Before lasers became popular for tattoo removal in the 1990s they were often removed using one or more sanding methods.

Dermabrasion was the more common method and involved manual abrasion (sanding of the skin) to remove the layers of skin on the tattooed area (epidermis) as well as the middle layers of skin. As you can imagine, this can be a painful process, especially with larger tattoos. Usually the majority of a tattoo could be removed using this method, but with some tattoos dermabrasion is not successful. This method has been known to cause scars.

The procedure makes use of either a fine-grit surgical sandpaper, caustic acids, a dremel-like sanding machine or an acrylic nail sander. The procedure is often performed under local anesthetic (such as lidocaine) or local & oral/IV sedation. Ice packs are often applied to the skin up to 30 minutes prior to the procedure.

Freezing spray is sometimes applied to harden the skin surface for deeper abrasions if the ice pack does not adequately firm the skin.

Once the procedure is complete the skin is treated with an ointment and various dressings. Following the procedure the skin is often red and swollen. The swelling normally subsides within 2 to 3 weeks. Patients usually experience some burning, aching or itching after the procedure as the new skin begins to grow. A crust usually forms over the treated area as the new tissue begins to heal. However, applying ointment to the area immediately following the procedure should help minimize crust formation. As your healing progresses, the crust will fall off revealing a new layer of tender pink skin. If the area remains itchy, red and swollen after the healing has begun this may indicate that abnormal scars are forming.

The skin’s pinkness often takes about 3 months to fade.

Main Problems with Dermabrasion

• Scarring – A raised or thickened scar may appear 3–6 months after removal.
• Pain – Usually significantly more painful than getting the tattoo.
• Skin discoloration- Because of damage at the site of the removal.
• Infection – Which can delay healing and increase your risk of scarring.

Salabrasion: This is now considered a very outdated method of manual abrasion where the target area is sanded with salt. It is considered one of the original resurfacing techniques. It is most often performed under local anesthetic. A local anesthetic is often injected around the edges of the design then the skin is rubbed aggressively with raw salt or a salt sanding block.

Complete removal of the tattoo cannot be guaranteed and the process can leave the patient with raw, red, or burned skin. Scarring can also occur using this method.

Please make sure to research your tattoo removal options before deciding on the best choice for your needs. There are many options to choose from including: tattoo removal cream, salabrasion, laser tattoo removal, chemical peel, among various others.In recent years the variety of methods to remove unwanted body art has increased dramatically and as such consumers need to evaluate tattoo removal cost to suite their goals and budget.