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Old Methods of Tattoo Removal
Tattooing dates back to B.C. days, and so removal methods have been in place for quite some time. There were four main choices one had to choose from: Excision, Salabrasion, Dermabrasion or Cryotherapy.
Excision was the easiest of them all. The doctor would use what we would call a scalpel to cut out the tattoo. He would then close the wound with stitches and send the patient home to heal. This procedure usually succeeded after the first treatment. Infection rates were high and scarring is guaranteed, but it was a very popular method.
Salabrasion was the oldest method of them all and certainly could be rated the most painful. The tattoos were removed by rubbing the skin with a cloth past the point of bleeding using coarse salt granules. Salt is then left on the wound for many hours, and then the process is repeated. Ouch! This procedure takes time and patience and many days to heal. Thank goodness for Laser treatment!
Dermabrasion is a technique that requires the use of a wire brush or a diamond wheel with rough edges. Another painful procedure that is described as “sanding the skin” as the tattoo is removed and the skin is leveled. This procedure causes a lot of scarring and loss of pigment. Healing only takes about a week, but that depends on how long the tool was used and to what depths it reached.
Cryotherapy is the most popular of the older methods. It’s painful but not as painful as some of the other methods. The tattoo is frozen prior to the removal to destroy the pigmented tissue. Several treatments are required to complete this procedure. Bleeding isn’t a problem but the skin will scab and peel off during the healing process. The liquid nitrogen used could cause a stinging or burning sensation and you're skin might turn red for a few hours after, but all in all its effective and cheap!
More Tattoo Removal Basics
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