Factors like sun exposure, skin elasticity, friction, improper aftercare, smoking, and tanning can accelerate tattoo fading. Natural methods like exfoliation and using lightening agents may help fade tattoos, but professional laser removal is the most reliable and safest option.
Hydrogen peroxide
It is designed to work as a disinfectant but is moderately effective at fading superficial layers of ink. On its own, hydrogen peroxide is not potent enough to penetrate the second layer of skin. As a result, fresh tattoos or deeply embedded tattoos won't be phased by it.
Treating the tattoo with a fractional ablative laser, prior to treatment with the tattoo laser can also speed put the treatment process. The R-20 method, two treatments on the same day separated by 20 minutes, has also been shown to accelerate the laser tattoo removal process.
Regular exfoliation with a salt or sugar scrub can help fade your tattoo. Try to exfoliate for 5-10 minutes per session and avoid being too rough with your skin. Applying lemon or lime juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide can lighten skin if you apply it directly, especially if you do it right after exfoliating.
Overall, the best way to lighten a tattoo is by using a white base layer and applying a lighter color layer. However, you may also do it by applying darker colors and a white layer.
Salabrasion is the method of removing a tattoo by rubbing salt and water on a tattoo. This method removes the top layers of skin to rub out the ink in a tattoo. This treatment is done multiple times until the ink in a tattoo is gone or can no longer be reached.
Laser removal is the most effective way to remove a tattoo, but there are also other methods that can help, including surgical removal, dermabrasion, and chemical peels.
Why Vaseline and petroleum-based jelly aren't great for a new tattoo. Petroleum-based products can cause ink to fade and may trap moisture and bacteria on top of the tattoo, increasing your risk of developing an infection. Use water-based moisturizers on new tattoos instead.
A massage can greatly speed up tattoo removal. A lymphatic massage helps to make the system in your body that is responsible for clearing out unwanted tattoo ink stronger and more effective.
UV Exposure
UV rays cause damage to the skin that also extends to permanent ink. Sun exposure will cause all tattoo ink colors to fade. The best way to avoid UV tattoo fading is to cover tattoos when in the sun. If this is not possible, apply a high-SPF sunscreen.
Natural ingredients such as lemon juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide are known for their mild bleaching properties, which can be employed to fade tattoo ink gradually.
At-home and DIY tattoo removal methods like hydrogen peroxide should be left to urban myth and tall tales, and never attempted. They are ineffective and worse, could lead to skin damage.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Exfoliation - Exfoliation paired with hydrogen peroxide can do wonders to gradually fade tattoo ink naturally. This is because exfoliation removes dead skin while hydrogen peroxide is a skin lightening agent that has bleaching properties.
There are rumors that Aquaphor makes tattoos fade, but from our experiences and many others, this just isn't true. If a tattoo is done correctly and the ink is where it needs to be, ointment should only help your tattoo heal correctly.
The AAD also advises that using the wrong type of moisturizer can actually harm your tattoo. Avoid using petroleum jelly and other petroleum-based products to hydrate your tattoo, as these can cause ink fading. Instead, opt for a water-based moisturizing cream or lotion to keep your tattoo hydrated.
It is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to this often asked question, but broadly speaking, yes a tattoo can be 100% removed so long as your immune system is working effectively and you follow our sun-safe aftercare guidelines.
Dermabrasion, chemical peels and surgical excision focus on removing skin or layers of skin that have permanent tattoo ink particles. This allows your skin to heal around where a tattoo used to be to make it look like the tattoo was never there in the first place. This usually causes scarring.
For instance, Vaseline on a tattoo can draw the ink from the lower layers of the skin before it has set. This can lead the tattoo to look faded, patchy, or distorted. It may even lead to an increased risk of scarring.
How to lighten a tattoo effectively? Laser removal is by far the best way to fade a tattoo. This is the quickest, safest, and most efficient removal process, says Cooper Ferreira, a Removery technician and experienced RN. “This is a process that utilizes your immune system to remove ink in a safe way,” he emphasizes.