| De-inking Your Skin |
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Tuesday, 23 February 2010 11:12
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So, you’ve just woken up from a night of binge drinking and you’re itching and aching. You look to see what’s causing it and, yikes, find a “I Heart Ladyboys” tattoo on your arm. Don’t fret, there’s a way to get rid of it. Dr Mark Siefring M.D. M.S. and Dr Tom Nguyen M.D. will tell you how. Photos by Khoa Tran. Once reserved for the domain of warriors, gangsters and questionable characters, tattoos are now becoming popular in Vietnamese culture, especially among students, urbanites, teenagers and even some older individuals. And with the help of reality TV show Miami Ink, it’s become hip and modern to have one, spawning shops around the city with the name Saigon Ink. But what happens when the coolness factor fades or the tattoo’s meaning changes? Or when your girlfriend Mary Jane has left your life while her name remains inscribed? Or when the tattoo just does not come off either artistically or socially? How to Remove it Having that ex’s name is usually the option most people will consider. While some tattoos are simple in design and ink elements, others are mutli-coloured, using various pigments to create differing shades and textures to the image. Tattoo removal is more complicated and, unfortunately, more expensive than getting them. The old method used to involve abrasive “sanding” techniques that would remove the upper layer of dermis, a very painful procedure that sometimes results in scarring, and was never really effective. Now, new laser removal techniques have since made it much easier and more effective, but still an expensive procedure as multiple sessions are usually required. There are many factors that determine the outcome of removing a tattoo and some of these include the patient’s age, skin type, type of tattoo, age, colour, size and depth of the tattoo, and whether the tattoo was performed by a professional or an amateur. Lasers employing different wavelengths can be used to remove different colour tattoo pigments. The laser pulse fractures the pigments into small particles that are then taken up by scavenger cells or eliminated by the injured dermis flaking off. Tattoos composed of more traditional black and blue pigments will absorb the energy packets most effectively. Green, red, yellow and various complicated hues of blue (e.g. turquoise) can be more difficult and can require differing laser settings or more than one laser type. Some complex pigment mixtures may actually react adversely and become permanently black, so often the laser physician will run a small test spot of laser effect on a complicated colour scheme and have the patient return in one to two weeks to check the reaction. The ideal situation is for the physician to know which pigment mixtures were used, however, this information is rarely available. Although laser removal is generally safe, and complications are few, it is best to see an experienced physician who can provide a full understanding of tattoo removal and expected results.
Don’t Cover it Up
Copyright (C) 2009 The Word HCMC. All rights reserved The Word HCMC
Copyright (C) 2009 The Word HCMC. All rights reserved." |
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