Saline Tattoo Removal
What is Saline Tattoo Removal?
Saline tattoo removal is a safe, natural, chemical-free (no acid) method of removing tattoos using a saline solution and traditional tattooing equipment.
- Less painful and fewer treatments required than laser removal, which burns the skin and often causes blistering and scarring. Laser can only recognize and remove certain colors, and often cause permanent makeup colors to turn gray. If the tattoo has any mix of white ink in it, laser removal will turn the skin black in those areas.
- Less abrasive procedure, gentler on the skin, and faster healing time.
- Effective on all types of tattoos, regardless of age, color, and location.
- Removes almost any color by lifting the pigment out of the dermis, up through the epidermis, then forming a scab which exfoliates with pigment in it. Saline also removes black discoloration caused by laser.
What to expect.
After the initial treatment, the skin will appear red, swollen, possibly bruised, which is normal in the removal process. There will be slight drainage for a short time after the process is completed. The tattoo pigment will be more distinct.
For your comfort, a topical anesthetic (lidocaine) is applied to the area to be treated before and during the tattoo removal process. Afterwards, the area is thoroughly cleansed and bandaged (for body art, bandage can be kept on for a couple hours; for cosmetic tattoo removal, I will send you home with gauze for you to blot the treated area of lymph fluids). KEEP AS DRY AS POSSIBLE. Following the removal, you will be given aftercare instructions, that you will also find below, these must be strictly followed.
Most tattoos will appear lighter with the removal of some ink after one treatment. Generally, with a few treatments, you will see significant results; some tattoos will be removed with just one or two treatments. Since there is no way of knowing what type of ink, how much, or how deep the ink was implanted into your skin, there is no guarantee on how many treatments will be needed to achieve satisfactory results since skin types vary. How much pigments raises from the skin during your treatment is unknown, it depends on what body releases during that treatment session. A minimum of 8 weeks, or longer, is required between removal treatments, depending on how you heal . The treatment is then repeated until the tattoo fades to your desire, or is gone.
A scab on the treated area will form. During the scabbing process, the ink is pulled to the surface by the scab. After the scab has fallen off, the skin beneath will appear pink for up to six months or longer. This varies according to each individual's lymphatic system. You will notice continued lightening for several months following the removal.
Aftercare.
It is critical to follow all aftercare instructions to prevent complications, scarring, and to achieve optimum results. Please read carefully.
- KEEP AREA CLEAN and open to the air. Do not cover with a bandage or anything else, leave open to the air. Air/oxygen provides good and faster healing. You should not touch the area at all, however if you need to, be sure your hands are sanitized and exceptionally clean to avoid bacteria being introduced to the area.
- DO NOT SOAK the treated area in water. You can shower as normal but keep the area out of the shower spray the best you can and do not let the area stay wet for more than a few minutes. The use of Seal Tight Shield barrier bandages helps for showering.
- NO BATHING, SWIMMING, SAUNAS, HOT TUBS, TANNING, OR INTENSE EXERCISE.
- DO NOT disrupt the scabbing process (no picking, scratching, etc.). All scabbing needs to fall off naturally, so keeping the scab intact for as long as possible is key in your result. If you force or pick a scab, you will disrupt the process and possibly cause scarring. Picking the scab will prevent the saline solution from removing as much ink as possible, and may cause scarring.
- TREAT THE AREA WITH TLC. DO NOT DO ANYTHING AT ALL THAT COULD CAUSE ISSUE OR PROBLEMS TO THE TREATED AREA. NO OINTMENT OR LOTIONS UNTIL AFTER THE SCAB HAS NATURALLY FALLEN OFF. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL, TEXT OR EMAIL ME ANYTIME.
- ONCE ALL SCABBING HAS NATURALLY FALLEN OFF, apply one drop Vitamin E oil 4 to 6 times throughout the day EVERY OTHER DAY (every 48 hours) for a minimum of 4 weeks, or until next lightening session. DO NOT start applying the Vitamin E oil until all scabbing has completely fallen off. The goal is to keep the area as dry as possible until all scabs have naturally fallen off.
• Must wait three months after the FINAL saline treatment to get a new permanent cosmetic procedure over the treated area.
• It is important to the process and integrity of the skin that 6-8 full weeks of healing take place before another lightening/removal procedure can be done. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Lightening and/or removing unwanted pigment is a slow and long process and patience is required. This is true whether you are choosing a lightening product service or laser. Please be patient and give the process a fair chance to work. Expect visible and wanted results in 3-6 sessions. How many sessions needed will depend on how saturated the pigment is, how deep it was implanted, and how much needs to be removed for the desired result. Results vary. Some skins will react more positively and have a better result than other skins.
• Color correcting eyebrows: in many cases only a percentage of the density needs to be lightened/removed and then we can continue the correction process. In those cases where we have pigment misplaced or in an unwanted area, color correcting will not be an option and removing as much of the pigment as possible will be our ultimate goal.
• RESULTS CANNOT BE FORESEEN, PREDICTED, OR GUARANTEED.
