There are situations that are no longer forever, even if you record them with ink. Although a third of young Spaniards carries at least one tattoo, a trend in social networks is showing that it is increasingly common to erase what one day was permanent.
The “forever.” That is one of the most common phrases when you get a tattoo: “Are you sure? It’s forever.” In recent years, tattoos have popularized so much that Spain occupies the sixth place in the world with more tattooed people, and any event looks like a good idea. However, according to a study conducted by Lutronic PBS, manufacturer of medical-aesthetic laser devices, in our country 60% of the people who tattoo regret it.
The most common profile in this trend are women between 35 and 50 years old. And it is not an isolated phenomenon: an American investigation by Pew Research showed that one in four people regrets at least one of their tattoos.
Examples. This is the case of Natalia, 35, who has asked not to reveal her real name. She decided to erase the micropigmentation eyebrows due to the misinformation about this treatment. When he made them, they told him that it would be semi -permanent, but in the end it turned out to be like a tattoo. As she herself, there is no harm that for good does not come: when looking for a center where to eliminate micropigmentation, she also took the opportunity to erase her first tattoo, which “had nothing to do with it.” The story of that first tattoo dates back to his 18 years: “He was too young, it was more as a impulse of rebellion,” he explained. Over the years, more tattoos were made, but he has assured that “it has nothing to do with my style.”
It is easier to do so than eliminate it. “The tattoos ink is deposited in the dermis, the second layer of the skin, because its molecules are too large for the body to break down,” explains the expert Goergen to CNN. Laser devices emit rapid energy pulses that fragment the ink into smaller particles, which the body processes through the lymphatic system.
In safe hands. So it is essential to have a good professional when making a tattoo. In the case of Sara, 30, who also wants to preserve her identity, her tattoo was performed by a person who considers “a bit inexperienced.” He does not like how he looks or how the tattoo feels in his ankle: “In the background I feel sorry to erase it. I did it with 21 years with money that I had saved, but it is like bulky, as if I had not healed well.”
Sara consulted with a dermatologist who told him that the ink could have crossed the surface layer of the skin and that it would be advisable to eliminate it as soon as it could. This situation resembles a Swedish preliminary study, conducted with 11,000 people, which suggests that those who have tattoos have 21% more risk of developing lymphomas compared to those who do not understand it.
A good team. It is important to keep in mind that the process of removing laser tattoos, such as Q-Switched, requires specialized training. Natalia was clear: he thoroughly investigated and specifically sought that team, considered one of the most effective for erase. According to the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine, the incorrect use of these equipment, poorly regulated or applied by unprepared people, can cause serious adverse effects, such as burns or scars. In addition, the organization denounces work intrusion and lack of regulation in these cases and others of aesthetic medicine.
How many sessions do you need? Although there are clinics that promise to eliminate a tattoo in a single session, experts from the IML Dermatological Clinic have warned that this is only possible in very specific cases (very small, old tattoos, with black and shallow ink). The most common is to require several sessions, separated by weeks or months. And yet the process is not exempt from complications.
The least visible of the process. Jayne Foo, Singapore financial consultant, is part of a growing trend of influencers that shares your experience with aesthetic clinics to show the “before and after.” In his account he explains that he has had open wounds, huge blisters and extreme itching. In his networks he confirms that it is not so simple since you have to take precautions and avoid the sun. In addition, she warns that many videos in networks can be misleading, since they show what is known as frosted effect, which seems to clarify the ink immediately, it is only a temporary reaction that lasts about 15 minutes.
An explosion to reverse the ink. Under him hashtag #Tattoremoval on Instagram and Tiktok, more and more people show their tattoo elimination process. The influencer Claudieta, with more than two million followers, has confessed: “Never make a tattoo at a time that you are bad psychologically.” In this context, and recently, a fans account by actress Amanda Bynes has uploaded a video that shows how a tattoo is being erased from the face, adding to the trend viral.
In the end a tattoo is an choice of life. A study revealed that the most impulsive people tend to tattoo more. But, as the interviewees have told us, what hurts is not so much impulse, but the process of reverse. Be that as it may, decisions are free and there is always time to change. Sometimes, erasing a tattoo is not forgetting the past, but accepting that it is no longer part of the present.
Image | The Dame and Jayne Foo
WorldOfSoftware | The tattoos were always among us. And the European kings gave a Japanese dragon on their arm
