At one stage it seemed like every other person was inking themselves or planning on it! 

For some people getting a tattoo seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe they did it for love, or maybe they did it because all their friends were getting one and they thought it would look good.

But what happens when they fall out of love with their tattoo(s)?

Gloss caught up with Michelle O'Byrne, Principal Technician and Trainer at Wake Up With Makeup for a chat about tattoo removal and an amazing technique now being used.

Tattoos can have a deep and lasting effect on you – and not just on your skin. They can remind you of a part of your life you would rather leave behind, or the tattoo can simply be bad – no one wants to be decorated with a misspelled tattoo for the rest of their lives.

“I see all kinds of people coming in to my therapy room who, for one reason or another, want to get rid of that tattoo, and they just can’t find the right way to do it”, says Michelle.

“As a professional in the beauty industry it’s interesting to note that in a 2009 survey, UMR Research found that one in five New Zealanders have been tattooed.”

Tattoo dye is an inert, inorganic material, usually made of iron or chromium oxides. Once the tattoo has been applied, no amount of solvents or regular abrasion will get rid of it.

“Once, if you wanted to get rid of a tattoo you had to have it removed through surgery or dermabrasion. But in the last few years, laser has become the most popular form of tattoo removal. The laser breaks up the particles of the tattoo pigment into smaller particles, which are then absorbed into your skin,” said Michelle.

But a laser can only do so much and there are a number of downsides to the procedure.

Lasers can effectively remove black and blue pigments, but yellows, greens and fluorescent inks are extremely difficult to remove, because the laser cannot emit enough energy within the absorption spectrum of the pigment.

It takes multiple laser sessions to get rid of a tattoo, and you have to wait at least six weeks between each session, so it can end up being very expensive and time-consuming.  The lasers can also cause scarring and the de-pigmentation of your skin.

A 2003 European Commission report found that lasers can change the chemical properties of the tattoo pigment, which lead to problems with your immune system, allergic skin reactions and carcinogenesis.

In the early 1990s, San Francisco bio chemist Dr. Wade Cheng recognised that there was a need to create a better way to remove tattoos.

He teamed up with Stanford University professor and toxicologist Dr. Arthur Furst and Scandinavian skincare expert Marie Evertson to create the Rejuvi Laboratory and its tattoo removal technique.

“Rejuvi tattoo removal works by using a specially designed inorganic chemical remover. A tattoo or permanent makeup artist applies the remover using the same method as used in applying the original tattoo. It draws the tattoo pigment out of the skin, and removes the unwanted tattoo,” said Michelle.

Unlike laser techniques, Rejuvi works on all tattoo colour pigments. The inorganic oxides present in the formula have a strong affinity or attraction with the tattoo pigments. They bond together, and your skin rejects the combination and pushes it to the surface.

The simplicity of the procedure means that it’s much less likely to cause scarring than traditional laser.

It takes three to seven treatments from a qualified tattoo or permanent makeup artist familiar with the technique to get rid of your unwanted tattoo, and only once for permanent makeup. That also makes this form of tattoo removal a much cheaper option.

“A lot of New Zealanders have been waiting for a long time for a non-laser, non-dangerous way of getting rid of their unwanted tattoos. And thanks to modern technology, you can be in a position to help them as a beauty professional.”

If you’d like to find out more information visit www.wakeupwithmakeup.co.nz

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