There’s a new option on the scene: Tatt2Away’s non-laser tattoo removal. It’s less painful, cheaper than laser removal, and doesn’t leave any ink behind.

How does Tatt2Away remove tattoos without lasers?

Read moreExploring different styles of cover-up tattoos to transform existing ink

Tatt2Away’s patent-pending equipment uses a needle bundle and TEPRSOL® technology to un-tattoo inked skin. The needle bundle, attached to a TEPRSOL® pump, traces over a pattern of part of your tattoo, removing superficial sublayers of skin surrounding tattoo ink. This causes dry scabs called Eschars to form. As your skin heals, it pushes the Eschars up and out of the skin until they eventually fall off – about two to three weeks later. After about 12 weeks, the skin is healed and ready for another treatment.

The number of treatments necessary for total removal varies depending on the size and placement of your artwork. Most tattoos can be removed in three to five treatments.

Is Tatt2Away painful?

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The Tatt2Away method hurts about as much as getting tattooed does or event less since a small amount of anesthetic. In contrast, having a tattoo removed by a laser can feel like “having hot bacon grease dripped on your arm, or having a rubber band snapped repeatedly on your skin – from the moon. Because of this, combined with the cost and the number of treatments for results, many people never finish their laser treatment plan”, Tatt2Away notes on their site. This is important to consider when thinking about cost over time.

Cost, colors and tattoo cover-ups

At $100 to $250 a session, Tatt2Away sounds expensive compared to laser tattoo removal prices, which can cost less per session. However, laser usually requires more sessions, especially if you’re removing more than just black ink.

Tatt2Away works the same way regardless of ink color – it’s “colorblind” – which means that a multicolored tattoo is removed in the same number of sessions as a black one.

Why does laser tattoo removal require more treatments? Because different colors of tattoo ink respond to different laser wavelengths. When you consider that each unique color needs multiple sessions to be removed, it’s easy to see how removing tattoos with multiple colors can easily require tons of sessions – and there’s still no guarantee that colors like purple or green will ever disappear completely.

Non-laser removal makes cover-ups easier, too. Traditional methods restrict the artist – and the client – to the “bigger and darker” cover-up method we discussed before. Laser-free removal means that the old tattoo can be strategically removed and lightened so as to incorporate seamlessly into a new design, even a smaller or lighter one.

Where does the tattoo ink go? Comparing laser and non-laser tattoo removal styles

After a round of Tatt2Away treatments, tattoo ink is pushed up and out of the skin. After a round of laser treatments, it’s the opposite: Ink is broken into tiny particles and sent off into the body, to eventually be processed by the lymph nodes and liver.

Tatt2Away shares the possible health effects of this in a chilling excerpt from Bernadine Healy’s U.S. News article, “The Dangerous Art of the Tattoo”:

“Chemists from several laboratories, including the government’s National Center for Toxicological Research, have identified low levels of carcinogens in tattoo ink. But the laser removal process, which demolishes the pigment by scorching it with heat, triggers chemical reactions that generate carcinogenic and mutation-inducing breakdown products, which are then absorbed by the body. Recently, German scientists reported that concentrations of toxic molecules from red and yellow pigments increased up to 70-fold after laser irradiation. And the bigger the tattoo, the greater the toxic release.”
– Bernadine Healy, M.D. – The Dangerous Art of the Tattoo

“Carcinogenic” and “mutation-inducing” mean that laser removal has the potential to increase the risk of developing cancer. Scary? Yes.

Tatt2Away is more effective at removing tattoos than even the newest lasers. Less painful and often less expensive than traditional laser sessions, it delivers consistent results over fewer sessions than laser – and provides more options to those seeking cover-up pieces.

Tattoos are still permanent, sure – but today, you have a way to remove them that’s guaranteed to remove the ink completely.

We are stoked to partner with Tatt2Away as our premier tattoo removal service for Funhouse Tattoo, Funhouse Tattoo: International Guesthouse, and our newest shop Embellish PB in San Diego. If you have a tattoo you just can’t handle anymore but don’t want to submit your body and wallet to the painful and expensive laser tattoo removal treatment, let us know on our contact page and we can give you a free consultation on how it can work on your unwanted ink.

