3 Common Tattoo Removal Myths

There are many misconceptions about tattoo removal, particularly in the ways in which it can be done. Many of these myths are harmless to try and will simply result in the tattoo not being removed, but others can be dangerous. For those who are interested in do-it-yourself home tattoo removal, be sure to know which removal methods are fact and and which are fiction. Here is a list of tattoo removal methods that are commonly believed to work and the truth behind why they don't:
1. Tattoo Removal with Magnets
For some reason this urban legend took hold many years ago and has continued to deceive people to this day. The concept is simply that magnets will pull the ink upwards and out of the skin when placed on the exterior where the tattoo was inscribed. This could be because paint and other inks were once made with metals, specifically lead chromate and lead carbonate. However, these metals are toxic to people and using them for tattoo ink is dangerous. The only time metallic based inks are used is in the case of cosmetic tattoos (which used iron pigments) and even these do not contain enough metal to be attracted to a magnet. That being said, magnets will have no effect on tattoos because the ink (being made without metal or with a minimal amount of metal) is not attracted to the magnet. Those attempting to use magnets will find that it has absolutely no effect on their tattoo and can not be used to remove tattoos in any way.
2. Tattoo Removal with Bleach
Bleach is a combination of chemicals that are used to remove color, whiten, or sterilize, often using oxidation or reduction, processes which changes the state in which the atoms appear when exposed to oxygen. When oxidizing bleach is applied to a material it breaks the chemical bonds that binds chromophore molecules (molecules which reflect light and appear colored) together. Or to put it in understandable terms, it un-binds the colored molecules to make them appear the same as non-colored ones. When reducing bleach is applied to a material it changes the chemical bonds so that the chromosphere molecules can no longer reflect light (and so they appear white instead of colored). Considering how bleach works, it makes sense in a way, why people would believe that it works to remove tattoos. However, the truth is that bleach will remove not only the pigments of the tattoo, but also the pigments of the skin. This means that the area where the bleach was applied will appear white and scarred, not like natural skin without the tattoo. Bleaching is extremely painful because it burns the surface of the skin and cannot be contained to only the tattoo. Therefore, a person should never try to use bleach for tattoo removal or any other purpose other than its prescribed uses.
3. Tattoo Removal by Freezing
It is commonly known that exposing the skin to very cold temperatures causes frost-bite, which can result in loss of skin or other body tissue. The process of dermabrasion involves freezing the skin in a localized region (where the tattoo is) and then sanding off the deadened tissues so that the new layers will regrow without the ink pigments. However, it doesn't take much more than common sense to see that this won't work. Freezing of body tissues is almost impossible to localize, especially when done on a general skin surface and not to a particular appendage. Therefore, this method will not only be very painful, but also won't work unless an area much larger than just the tattoo is frozen. It will also leave major scar tissue, which can be more unattractive than the tattoo was. Do not use dermabrasion ever when trying to remove a tattoo, it is much easier to try other methods that are more effective and won't leave scarring.