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There are various ways to remove tattoos, the main 3 being:
- Laser treatment is one of the most common methods. Different
wavelengths of light are used for different pigments. The laser beam
passes through the skin and is absorbed by the ink. This causes the ink
to break down so that it can be removed by the body's lymphatic system.
- If the tattoo is too deep for laser treatment, or is quite
small in size, the skin with the pigment can be cut away and the edges
sewn together to close the wound.
If the tattoo is too large for
the wound to be closed with sutures, it is sometimes possible for a
piece of skin from another part of the body to be grafted onto the site.
Unfortunately, this causes two scars - at the site of the tattoo and at
the site of the 'donated' skin, although it is usually taken from an
area of the body that is not normally exposed. The scars should settle
and fade over time, and further surgery is sometimes possible to further
minimise the scar.
- Dermabrasion literally rubs the tattooed skin away with an
abrasive tool, over a series of treatments. If the tattoo is deep, a
skin graft may also be necessary to 'level out' the surface of the skin.
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