Sources:

Bernadine Healy, “The Dangerous Art of the Tattoo”: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2008/07/25/the-dangerous-art-of-the-tattoo. US News

Sarah Klein, “How to safely get a tattoo removed”: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/11/remove.tattoo.health/index.html. CNN Health

Tatt2Away: https://tatt2away.com/

Question: Every artist has went on a journey. Can you briefly walk us through yours and how you got to this point in time?

Answer: “I’ve always been into art. As a child, I remember drawing and painting a lot. I remember my uncles were very good painters and musicians, even my biological mother is an award-winning painter and a published author. My dad was a bit iffy about tattoos but always encouraged me to express myself through art nonetheless. As a teenager and into my early twenties I played a lot of guitar and hitchhiked around the country in hopes of finding a good spot to settle down. I knew I wanted to do do something creative as a profession but honestly was more focused on partying and traveling. Eventually, I started to take my drawing more seriously when it began to make me a bit of cash, I started doing more commissions and local art functions in an effort to advance to the next level. My artistic style was already closely based on tattooing, so the final eventual step to tattooing was a no-brainer.”

Question: How would you describe your artistic style?

Answer: “It’s difficult for me to classify my work into a category. I like meticulous detail. I find it therapeutic and meditative to hone in on the small things. I like oddities and, dark, eerie, creepy, and evil subject matter. I also love nature, animals, sacred geometry. When painting I prefer watercolor. For tattooing styles, I prefer Blackwork, geometric dotwork, traditional Americana. I like to think that all facets will eventually combine and form a unique tattooing style that people can seek me out for.”

Question: What do you think was the biggest inspiration for cultivating your unique style?

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Answer: “My biggest inspiration for my art would have to be other artists and their work. MC Escher is and has been my favorite artist since forever. He is The Godfather of everything I strive to be as an artist. He created one of the most revolutionary bodies of work ever produced by any artist. Salvador Dali, Chet Czar, Godmachine, Alex Grey, HR Giger and John Dyer Baizley are also on the list. Psychedelics are also a huge contributor for some of my more peculiar visions, they have played a continued role since my early years in producing new and organic ideas to build from.”

Question: Being a professional artist comes with a fair amount of challenges. How do you balance your career as a tattoo artist with all the other aspects of your life?

Answer: “Getting to the level where you can make a living with art is a journey in and of itself. It takes thick skin, persistence, hard work, and discipline to get to that level. If you are truly an artist you will understand that there is no “downtime”. Your gears are always turning. Your creative juices are always churning. Waves of creativity and periods of stagnation are normal. Sleep is a lost cause, friendships and romance are secondary to art. If you are a tattooer, that goes double for you. Having a job that you are passionate about is amazing, but finding a happy healthy balance is no easy task. As a professional tattoo artist, we must create a steady stream of quality art. Our clients depend on it. Even on an off day we are held to the same high standard. In order to achieve this consistently, it is imperative that we make time to relax and recharge. Take time to make sure you’re mentally and physically healthy. Life is a balancing act. I mean, being an artist is just one facet of it. At the end of the day you owe it to yourself and your clients to be the most relaxed happy healthy version of yourself as possible.”

Question: What is your biggest pet peeve?

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Answer: “Pet peeves, hahaha. In any industry you will have nightmare clients from time to time, tattooing is no different. If you are personally guilty of any of these, your tattooer will thank you to cease and desist said actions next time you go to get some ink. We love dogs just as much as the next person, there is no denying that! But there is this little thing called the health code and working with blood and open skin with a dog around doesn’t always go well together. It’s not that hard to understand that pet dander, slobber, etc. are a big no-no in our work environment.

Regurgitated Pinterest designs are always pretty funny too. I understand that wave designs and minimalist crap is popular….but we are artists, let us create something original once in awhile too!”

Question: Where is the best place that people can find your tattoo work online? 

Answer: “I have a bunch of stuff on my artist page on the Funhouse website that people can see all my newest work on. People can also check out my Instagram at @tristan_lewellyn_art. I always love collaborating with people on their designs too and enjoy talking all things art and creative so hit me up if you like my stuff.”