What can I do if my tattoo isn't completely faded?

"Dorian, I went to a removal clinic and after several months of treatment, my tattoo isn't gone! They said there is nothing more they can do to fade it!"

This is probably the most common issue with laser removals. You have a level of fade that leaves the tattoo less visible than before you started but still oddly visible, like a ghost tattoo that someone can still see if they look right at it. 

Not a fun place to be.

The good news for you guys who haven't gone through this is that your tattoo is lower risk if it's solid colored. Complicated multicolored tattoos are more difficult to fade because different inks respond in different ways to the ink removal lasers. There's a tendency for part of the tattoo to be more visible than other parts, another reason I recommend doing a cover up as first option (more than just a bit).

High complexity, lower fade

The most difficult tattoos for the lasers are multicolored tattoos that are also highly complex in nature. I'm talking about intricate patterns like sweeping back designs with full on backgrounds and character details down to the hairs and facial gestures. Oh boy, those ones will likely not fade completely. 

The more detail, the more ink used. And if some of the tattoo is flesh colored, red, tan, or white, you can be sure that you're looking at a partial removal from the lasers at best.

Natural removal tends to fade more evenly
 
As natural removal methods exfoliate the skin, bringing the ink to the top, they are less discriminatory in that sense. The amount of ink used and the different types of color/pigment are less of a factor. A lot of my clients are rather surprised after paying a couple thousand dollars to a laser tattoo removal clinic, and then trying a basic exfoliation process and the rest of the tattoo goes away on its own!

Of course you don't need to wait until a laser removal returns a subpar result. Check out my laserless removal guide if you haven't already for lower cost, at home .

You know why you haven't seen these techniques on TV? Because they're not good moneymakers. They're low-cost and don't require a doctor. Thankfully, ink under the skin isn't a terribly difficult problem to solve, especially with the right ingredients and removal process.

Tattoo removal methods

You should thank your local grocery store – it literally built you into the person you are.

Think about it: most of the cells of your body are replaced in days, months, or a few years. And what are they replaced with? 

Food. Food you buy from your local grocery store. The food literally turns into you.

I bring this interesting thought up to help you understand just how powerful foodborne chemicals can be in altering your body. And yes, that includes removal of skin tattoo ink. 

In fact not only is there a way to do so at your grocery store, there are several different ways, using different ingredients to do the same job. Here are just a few of those methods

Salabrasion

The salabrasion technique uses a mixture of water and granular salts, along with light sanding, to literally wipe the tattoo away using micro-friction. 

Remember that salts are microscopic crystals, a fact obvious to tiny insects, but forgotten by large human beings. They have the same effect when applied to the skin in the correct way. No tool is right for everyone but the Salabrasion technique is one of the first I turn to when a tattoo removal client wishes to do a full removal in less than a month.

Aloe vera and yogurt

What if I told you that you could remove a tattoo and actually nourish the skin around it at the same time? You'd probably think I was trying to pull a fast one. 

But applying aloe vera and yogurt in a specific formula, 3 to 4 times a day, has been shown to naturally exfoliate tattoos. This alongside providing vitamin E and other skin healthy nutrients directly to the skin. The aloe vera method is great for women and anyone with sensitive skin.

The sand powder method

Now we're getting a bit rougher. Sand powder is irritating to the skin, so I don't recommend this method to clients who have young or gentle skin. But for those willing to deal with the mild irritation for several weeks, this is one of the most effective and expedient natural removal methods there is. 

Like the other methods discussed, sand powder is applied directly to the skin surface after a careful antibacterial wash and drying. The best way to apply the sand powder is using a soft wash cloth or towel soaked in warm water. Sponges also work for this. 

The sand powder will act as a deep exfoliating agent, speeding up the skin cell rejuvenation process and pulling the deep layers of the skin, along with the ink and bedded, to the surface where it is then simply wiped away.

All of these methods come with their pros and cons. The Laserless Tattoo Removal Guide gives you the full details along with advice on what to do and what not to do for your specific situation and goals.