Still the preferred method of tattoo removal, Lasers have been making advances in effectiveness which should eventually
translate into faster clearance and less pain during the typical removal session. The best thing about fast clearance is fewer treatments and a lower cost to remove the average tattoo.
If laser is the way you are going there is some basic information that can help you find the best laser clinic in your area. If your tattoo has any red, orange, pink or lighter colors you will need a 532nm green light laser for quick and effective clearance. If you have green, turquoise, sky blue, teal, etc. you will need a 755nm red laser to do a proper job. A 1064nm infrared laser is what you will need to clear black, dark blue, brown and darker colors. All three lasers can be used at the same treatment time, as the lasers will only work on the color that it is attracted to.
The laser brands currently on the market that are most effective at ridding the skin of the above described tattoo ink are, in order of effectiveness:
1). Affinity QS-Q Switch 532nm/1064nm
2). Medlite/RevLite - Q Switch 532nm/1064nm
3). Accolade - Q Switch 755nm
Knowing which lasers you need for the colors in your tattoo can save money by preventing unscrupulous laser removal clinics from knowingly using the wrong laser in order to require more return visits.
Next in effectiveness is the TCA or Cosmetic Acid peel. The great appeal of this method is the cost. Average tattoos can be cleared for less than $50 - $100. The same size tattoo removed with laser would cost in the range of $1000.00 to $2000.00.
The treatment cycle for TCA is shorter than laser, but the user must read and follow instructions that come with the particular brand they choose. Some sellers offer strengths up to 100% (actually probably closer to 98% because 100% TCA would be in a solid crystalline form). Lower strength formulations are all that is necessary for tattoo removal, and safer.
Fears of scarring are somewhat exagerrated by competitors selling different methods of removal, but care must be taken. Also consider the fact that tens of thousands of facial peels to remove fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and to remove or reduce acne scars are performed every year with no reports of scarring. In fact just the opposite effect takes place, that's why facial peels are so popular.
Dermabrasion would come in third in effectiveness and take longer to accomplish a satisfactory end result. Dermabrasion usually consists of either a hand powered exfoliation pad of varying coarseness or an electric/battery powered exfoliator followed by an application of a lotion or cream to soothe the exfoliated or "sanded" skin. This is done daily or three to four times a week depending on how rough the exfoliation.
The least effective tattoo removal method is the current batch of tattoo removal creams. They all consist of some form of skin lightening chemical that prevents or reduces the production of melanin, the substance in the skin that determines the color of your skin. Most skin lightening ingredients are effective at reducing melanin, but have zero effect on tattoo ink, they are physically incapable of removing tattoo pigment and are a waste of your time and money. In particular it is advisable to avoid lightening creams containing Hydroquinone, a known cancer causing chemical when used in high doses over prolonged periods of time.
The giveaway to the ineffectiveness of tattoo creams is the lack of any type guarantee by the manufacturer or the offer of a guarantee that is, for all intents and purposes, impossible to meet and therefore useless. Tattoo removal cream companies do not return money once the sale has been made. There is even one new comer to the market that sells a product strictly as a skin lightening cream and then relabels the same formula and sells it as a tattoo removal cream under the guise of an objective skin health organization. This is an instance where the famous saying Caveat Emptor, (Let the buyer beware), should be observed.