Ancient Tattoo Removal Practices

1. Ancient Tattoo Removal Practices Laser tattoo removal is a fairly new technology that enormously improved the dangers that used to be associated with getting a tattoo removed. The process nowadays is not only much safer but also a lot less painful as it doesn’t result in unpleasant infections or scarring. So, how did people remove unwanted tattoos before laser technology was invented? Tattoos are, after all, more than 6000 years old. They date back to Ancient Egypt where permanent ink was used in religious rituals and to highlight social statuses and hierarchies. People back then removed tattoos by simply shaving off layers of inked skin until the tattoo couldn’t be seen anymore. Even thousands of years after the Ancient Egyptians, before the q-switched laser was invented, there were a few absolutely terrifying tattoo removal options available. Surgical Excision This is a procedure where a scalpel is used to cut out the area of the skin where the tattoo is located. After the tattoo is cut out, the wound is then stitched up and left to heal. This method was quite effective for very small tattoos but it always leaves scars and often, patients were not made aware of this before the procedure. Dermabrasion Dermabrasion was a very painful way of getting rid of a tattoo – it involves removing layer after layer of the skin of the tattooed area. This was done by using a diamond fraise which is spinning very fast. Sometimes, a wire brush was used too. Salabration Another very similar old tattoo removal practice is called salabration. Common table salt was applied to the tattooed skin area and then a slightly wet gauze pad covered the salt and skin for 24 hours. After this time, the top layer of the tattooed skin was softened and could be scraped off. Both dermabrasion and salabration can lead to very unwelcome side effects such as swelling of the affected area, redness, bleeding, and a change of skin colour, scarring and infection. The tattoo removal industry has come a long way since these very painful and dangerous ancient tattoo removal practices. Laser tattoo removal is, compared to these procedures, a very safe and secure way of removing any unwanted tattoos.