January 23, 2010
by Shawna Newton
Home Remedies to Avoid Like the Plague for Tattoo Removal
It's a vicious circle: if you have a tattoo, you may not be able to get a job. To remove a tattoo the best way, you need the job to pay for the tattoo removal procedure.
With money tight, some people attempt to remove their tattoo(s) at home using a home remedy.
These home remedies for tattoo removal run the gamut from using a heating appliance, the dabbing on of acid, gouging out the tattoo with a knife, and using a sander or dremel tool.
Every one of these methods can cause serious infection. A bad enough infection could lead to the amputation of a limb or even death.
There are a few ways to get a tattoo removed for free but never, ever, out of desperation, attempt 'home remedies'. It's just not worth it.
Tattoo Removal Using Searing Heat
Believe it or not, a supposed 'new invention' on the market promises to have your tattoo removed by using an iron. Literally.
With this procedure, wax paper is layed over the tattoo and a travel-sized clothes iron is placed over the top for 5 minutes - on high heat.
Because of the obvious pain involved with this tattoo removal method, the person is told to chomp down on a piece of rubber.
After the wax paper is lifted and the upper and secondary layers of skin burned off, an antiseptic ointment is applied and the area bandaged. The dressing must be changed twice a day for a minimum of 4 weeks and the area will absolutely be scarred - for life.
Tattoo Removal Using a Sander
Guaranteed to bleed and be open to nasty infection is using a sander (yes, like Black and Decker, folks) to sand off the tattoo.
As insane as this home remedy for tattoo removal sounds, there have been a history of people who have used sanders and dremel tools to sand off their skin with the tattoo.
There have been instances of death due to carelessness with the sanding tool where too much of the tattoo and skin were removed and the person bled to death.
If blood loss did not kill the person, normally infection would.
Torn skin with tattered edges is extremely difficult to stitch together and would likely lead to a professional having to excise the area.
Tattoo Removal Using Acid
Acid also destroys the skin on contact. The biggest problem with this tattoo removal method is that people have used too much acid and it has destroyed too much skin.
Acid tattoo removal will, as the other methods above, open the area up to infection and most certain scarring.
Tattoo Removal Using Salt
Unsupervised dermabrasion with simple table salt is very painful and, like acid, leaves the skin open to infection and leaves scarring.
Free Tattoo Removal Methods May Exist
Cancer patients are often marked with tattoo-like ink. Once they have recovered, they may want the mark(s) removed. Dermatologists often offer free 'tattoo' removal to recovering cancer patients.
If a tattooed person is a former gang member who turned his/her life around, some churches will provide free or payment assistance for tattoo removal.
Ask for help. You never know who might be there to help you get rid of your tattoo the best and most professional way.
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