A slogan launched a few years ago by US health authorities in the face of the rampant phenomenon of tattoos was prescient: “Think carefully before getting inked.” The pun cannot be reproduced in Spanish, but the concept is clear. A more up-to-date warning than ever, given that for a long time the ranks of the repentant grow what do you want eliminate or at least hide part of their tattoos. Removing them for good takes a lot of time, a lot of money, and not a little pain, with no certainty of success. In case of exposure to the sun, it is necessary to use a filter with total protection.
It is advisable to go to professionals who use needles, inks and machinery that comply with the law, and take the necessary precautions both for your own health and to avoid the danger of wanting to delete them, paying a high price on several fronts. “Before proceeding to get a tattoo, it is mandatory that the client (or the parents in the case of minors) sign an informed consent,” recalls Ketty Peris, advisor to the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST), “it is an important instrument because, on the one hand, the professional who performs the tattoo undertakes to use materials in accordance with the law and to respect health laws and, on the other, the client must declare, under his own responsibility, that he does not suffer from allergies”.
If you decide to delete it, how do you do it? “In the vast majority of cases, with a laser technique”, answers Dario d’Angelo, representative of the Italian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Aesthetic Surgery (Sicpre). Lightning laser it hits the pigment with a large amount of energy, breaking it up and allowing the body to eliminate it. “In some rare cases (urgency to remove very small tattoos), surgical removal can be used, but it leaves a scar,” he adds. Light is more effective on dark colors than light colors (to the point that, when used for hair removal, black hairs are easier to treat than blondes): that’s why black or darker tattoos are easier to eliminate that the clear or multicolored ones.
Are all lasers the same? “The best is the Q-switch laser, which is now also available in a pico version, which indicates that the high energy is delivered for very short times, picoseconds. In this way, only the pigments are affected, avoiding thermal damage in neighboring areas. The removal is very precise and the pain for the patient is less,” explains d’Angelo, medical director of the Center for Plastic Surgery and Burns at Cardarelli Hospital in Naples.
The specialists to contact are plastic surgeons and dermatologists, making sure that they have knowledge and experience in this field. Here, too, preparation is important: despite being a minimally invasive treatment, it is still possible for misused lasers to cause damage and scarring. “There is a risk of irritation, blisters or swelling, so it is necessary to follow an adequate treatment after the sessions”, explains Ketty Peris, director of the Dermatological Clinic of the Gemelli Polyclinic of the Catholic University-Irccs of Rome, “you have to keep skin hydrated with creams and ointments (including antibiotic creams) because there is a risk of infection and you have to protect it from the sun (it is better to use protection 50). When scabs form, it is best to apply emollient and soothing ointments until they are removed naturally without peeling.”