Why do people sometimes prefer TCA tattoo removal products over tattoo fade creams?

One reason is if you visit many of the tattoo removal cream websites some will list their ingredients while other will not. Their ingredients lists will often include chemicals such as soothing agents different types of oils, preservatives (parabens), fragrances, and in some cases you’ll find abrasives and finally a skin bleaching agent or fading product.

Here’s a list of the most common skin fading/bleaching ingredients used in theses tattoo removal products – along with some of their most common side effects:

Hydroquinone – Is an organic compound which is a type of phenol. In human medicine it has been a common topical application to lighten skin. There is some testing evidence, although currently considered inadequate by some, that for human use it does have potential for carcinogenicity. It has been banned for cosmetic use in all of the EU (European) nations, 21 countries in all. It has also been banned in Australia and some other Asian nations. It is still available in reduced strengths for over-the-counter purchase in Cansa and the United States.

Kojic Acid – Is an produced by a few different species of fungii and is a by-product of the fermenting of malting rice used to make sake – a popular rice wine in Japan. It is considered an inhibitor of pigments in skin, and is commonly used in cosmetics and various foods often to preserve color. It is often used to prevent oxidation (rusting) that happens on many cut fruits and vegetables. It is also used on seafood to preserve its fresh red appearance. For tattoo removal and cosmetics it is used to lighten skin. It’s also used as an antibacterial and antifungal ingredient. It is often used as a substitute for hydroquinone but has been known to irritate skin and there is growing evidence that it may be have carcinogen potential.

Alpha-Arbutin – Is an alternative to the above two products and is generally less expensive. It is known to act quickly to lighten skin. Alpha-Arbutin inhibits your body’s production of tyrosinase. This is an enzyme in the epidermal (top) layers of skin that produce the melanin which darkens your skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays.

Arbutin – A crystalline glucoside found in the leaves of a wide variety of plants – sometime referred to as Bearberry Extract. It is considered less effective than Alpha Arbutin alone. Arbutin and Beta Arbutin are very cheap ingredients to manufacture and use in tattoo removal creams, they have been known to cause skin irritation in some people. It is now a very common agent found in numerous cosmetics.

Parabens – A class of chemicals used widely as preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceuticals. They are considered effective preservatives and can be found in many shampoos, moisturizers, shaving products, topical pharmaceuticals and even toothpaste. They are also widely used as food preservatives. They are, however, becoming more and more controversial and some organizations object to their everyday use. Some of the more common ones you can find in tattoo removal products include: butylparaben, propyl-paraben and methyl/ethyl-parabens. The main concerns regarding these ingredients is that, once again, it is believed they may have carcinogenic potential.

Mercury - also called quicksilver (meaning watery silver). It is commonly used in cosmetics and can also be found in some tattoo removal cream products but not in TCA tattoo removal products. It is the only heavy metal that remains a liquid at room temperature. It occurs mostly in deposits of cinnabar or (mercuric sulfide). This is a common source of the red pigment vermillion. Cinnabar is also a common ingredient in red tattoo ink. It has been considered highly toxic by ingestion (swallowing) or inhalation of its dust particles, mercury poisoning can occur from exposure to its soluble forms (mercuric chloride or methylmercury). Also, inhalation of a mercury vapor, or eating fish that is contaminated with mercury can cause mercury poisoning. Just check out youtube for more on its poisoning potential. Since the FDA does not certify cosmetics products (which include tattoo removal creams) this element is still in wide use, this could change someday soon.

Many fading products such as tat b gone and wrecking balm are criticized as not being able to penetrate deeply enough into the skin layers to get at the ink. These removal products need to get into the second layer – the dermis – this is where the ink resides. Lighteners may lighten the natural melanin in your epidermis providing the appearance of a lighter tattoo but is the product really acting on the pigments at the deeper layers?

Exfoliation or fragmentation are two of the keys here. Somehow the ink has to be destroyed and fragmented as is the case with laser tattoo removal or IPL tattoo removal. Or, the second technique involves bringing the ink to the skin surface, this is where tca removal products come in. The chemical agents in TCA peel products cause a slow peeling action on the skin and they have been shown to penetrate the deeper skin layers. Over time they are known to bring the ink to the surface. You can use them too often though and the healing time between peels is crucial, several weeks of healing is usually needed before doing another peel.

Be sure to follow the instructions in the tca removal kit.

See tattoo removal before and after photos of various removal methods.

Also read about controversial fading cream ingredients that are not in TCA peel products.