Tattoo Removal - When Your Love Has Flown the Coop

Alright, be honest, when you got the photo and name of your significant other imprinted over your right bicep, you believed he or she would remain in your life forever, didn't you? Unfortunately, your love has just flown the coop. I'm truly sorry, but my guess is that now you need tattoo removal.

Here's the bad news: Getting honeybun's info may have been a tad painful, certainly the breakup process was no piece of cake and, yes, there's going to be a bit of an uncomfortable feeling in having it removed. That's the price you pay for love.

Let's look at a few important details you'll need to know. One doctor, who specializes in removal, estimates 50 per cent of people regret getting them later on. And, getting the name or face of someone who's no longer in your life is the most popular reason for removal. Feel better? You're NOT alone.

- Can all impressions be removed? Remember, they're designed to be permanent and most surgeons agree their complete removal isn't possible.

- What are the best tattoo removal methods? Definitely laser. This process was discovered in the '80's, and it's a good thing it was. The methods used before then were just about like using sand paper on your skin. It wasn't a very pleasant process and often left scarring. I'm not even going to tell you about the other methods because they're much more scary than a laser. Needless to say, find a doctor who will use a laser technique and you'll save yourself a lot of pain. Laser is the best way to go because it offers a low risk, bloodless, and effective way for tattoo removal. It's all done as out-patient surgery. The good news is you may not even need an anesthetic. There's extremely minimal scarring too.

But just why is it so difficult to remove them? Many factors make it challenging, such as how old it is, the inks used, the artist's experience, color variations, the size and location.

Just how do lasers work for tattoo removal?

Lasers are light intensities which, when shot from the laser tool, produce short pulses which penetrate the top layer of skin. The laser actually breaks up the ink pigment scattering it into tiny fragments. The beauty of the human body is that the body itself, through the immune system, helps pass these fragments out. They aren't left floating around forever inside of you. The cool thing is the laser doesn't hurt your skin - just the pigment in the ink.

You might be wondering how the laser feels on your skin as it floats gracefully across the surface. It's been described like having "hot specks of bacon grease" or, like "being snapped with a rubber band."

If all of this sounds like just too much, you can always keep your tattoo. But the chances of you finding another love with the same face and name are slim. Be brave. Have tattoo removal.