I have two very large tattoos that I do not want anymore. I have heard
all of the criticisms before about my predicament, so I do not need to
hear "I told you so" one more time. But the simple fact is that while
I was once young and cavalier and immature, I am a different person
now. I get extremely depressed looking at them and they have been
obstacles in my social and professional activities. I am stucj wearing
long sleeve shirts, and pants, and never enjoying the beach with
family or even a golf game. I would really like to know what my
options are when it comes to complete removal. Is surgical excision,
like a skin graft, an option for larger tattoos? How effective are the
laser treatments available now? Are there any experimental studies out
there involving tattoo removal in development?

One about 8 inches by 4 inches on my leg, mostly black ink and the
other covering most of my arm including my shoulder and scapula.

I would really like to know what is the most effective and quickest
way to eradicate this ink from my body. Cost is a concern, but I
understand it won't be inexpensive. Thank you.

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 16 Feb 2006 08:13 PST

Matteomba-ga,
I've looked around and saw that there are several effective
procedures. All of which carry big price tags. As of the moment, laser
removal seems to the most popular method. If you've heard of removal
creams, I've seen many reports on the Net that these are not
effective. Would you need help on looking for institutions to carry
out this tattoo removal method of your choice? Or would just
information on the procedures suffice?

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Clarification of Question by matteomba-ga on 17 Feb 2006 13:58 PST

What I am asking for is the most effective and efficient way to remove
the ink. I need help on looking for institutions to carry out this
tattoo removal method. The stuff about the creams and lasers is
obvious. I would also, of course, be interested in information about
any new and more effective lasers that might now be available or in
development that are much more effective than what is currently on the
market. Thanks.