Friday, October 24, 2008

Tattoo Removal Goes Ultrasonic

So ... let's say you get a stupid tattoo -- or one which could potentially get you sued by the nose-less, baby-dangling King of Pop. Of course you can get tattoos removed these days, but it's something of an ordeal. Time was, it could also cause serious scarring, but technology just keeps getting better.

The latest news in tattoo removal involves ultrasonic measures. Getting tattooed is rather simple. The ink contains carbon particles, which are suspended in water. That water diffuses when the ink is introduced to your skin through the needle. The ink itself then spreads into the surrounding tissue. It is literally embedded in your skin, which makes removing it quite difficult.

These days, abrasion, surgical removal, and laser treatment are the most commonly used techniques. However, even as advanced as they are, infection is still a high risk, as is scarring. Recently, however, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh has come up with what he says is a completely non invasive technique for tattoo removal. Specifically, ultrasound is used to collapse the particles of pigment, thus removing a lot of the ink.