Laser Tattoo Removal Guide

There are a variety of products out there that fall under the unofficial term of “tattoo removal creams”. These products are primarily sold online. They do not require a prescription or any visit with a doctor or medical professional. One of the biggest selling points is just that – you can buy them online and use them in the privacy of your own home, without seeing a doctor or going in for treatments. Additionally, there is no pain involved in the application of these creams to the skin. This is a big contrast towards nearly all tattoo removal methods, such as laser removal, dermabrasion, excision, and rejuvi, all of which cause considerable pain and discomfort for their administration.

There are many different brand of tattoo removal cream. This includes Wrecking Balm, the most popular and widely available tattoo removal cream, and others such as Tat B Gone, Tattoo Off and Tattoo Away.. While there are even more removal creams than these, by far the two most popular products are Tat B Gone and Wrecking Balm.

Both of these products claim that they will fade or remove a tattoo through the use of repeated applications of their cream to the skin. This means applying a “topical” lotion, gel, or cream – and by topical, this simply means at the surface of the skin. Both Wrecking Balm and Tat B Gone kits have a handful of products included, that are to be used together. For instance, a person might use one gel first to prepare the skin, then a second gel that’s supposed to act to remove then ink, and then a third gel to finalize the process and rejuvinate the skin.

It’s unclear to many how these products work. Many consider the manufacturers claims to be more marketing and hype than anything else.
However, there are many online reports from people claiming that through the use of a tattoo removal cream product, they did in fact see a significant fading of their tattoo. For this reason, it’s fair to say that the products work to an extent. However, having a tattoo entirely removed at the level offered from laser removal, for instance, is a controversial claim.

It’s worth considering that tattoo removal creams may in fact work in the sense of fading a tattoo slowly. In this sense, cheaply done tattoos and tattoos that are already faded and old may respond better than newer tattoos with high quality ink.

For someone considering tattoo removal, these products are very inexpensive and do offer a money back guarantee. Note though that it can take many, many months of applications before the desired results can be seen. The total cost of so many treatments or tattoo removal kits can eventually outweigh what was originally perceived as a cheap tattoo removal method.

Another technique we want to discuss here is what’s known as “TCA tattoo removal”. It’s not a very popular technique but it’s something that’s available over the counter, and is largelyonline as an at home, do it yourself, tattoo removal technique.

TCA stands for Trichloroacetic Acid. TCA chemical peels contain a certain percentage of TCA; the more TCA, the stronger the solution. Traditionally, TCA chemical peels are used to treat a variety of skin conditions. This includes removing or improving the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, skin discoloration, lip creases, lines around the eyes, stretch marks, birthmarks, and cellulite. TCA has also been used to for mole removal and removing warts, even genital warts!

In addition to the long list, TCA is effective to some degree at removing tattoos. It is also relatively cheap – very cheap when compared to something like laser tattoo removal. For example, a bottle of TCA solution sold as a tattoo removal product only costs about $50.

But how effective is TCA at removing a tattoo?

Through the repeated application of TCA peels, tattoo ink will fade and eventually be entirely gone. However, this is not a procedure or method that many dermatologists or doctors are going to recommend, especially those trained in tattoo removal methods!

The reason is that TCA for tattoo removal is not something that is regulated well. It’s not performed by someone trained in tattoo removal or TCA applications. Instead, it’s done by the person itself who has the tattoo. The irony is that the very reason TCA is touted as a great removal method (by those selling it, that is!) is the same reason tattoo removal professionals feel uneasy about it! Individuals applying these solutions to themselves, without any medical supervision, are at risk of doing it wrong, applying too much, applying at an inappropriate strength, and so on. This can lead to the very real concern of scarring. Making an acknowledgement to the fact that TCA works by creating a tiny “controlled inflammation” at the surface of the skin alludes to realistic concerns about scars.

For these reasons, while TCA has been shown to remove tattoos, it is not generally considered a safe, reliable, or recommended tattoo removal method. This is especially true in light of modern techniques such as laser tattoo removal, which has decades of proof behind it and carries a relatively small risk of scars and complications compared to TCA tattoo removal.