Body art and other body modifications can be a fun way to express yourself. Bright hair colors, piercings, and tattoos can demonstrate your individuality and personal sense of style. But styles change, and you may find that you want to present a different image at a different time in your life. While piercing and hair colors are easy to change, erasing tattoos requires treatment from a qualified tattoo removal specialist.
Tattoo removal has come a long way since the old surgical methods of cutting the tattooed skin away and grafting unmarked skin in its place.1 Many people now opt for laser tattoo removal. In addition, saline tattoo removal is a safe and effective option.
What Is Saline Tattoo Removal?
Saline tattoo removal involves using small needles to inject a sterile solution of salt and water under the skin. The solution breaks up the pigment from the tattoo and causes it to rise to the skin’s surface. It will form a scab over the injection site. After the scab naturally flakes away, the tattoo will appear lighter.
The healing process after injection can take 8 to 10 weeks. You may need multiple sessions to get the results you want.2
How Is Saline Tattoo Removal Different From Laser Tattoo Removal?
Laser tattoos involve using a concentrated beam of light to heat up the pigments in the tattoo. The heat breaks up the pigments, and the body eventually clears them up.3 Saline causes the pigments to rise to the surface and flake away as a scab. Both treatments may require multiple sessions for full removal.
Saline is slightly more invasive than laser since a needle penetrates the skin, which lasers do not do. The saline tattoo removal healing process is longer than the recovery from laser tattoo removal. Laser tattoo removal also doesn’t cause scabbing.
Saline tattoo removal is usually less expensive than laser tattoo removal.
What Kind of Tattoos Respond Best to Saline Tattoo Removal?
Saline tattoo removal is best for small tattoos. Experts suggest using it on tattoos that are smaller than a deck of cards. In addition, saline removal is useful for cosmetic tattoos such as microblading or tattooed eyebrows. The process can fade microblading to make it look more subtle or remove the pigment entirely in some cases.
The effectiveness of saline tattoo removal depends on the type of pigment in the tattoo and how deep under the skin it is. Some pigments don’t fade after saline removal. When that happens, laser removal can be more effective.
What to Expect at Your Saline Tattoo Removal Appointment
When you come to your appointment, your removal technician will talk to you about the process and the possible results of your treatment. They will offer you numbing cream to apply to the treatment area to alleviate discomfort. Once the area is numb, they will clean it to prevent the risk of infection.
The saline is injected under your skin using a device that looks like a tattoo gun. The length of the injection process depends on the size of the area being treated. You may have minor discomfort after the injection. A cold compress can ease any irritation. Once the treatment is complete, you need to gently clean the site and let it scab over.
Over the following weeks, you should allow the area to heal on its own. Do not pick at the scab or remove it before it comes off naturally.
Getting the Results You Want
If you don’t get the results you want from saline tattoo removal, you can get laser tattoo removal at another time. You may also benefit from other cosmetic services to improve the look of your skin after tattoo removal. Learn more at My Body Treatment.
SOURCES:
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “Tattoo Removal.“
- Removery: “Saline Tattoo Removal vs Laser Tattoo Removal.“
- FDA: “Tattoo Removal: Options and Results.“
