The decision to have a tattoo removed is one that should be carefully considered. Just as the pros and cons of getting a tattoo should be carefully weighed before a final decision is made (drunkenly surveying your choices on the tattoo parlor wall doesn't count), whether and how to get a tattoo removed are decisions that should not be taken lightly. Of course there are many reasons to have a tattoo removed or altered: * When you're caught up in the throes of young love and passion, a relationship that you couldn't imagine ever ending may turn out to have been much less permanent than the tattoo you got to commemorate it. For Johnny Depp, staying with "Winona Forever" wasn't on the cards after all. Lucky for him though, it wasn't too difficult to have his tattoo altered to read, "Wino Forever." monitorstorm * You may not be pleased with the tattoo you got. The tattoo artist may not have understood exactly what you wanted or may have applied it with less than consummate skill. If the ink is applied too deeply, it can cause a raised scar or can appear faded in places, and the skin may have a lumpy appearance. If the ink is not applied deeply enough, your tattoo may look amateurish, like a "jailhouse tattoo." * You may have had an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink used in your tattoo. If such is the case, your tattoo could have a raised appearance and be itchy and uncomfortable. * When you're entering into a relationship, your new partner may object to the contents of a tattoo (see no. 1 above) or to your having one at all. * You may want to join the military or enter a profession in which visible tattoos are not allowed or are considered unacceptable. * You may have entered a phase of life (i.e. a spouse; a parent; forty- Fife Taxi years-old) the dignity of which you don't feel is reflected by the tattoo you got when you were twenty. While there are many excellent reasons to have a tattoo removed, removing permanent ink from beneath your epidermis is not a simple task. The viable options, the ones that are generally effective and pose an acceptable level of risk, are: * Laser Treatments * IPL (Intense Pulsating Light) Treatments antechy * Rejuvi Cream * Dermabrasion * Excision * TCA (trichloroacetic acid) Laser treatments are by far the most popular tattoo removal method. But despite their popularity, there are many disadvantages to laser treatments: they are painful (many tattoo removal clinics say that the pain is analogous to getting snapped with a rubber band, but I've heard someone who's actually gone through the procedure describe it as like being stuck with an ice pick over and over); they are expensive (from $100 to $1,000 per treatment, depending on a number of factors); complete removal of a tattoo is usually a long process (generally speaking, it will take from six to twelve treatments, with a healing period of from two to three months between each treatment); they require aftercare (some patients may experience blistering, bleeding or weeping of the treated area and it is necessary to apply antiseptic and bandages and to keep the treated area out of the sun). Overall though, laser treatments are thought to offer the best combination of effectiveness and low incidence of side effects such as scarring. Having said that, other tattoo removal methods should not be dismissed out of hand. All of the removal methods mentioned above, from IPL to TCA, are viable options to be used either on their own or in combination with laser treatments or a cover-up job. But, what all tattoo removal methods, including laser treatments, have in common is that they are neither easy nor 100% guaranteed to work. Having a tattoo removed is generally more painful and always more difficult than having one put on. Before deciding on a final course of action, it is imperative that you do your research, think carefully, and weigh the time, expense and discomfort of tattoo removal against the inconvenience or embarrassment of TATTOO REMOVAL living with your tattoo. A cover-up job is a third alternative, but it is also not so simple. If you decide to go this route, you should make sure to find a skilled tattoo artist because doing a cover-up job is much more challenging than inking virgin skin. If you decide to go the removal route, you should bear in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all, fully-guaranteed method of tattoo removal. Also, nobody can tell you what the best tattoo removal method for you is without first seeing the tattoo you wish to have removed, and even then it is not always possible to make a completely accurate assessment because not only is each tattoo unique, so is your own individual skin. Not every patient reacts and responds to treatments in the same way. You should get at least two professional opinions. Most clinics offer free consultations. It's a good free article idea to draw up a list of questions to ask before the consultation. Here is a good question to ask as a test of a doctor or clinician's honesty: "Can you guarantee that you will be able to remove my tattoo." If you get an affirmative answer you should go elsewhere because no tattoo removal method can be 100% guaranteed to completely remove your tattoo. Also, I would be a little bit leery of a doctor or clinic that insists that laser treatments are the only option available to you. You have to remember that laser treatments are very lucrative. Not only are they expensive, but it is usually a technician, not the doctor, who performs the actual treatments. To sum up, getting a tattoo removed is a more difficult, expensive and drawn out process than getting it put on in the first cheap laptop UK place and not a decision to be taken lightly. If you are determined to get an unwanted tat removed, you should research the different methods and professionals available carefully and thoroughly before making a commitment.