If you have a tattoo that is unsightly, brings back some bad memories or that you just simply have to get rid of because you're think of entering the forces or something similar then you may have looked at the different forms of tattoo removal. One of the more mainstream ones is called excision tattoo removal. In this article I'll briefly discuss the pros and cons of excision tattoo removal.

What is Excision Tattoo Removal?

With other forms of tattoo removal treatments, such as laser and pulsed light, the tattoo is broken down and absorbed by the body over a period of time. With excision, the tattoo is actually physically removed by a surgeon and the wound is then subsequently stitched back together with the use of electrocautery - basically a hot needle.

Can Excision be applied to any tattoo?

It is generally recommended that excision is only used as a means of tattoo removal if the tattoo is small in size. Larger tattoos will require multiple sessions and may take a long time to heal.

What are the cons of tattoo excision?

As with any surgery, there is some scarring to deal with. This is the most notable drawback for this procedure. Larger tattoos are especially susceptible to scarring which is why its generally recommended not to use this technique for large back tattoos for instance.

Furthermore given that you'll need a qualified surgeon to perform the task, it's quite a costly procedure and can set you back anywhere in the region of $800 to many thousands depending on the tattoo size, colour and the surgery that you use.

What are the main benefits

Unlike other forms of treatment where the tattoo may actually only fade away as opposed to be completely removed, this treatment has a 100% success rate because the surgeon literally physically removes the ink from the body.

What are my alternatives?

There are a couple of expensive alternatives that are out of the reach of most. Firstly you have laser tattoo removal which consists of numerous sessions of on-site laser treatment. You'll need around 6-8 sessions each costing from $200 - £500 each.

You also have light pulse laser removal which is deemed the least painful way to remove your tattoo because the light can actually break the ink particles up in the skin without breaking the skin itself. This practice costs a similar amount to laser tattoo removal and so is also out of the reach of most people.

You have glycolic and other types of acid peel that effectively erode the upper layers of the skin and promote cell regeneration. This can be extremely effective for lightening the tattoo but may not completely remove it. One session of glycolic treatment will cost around $150 at least and you'll likely need more than one session.

Finally there is a new generation of home removal kits and accompanying guides that walk you through the whole procedure. Somewhat surprisingly, these kits are reported to be doing a good job of removing people's tattoos, and the great thing about them is that they are a fraction of the cost!