Regret the tattoo you've made? Along with the development of the tattoo business, the number of people who regret tattoos on their bodies has increased drastically. There are currently new procedures for tattoo removal, and many of them are quite successful. Unfortunately, there are many options for removing tattoos at home that are increasingly being abandoned, many of which are either unsafe, or ineffective. Here's what you need to know about using salt in tattoos, along with information that may be helpful in removing your unwanted tattoos.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Knowing What to Avoid
Step 1. Be careful when rubbing salt into your tattoo
Whether your tattoo is new, or it's old and getting boring, using salt to remove a tattoo can be dangerous. Here's why:
- Your skin has two layers effectively, namely the dermis or the inside of the skin, and the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin. When you make a tattoo, the ink goes through the epidermis, or surface layer of the skin, and into the dermis. Rubbing salt into the epidermis is easy, but useless. Salt must be able to penetrate into the dermis layer; even if you manage to peel off the surface layer of your skin to reach the tattoo ink, chances are the results won't be great.
- Rubbing your tattoo with salt will cause a fairly severe rash on your skin. It may also cause darkening of the skin, wrinkles, and scarring. Be aware that performing this procedure at home can result in significant skin damage, and make your tattoo look worse.
Step 2. Know the origin of this myth
While there are dermatological procedures that use salt as a mild scrubber, there may be more obvious reasons why salt is thought to remove tattoos. When you get a tattoo, you are reminded not to immerse your tattoo in water, especially salt water. If you want a long lasting tattoo, don't soak your tattoo in salt water. So is it possible that a salt water bath can make your tattoo disappear? Maybe this is the reason.
In fact, soaking your tattoo in salt water will only cause the ink to spread, smudge, or possibly fade. This soak will not make your tattoo suddenly disappear. Chances are, your tattoo will look even worse after you soak it in salt water if it's freshly made. If your tattoo is a few weeks or longer, soaking it in salt water will most likely not have any effect
Step 3. Be aware that procedures using salt as a scrubbing agent do exist
Trying to rub salt (also known as salabrasion) on your own may not be the right move. As explained earlier, you are more likely to injure your skin and exacerbate the problem rather than fix it. However, there are professional procedures that use salabrasion, and some of them are quite promising.
- Based on data from a German study at the "National Institute of Health", salbrasion gives "acceptable to good results" in tattoo removal. In this study, wrinkles on the skin were present, but there were no scars.
- In one salabrasion procedure, a topical anesthetic is applied to the surface of the tattoo. A tattoo needle set containing a saline solution is used to effectively puncture the dermis, instead of feeding ink into it. Thus, this method is similar to a tattoo but actually removes it. Your skin will heal in 6 to 8 weeks after this procedure is done. Find out the experiences of people who have had it before trying this procedure.
Part 2 of 2: Considering Other Options
Step 1. Try removing the tattoo with a laser
Laser tattoo removal is the safest option for removing unwanted tattoos. The doctor or anesthesiologist will shoot a high-concentration beam at the tattoo ink, which can help destroy the ink and reduce its appearance dramatically.
Depending on the size of the tattoo, laser surgery costs from around IDR 1,400,000 to IDR 14,000,000, which makes it the most cost-effective tattoo removal procedure on the market
Step 2. Talk to your beautician about dermabrasion
This procedure is very similar to salabrasion which is done under the supervision of a trained professional practitioner to peel off layers of skin down to the tattoo ink.
This method is slightly more expensive than laser treatment, costing around Rp.14,000,000.00 to Rp.28,000,000
Step 3. Consider cryosurgery and chemical peels
With cryosurgery, the skin will be frozen and the tattoo ink burned with liquid nitrogen. While chemical peels will cause the skin to blister and peel, thereby removing some of the tattoo ink. Neither of these options is commonly used, as they are both expensive and painful. But if you're on the verge of giving up hope, both might be worth considering.
Step 4. Talk to your doctor or beautician about surgery
Surgery is the last option. With a scalpel, the doctor will remove the layer of skin affected by the tattoo, and sew old skin cells around it. A new sore will form, and it may be painful, even if you use a topical anesthetic.
Tips
- After each salt scrub, consider applying an antiseptic ointment to prevent infection and applying a sterile bandage over it.
- Don't be disappointed if the salt doesn't work on your tattoo at first. You have to be patient.
- Do not rub too vigorously, as this can cause pain and your skin to bleed.
Warning
- If you've ever heard of "The Salt Challenge" you know that rubbing salt on your skin will make your skin feel like it's burning! Do it very carefully!
- Removing a tattoo with salt can be dangerous and cause unwanted pain and injury.
- Do not rub salt on open wounds.
