That Mother’s love, the anchor, the flower or other classic tattoo motifs are never erased is because, at the cellular level, the deposit of pigments that form them behaves like a kind of chronic infection . When the tattoo artist punctures the skin, his needle goes through the epidermis – the most superficial layer – and goes a few millimeters deep until it reaches the dermis , the deep layer of skin tissue that is full of nerves, hair follicles, sweat glands and blood vessels.
This generates a small wound that puts the immune system on alert and triggers the corresponding inflammatory process . The immediate consequence is that defender cells called macrophages come to the rescue and gobble up the ink, in an attempt to remove the foreign element. They do not know that what they have just eaten will dye them forever . Then, the excess pigments are absorbed by fibroblasts, cells of the connective tissue responsible for secreting elastin and collagen proteins. As they are born and die without moving from the site, they will also be colored for the remains.
In other words, the reason the drawings stay on the skin forever is that the ink settles in the dermis (deep) layer. While the epidermis constantly renews its cells, the metabolism of the dermis does not carry out cell renewal, so the ink is not removed and the tattoos remain for life unless they are removed by laser technique.
Because, that’s another: what if you get tired of your tattoos or come to hate them? An article in the Canadian newspaper The Vancouver Sun revealed that according to some surveys, between 80% and 90% of people who have tattoos want to remove them at some point in their life . Also some dermatologists point out that the growing fashion of tattooing and therefore the increase in the number of tattoos has brought an increase in the desire to remove them. However, even with modern lasers, the treatment to erase them can be painful, expensive and time consuming. Removing a small tattoo can cost up to $ 1,400, according to the aforementioned medium, which adds that the most modern, of various colors, are almost impossible to remove, especially if they are large. The color factor is an obstacle to elimination, contrary to what you might think. It is not the most difficult black but the greens, purples, reds and yellows.
Today, some tattoo removal companies are using new laser methods with Q-Switched laser technology, which makes it easier to remove stubborn colors faster and less damaging to the skin. What these lasers do is not remove the ink but break the particles into much smaller portions, which are later removed by the lymphatic system . Furthermore, a removal treatment requires 8 to 15 sessions, depending on the area where the tattoo is, its age, its depth, the volume of ink and the colors it has. The q-switched technology does not leave scars on the skin, as it only acts on the tattoo pigment. There are also new techniques on the market today that allow removing a tattoo without a laser. They use a lactic acid-based solution that completely expels the ink molecules, whatever their color.
