Considering the rise in popularity of body art, it's no surprise that there has also been an increase in tattoo regret. Many individuals either go under the needle too impulsively or at such a young age that they end up second-guessing their decision years or even mere weeks after getting inked. The fact is, getting a word or image permanently inked on your skin is a risk, no matter how sure you are at the moment you hit the parlor. People change – in terms of their careers, relationships, values and interests – and there's a good chance that body art could end up losing its meaning with time. Luckily, advances in laser technology have allowed people to break free of their past by clearing away irrelevant ink.
Growing out of ink
Fox Upper Michigan's Source explained that while tattoos have become a means for people to express their individuality, the finished designs don't always end up the way they imagined. In fact, they often come out downright undesirable. According to the news outlet, StatisticBrain.com's research revealed that 14 percent of Americans have tattoos, and 17 percent of those individuals regret at least one of their etchings. One local resident, Cara Parrish, told the news outlet that one tatt in particular "doesn't resonate with her" any longer.
"I do have a tattoo on my hip that I kind of regret," she explained to the source. "I got it when I was really young, it was my first tattoo. And it doesn't make any sense! It's three different things, three different themes that have nothing to do with each other, but I was young and silly and got it done anyway."
Parrish admitted that maturity has played a major factor in her decision to try and cover up her ink to make room for a new design. She still doesn't know what she wants to replace her old tatt with, but she definitely isn't approaching the decision hastily. Most importantly, she noted that she wants her next piece of body art to better represent who she is now, and where she is in her life.
An advanced laser
Those suffering from regret have multiple tattoo removal options. However, Dr. Paul M. Friedman, a cosmetic dermatologist in Houston and New York and co-author of "Beautiful Skin Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Better Skin," told Cosmopolitan magazine that a state-of-the-art laser is the way to go.
"After the skin is numbed, the laser targets the ink particles from inside of the skin cells drawing them outside of the cells where the body can recognize them as foreign, and then eliminates them," Friedman explained to Cosmopolitan. "What happens is that your body's own immune reaction recognizes that the ink doesn't belong there and your lymphatic system gets rid of the ink particles, and that's how the tattoo lightens over time."
More specifically, Friedman pointed to the innovative and advanced PicoSure laser for more desirable results. He noted that as the laser, which emits pulses of light at a trillionth of a second, can provide clearance in a shorter time span. In fact, he reported that the PicoSure laser's pulses are 100 times shorter, meaning improved shattering of pigment.
A big question for those with tattoo regret is how long it will take for them to get rid of a design. Friedman explained that according to recent studies, individuals saw more than 75 percent improvement in four treatments for black ink, and the same results in just one to three treatments of blue or green ink.
PicoSure® is the latest technology for laser tattoo removal and offers faster and better removal in fewer treatments. PicoSure shatters ink into smaller, dust-like particles which are more efficiently absorbed by the body's natural processes. It is the first and only aesthetic picosecond laser that is FDA-cleared for the removal of tattoos. Visit www.picosurear.wpengine.com to learn more and find a PicoSure Practitioner near you.
