In past years, you had to think twice about getting a tattoo, since it was more or less permanent, with tattoo removel methods back then being painful and ineffective. These early methods included dermabrasion, which would scrape away the top layer of skin on which the tattoo was painted, and excision, where the skin containing the tattoo was cut away and the edges sewn together. Both of these methods not only caused a lot of pain, they also left significant scarring and damage to the skin. Today, however, lasers are the most common method for removing tattoos, with these extreme methods only being used as a last resort.

The laser removal method works by breaking up the tattoo ink; the remains are later removed by the body's own immune system. The major drawbacks of using lasers to remove tattoos are that sessions can be very painful, particularly if multiple treatments are required to remove the tattoo, and the total cost of the treatment is very expensive; one treatment can cost between $250 and $850 and may require as many as ten sessions to totally remove the tattoo, particularly if it is elaborate and colorful. Multiple sessions will also result in scarring due to skin irritation and damage, although this will be minimal.

However, one popular alternative to these conventional tattoo removel methods is the use of creams that you can use at home. These creams will reportedly cause the tattoo to fade away with regular use, and without causing skin damage or scarring; they are also much more affordable than laser removal methods.