Laser Tattoo Removal Guide

Excision is a tattoo removal technique that has been around for quite awhile. It’s got an interesting reputation, as any procedure would that involves excising the skin to remove a tattoo.

What does this mean exactly? To put it in simple terms, excision literally means to cut out. For excision tattoo removal, this means cutting out and removing the area of the skin which contains the tattoo.

This is one of the more traditional, older tattoo removal methods that is still around, similar to the ***dermabrasion technique***, although it’s largely been replaced by more modern methods, less prone to the risks inherent in excision. That being said, excision is considerably less expensive than laser removal, for instance, and because of this, it’s still favored by some people.

The biggest problem associated with removing a tattoo via excision is the fact that by simply cutting out the skin, a person’s body is obviously going to be prone to scarring from such a procedure. It’s not so much a risk as a known effect of the procedure; you will almost certainly have a scar in place of the tattoo.

Excision works best on smaller tattoos compared to larger tattoo pieces. This is for two reasons – one, the smaller the tattoo, the smaller the scar left on the skin. And secondly, it’s easier for the doctor to re-connect the skin with sutures in a small area where skin was removed versus a larger area.

A person receiving excision services to remove a tattoo needs to keep the tattoo area free of sunlight exposure for 3-4 weeks before going in for excision. After excision, the person is free to leave after surgery(there is no overnight stay or anything like that) and must again keep the area protected from sunlight for a solid month. Otherwise, the sunlight may interfere with the healing and the pigmentation of the effected area.

When compared to other methods of tattoo removal, excision seems to offer little benefit other than cost. Many do not find it acceptable to use a tattoo removal method that by nature is going to leave a scar on the skin. For this reason, methods such as rejuvi or laser tattoo removal are considered much better tattoo removal methods.

Additionally, because this method is not as popular as it once was in light of improved removal methods in other areas, it’s much harder to find doctors performing excision versus more modern techniques, such as laser tattoo removal.

Many people curious about tattoo removal have a legitimate concern that the techniques may lead to the tattoo being gone, but in its place there may be a scar on the skin. Is this true? Do tattoo removal methods leave scars on the skin?

The answer depends on the technique used. Ideally, people would only use professional techniques that are administered by a professional, and proven through years or decades of use. Two examples of this would be rejuvi tattoo removal and laser tattoo removal. The chance of scars being made on the skin from the correct performance of these two tattoo removal procedures is very small. Yes, there is a chance of scarring, but it is very minimal. The small risk is there for any and all services offered through techniques using lasers, whether you’re removing a tattoo or hair folicles or warts from the skin. But it’s a small risk.

Unfortunately, this is not the case that people always use tattoo removal methods that are proven and performed by an expert. Taking into the consideration the high price of laser tattoo removal, many cheap tattoo removal methods entice people into taking risks with methods that can rightly be described as lower quality. Most tattoo removal specialists would probably agree that you could be things like TCA tattoo removal and over the counter tattoo removal cream into this category. Additionally, at this point in the development of tattoo removal techniques, you could also probably put formerly common methods into this category as well, such as excision and dermabrasion.

Let’s look at these methods and discuss their potential for scarring.

TCA Tattoo Removal. TCA stands for Trichloroacetic Acid. This chemical is used in products known as “chemical peels” that are applied to the skin and when removed, are said to improve wrinkles, remove warts, and improve the overall appearance of the skin. Many decades ago it was determined that TCA could also be used to remove tattoo ink from the skin.

The problem is that this is an over the counter product that if done improperly can scar the skin. The fact that TCA works by creating what’s known as a “controlled inflammation” on the skin points to some of the problems that could occur without the guidance of a specialist performing the procedure.

Compared to rejuvi and laser tattoo removal, the chance of scars developing from TCA chemical peels for tattoos is high.

Dermabrasion. This old fashioned technique involves peeling away layers of the skin, and with that, the tattoo itself. It’s an outdated method and is obviously quite prone to scarring.

Excision. This technique wins the award for scarring. Excision is another word for cutting out, and in this case, it means cutting out the skin containing the tattoo! You can obviously see how this naturally leads to skin scarring.

Tattoo Removal Cream. Over the counter tattoo removal creams, like Tat B Gone and Wrecking Balm, are highly unlikely to lead to any scars. That being said, the reliability of the products themselves is considered suspect and questionable, but, in regards to scarring, the chances are very small. The main ingredient to look out for in this regard would be hydroquinone. This chemical has been described as a skin bleaching agent, and is supposedly contained in some tattoo removal cream products. However, the most popular and widely available tattoo removal cream, Wrecking Balm, does NOT contain this hydroquinone chemical.

In summary, using proven techniques is the best bet to minimize the risk of scarring. The risk can never be 100% removed, but, putting your efforts into a technique such as laser tattoo removal is going be far safer than using outdated or risky methods such as TCA chemical peels and dermabrasion. (And don’t even think about using excision!)