Think before you ink
Hillary Smith
Tattoo regrets can result in a pricey and painful situation, which can lead to bleeding and possible loss of skin pigmentation. So, is it all worth it in the end? “No,” said Kirk Hindson III, a server at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, “I thought we were going to get married. I lost my job and she left me about a month after I got her name tattooed on my chest.”
Removal selections are laser, dermabrasion, excision, salabrasion, chemical, lotions, or cover-ups. All of which are not guaranteed.
The price and effectiveness are based on the tattoo size, ink color, and placement as well as other elements.
The better the artist was, the easier it will be to remove since the ink will be distributed evenly.
Laser removal is a long and expensive process. It could cost from $1,600 up to $10,000.
Also, sensitivity to light and redness and swelling can go on for about two to three weeks after the procedure.
Dermabrasion, salabrasion, and chemical are also quite painful, but these are only one-time treatments.
A solution is placed on the skin and the tattoo is either scrubbed or sanded off, leaving the skin rough and bleeding. This treatment is around $200 to $500.
Excision is surely as painful as it sounds.
This will be one treatment usually done for smaller tattoos or in several treatments for larger.
The dermatologist will cut the tattoo out of the skin, take both remaining sides of the skin and stitch them back together leaving a line scar. The treatment cost is about $200 to $500.
Hot Rod Tattoo artists Eric Stratton, James Heebner, and John Johnson recommend seeing an artist before opting for removal.
Stratton said that a lot of 18-year-olds come in on their birthday and just pick a tattoo from the wall.
Personal trainer, Heather Goulet was once one of these 18-year-olds.
“All my friends were getting butterflies, so I pointed at the wall and picked one. It is on the small of my back and the size of a big apple. I regret it, it has absolutely no meaning.”
For those who desire a tattoo Stratton offers suggestion; “Wait a year, if you don’t want it in a year then you never really wanted it.”
Many tattoos that get covered up are poorly done tattoos, gang related, political, and lovers names.
Richard Burgmeier, M.D. encounters at least one patient a day to remove tattoos and about three new patients a week inquiring about tattoo removal.
He explained that not every tattoo can be removed to where it looks nice.
“If they have a beautiful tattoo, I’ll tell them to enjoy your beautiful tattoo, because it will never look as good after trying to remove it,” Bergmeier said.
PJ Baron from Ambassador of Excellence says, “If you get a tattoo put it in a tasteful place, and make sure it’s non offensive.
