"erased."
This
is not, however, as easy or simple as it
may sound. The tattoo removal lasers are
still a work-in-progress and are very complicated,
not to mention expensive and painful.
Before
lasers became the procedure of choice for
tattoo removal, there were and still are
other ways of removing them. Dermabrasion
was most popular prior to lasers, and this
involves a process where skin is "sanded"
to remove the appropriate layers of skin.
Excision, where a surgeon removes the tattoo
with a scalpel and then stitches the skin
together, is also another procedure. Lasers
have quickly become popular because they
offer a low risk, effective alternative
with minimal side effects. The procedure
is done in a series of visits, and on an
outpatient basis. According to the American
Academy of Dermatology, the lasers can effectively
remove tattoos with a low risk of scaring.
The
type of laser used depends on the pigment
color, and yellow and green are the hardest
to get rid of. When the laser is applied
to the tattoo, the pigment is broken into
small particles and then removed by the
body's immune system.
Getting
a tattoo can be very painful, depending
on where it is on your body and how big
it is. The same goes for laser removal.
The bigger it is, the longer it will take
to remove, and if the tattoo is on a more
sensitive area then it will hurt more when
the laser is applied. It takes about a week
for a freshly lasered tattoo to heal, which
can involve blistering, itching, and scabbing.
Keep in mind that it probably took a 1 to
2 hours sitting and a few hundred dollars
to get the tattoo put on, but to have it
removed will take anywhere from a few months
to more than a year after various treatments,
and it will certainly cost a lot more than
having one put on.
So why get one in the first place?
"I
would get sick of it and removal is too
painful and costs too much" freshman
Jana Ricke said in response. "Why pay
for a tattoo when you can get one for free
in a cereal box that will come off on its
own after a few days? And
you get a different one every week."
Not
everyone regrets their tattoos, and many
people are proud to have them and would
never consider removing them. Tattoos can
represent many different things and are
a way to express individuality through art.
Tattoos have become a part of American mainstream
culture for the last couple of decades and
it is estimated that more than 10 million
Americans have at least one tattoo.
Sophomore
Scott Osborne said, "I would get one,
but it would have to be something symbolic
or meaningful, but I don't have the money
and my parents would kill me."
Many
people are now thinking that if they get
a tattoo, they can simply remove it through
laser treatment if they regret it. When
considering laser removal for tattoos, there
are a few things to remember. The technology
is complicated. Certain lasers remove certain
colors, and not all dermatology institutes
have all of the lasers. Some may tell you
that if your tattoo contains certain colors
it can't be removed. There is also a consultation
required to determine the cost, which is
usually paid per visit, and the approximate
amount of time it will take for the tattoo
to be removed successfully. Usually, the
consultation is done by a "specialist,"
not the actual doctor who will be performing
the procedure.
If
having a tattoo doesn't bother you, and
you just don't like the one you have, or
you have broken up with that certain someone
that was supposed to be around forever...there
are always cover-ups. Tattoo artists have
been covering up initials, names, and just
plain bad tattoos for years. Although actress
Angelina Jolie has recently had her ex's
name "Billy Bob" removed from
her arm, other people who have run into
the same problem have had other artwork
tattooed over their "mistakes."
Tattoos
are intended to be permanent. Removing them
is possible, but not necessarily perfect.
Doctors and scientists have come a long
way with the recent laser removal technology,
and as the demand becomes more relevant,
it will only become more efficient and popular.
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