insideKENT Magazine Issue 67 - October 2017 | Page 112

FASHION+BEAUTY
FIX IT OR FADE IT?
Laser removal versus cover up – how to choose?
A RECENT POLL SUGGESTS THAT AS MANY AS ONE IN FIVE ADULTS HAS A TATTOO, AND
AROUND 25 PER CENT OF THEM HAVE REGRETS ABOUT THEIR INK. TRADITIONALLY, NO
MATTER HOW LITTLE THOUGHT WE GAVE IT, THE ONE THING WE ALL KNEW ABOUT
TATTOOS WAS THAT THEY’RE PERMANENT. HOWEVER, WITH THE LATEST ADVANCES IN
LASER TECHNOLOGY, THE POSSIBILITY OF TOTAL REMOVAL OF UNWANTED TATTOOS HAS
REALLY HIT THE MAINSTREAM AND GIVEN REGRETTERS A CHOICE THEY NEVER THOUGHT
THEY’D GET. SO, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREATMENT FOR YOU?
First of all, take pain out of the equation. If
you’ve got a tattoo, let’s assume you are ok
with some pain if the end result is going to be
worth it. You might expect the next decision
to be money, but the most important thing is
actually to know what you want – you’ve
made one mistake already, so you don’t want
to get this wrong again.
If you want bare skin with no trace of a tattoo
then laser removal is the only way to go.
However, you will need to commit to this long
term and plan for it. If you want to hit the
beach with confidence next summer, you
need to book those laser treatments now. Every
tattoo is different, and if yours meets optimum
conditions, it may fade to nothing in just three
to six sessions, but if your design contains
blue pigments, it may take significantly longer.
Getting a cover-up tattoo is your ‘quick fix’
option, therefore, meaning there are now two
routes for you to choose from. If you like the
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original tattoo design, but are a little
disappointed at how it’s ended up, just give it
a makeover – add a little colour; straighten up
some lines. All you need to do is find an artist
willing to work with somebody else’s art. But
if you can’t stand that tatt, you will need a
cover up. A good tattoo artist will be able to
recommend the right design, but be prepared
to compromise. You cannot cover a black skull
with pink flowers, but you can probably cover
pink flowers with a black skull.
Don’t want a black skull? Then we’re talking a
hybrid treatment plan. Many tattoo artists are
likely to recommend that you undertake a
course of laser removal to achieve the best
results for any cover-up tattoo, especially if
your original is very dark. And