Get out that really stubborn stain.

Did you get a little too excited last night and do something bold to your epidermis? If you woke up today with a mural on your arm of a fire-spitting dragon battling a knight or the logo of your favorite sports team stamped to your calf muscle then you might want to look into tattoo removal options, of which there are a bounty.

 

Choose Carefully

Before doing anything consult your doctor or a dermatologist to determine the best path forward for you given your medical history combined with anything particular to your skin condition. Referrals are always the best route and they are much safer than Googling your way into an office that might employ leeches to suck that dragon off.

 

You should also take into account that tattoos applied 10 years ago are much more vexing to erase than ones obtained in the last few days or weeks. Colored pigment has been injected into your skin, therefore skilled tattoo artists will apply it evenly making it easier to remove. But the one your buddy applied with the molten, smoking tip of a blue pen could cause trouble.

 

Your Options

There are essentially four ways you can explore in determining how to get rid of a tattoo:

 

— Excision

— Dermabrasion

— Laser

— Salabrasion

 

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Excision involves cutting the tattoo away and sewing up the surrounding skin. This works well with small tattoos and is relatively painless as they anesthetize the skin before lopping it off. Larger tattoos may require skin grafts in using this method.

 

Ever taken a wood shop class? Dermabrasion should be right up your alley then. This method uses a small abrasive instrument to ‘sand’ off your mark, causing the skin to peel away taking the tattoo with it.

 

Laser tattoo removal is very popular these days but not for it’s speedy nature. Once you have been zapped, the tattoo breaks apart and cells in your body do the rest of the work. This process can take a few weeks though so if you want this done swiftly and suddenly, I suggest sanding. Laser does seem to be the cleanest, safest, and lo and behold, most expensive option.

 

Being Gladiator About It

 

Ever seen the movie “Gladiator” with Russel Crowe? Remember when he is in that dank and dark gladiator prison sitting in the corner and removing his Roman military tattoo with a black stone? Yeah, that’s salabrasion.

 

Going back centuries, salabrasion requires a little water with salt and any instrument that has abrasive qualities. Apply the solution and rub until it’s either gone or you are bleeding profusely, at which time you should cease salabrasion and get your cheap self to a doctor. Hey, you spent 100 bucks getting that thing, I think you can spare some change to have it removed professionally.

 

Whatever you do, decide now. When you think about how to get rid of a tattoo you really don’t want, just remember it’s not going to magically fade away. The longer you procrastinate, the deeper the tattoo sets in the skin and then when you are a grandmother or grandfather you will have some explaining to do.