Dr Agarwal's Clinic – Dental & Skin Experts
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If you want to get rid of a tattoo in shortest possible time, tattoo removal by laser will not help. Plastic surgery is then the quickest available solution for permanent tattoo removal. However, it is leaves a scar. Therefore, you should opt for cosmetic surgery for permanent tattoo removal only if you are willing to accept a scar. Some of the surgical methods for permanent tattoo removal adopted by plastic surgeons and skin specialists are described below.

Excision Surgery for tattoo removal

Excision Surgery for tattoo removal is a process of removing a tattoo by cutting it out and sewing the skin back together. If the tattoo is small in size then it can be removed in a single session, otherwise, it will take multiple sessions. The process begins with numbing the targeted portion of skin by injecting local anesthesia. When the skin is numbed, the surgeon starts the process.

Excision Surgery – Single operation

Depending on the size and position, it is possible to remove a tattoo permanently by a single operation. For example, a long, thin tattoo, few centimeters small, in an area with elastic skin, positioned away from a joint, is appropriate for this treatment. In such tattoos it might be possible to make a cut around the tattoo and draw its edges together with stitches. The tattoo would disappear after the completion of surgery.

Excision Surgery – Staged Removal Surgery

Staged surgery is done if complete tattoo removal involves the risk of leaving a gap in the skin that cannot be drawn together with stitches. In this method, a part of the tattoo is removed such as to facilitate stitching of the wound. After a few months, the surgical wound will heal and the skin stretched enough to enable an additional portion of the tattoo to be eliminated.

Excision Surgery with Skin Grafting

Skin Grafting is a substitute to staged surgery where skin, taken from another area of the body, is used to fill up the gap that cannot be drawn together with stitches. This is a single operation, though it leaves a second scar on the body part from where the skin graft is taken from. More significantly, the grafted skin in many cases will be dissimilar in texture and look compared to the adjacent skin.

Dermabrasion

In this method, dermatologists or plastic surgeons remove the upper layers of the tattooed skin using a special instrument known as dermatome. The upper layers may also be removed using a dermabrader or probes of a radio-frequency surgery machine. The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia. The raw skin produced needs to be dressed regularly to assist the healing process and to prevent secondary infection. The operated area heals with scarring in a few weeks. There is also a risk of formation of thick scars. And, the final colour of the operated area post healing may be different from the surrounding skin.

Salabrasion

Salabrasion is a risky tattoo removal process and involves application of salt water mixture on the inked skin. Thereafter, the tattoo is scrubbed using an abrasive tool until the colour of the skin turns deep red. Slight bleeding may also occur during the procedure. There is a high risk of infection after the procedure, as the scrubbed skin leaves an open wound which needs to be cleaned constantly. In order to heal the wound completely and eliminate the tattoo successfully, an antibiotic cream needs to be applied. Scars are the common side effect after the treatment.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery or cryo-therapy is another surgical method for removing tattoos. But this procedure is not as effective as laser treatment. This therapy is often done along with dermabrasion. First, the affected area is sprayed with liquid nitrogen. This destroys the tissue. Next, the upper layers of the affected skin are removed using a special instrument called dermatome.

FAQs on Cosmetic Surgery for Permanent Tattoo Removal