Now, tattoo can be removed cheaply

• Aparna New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) When Sonia Mehta got her boyfriend''s name inked on her right arm two-years ago, little did she know that the tattoo she wished to treasure lifelong will soon become a nightmare. She now wants to get rid of the tattoo desperately since her boyfriend dumped her in December last, but the high cost of the removal -- nearly Rs 50,000 to 80,000 -- is much beyond her pocket and Mehta (name changed) is forced to live with the unwanted body work.
• But what she missed out is that the help is at hand. A new laser treatment called ''Q-switched Nd-YAG laser'', which has been recently introduced at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) in Delhi charges only Rs 6,000 for tattoo removal.
• "We are the first in Delhi to use Q-switched laser treatment, which is cosmetically superior to older destructive modalities, and it costs just Rs 1,000 per sitting," Said Dr H K Kar, HoD Dermatology, RML Hospital. "As only six sittings are needed for complete treatment, the total cost of the tattoo removal is only Rs 6,000, which is a meagre amount as compared to that of other hospitals, especially the private ones, which charge nearly Rs 8,000 to 9,000 per sitting," Dr Kar said, adding they also take more sittings.
• With the growing trend of tattooing in the country where not only the youngsters but even older people are getting smitten by the amazing body art slowly, the tattoo removal business is also gaining momentum. "The simple fact is that people have changes of heart.
• Nowadays before getting a tattoo, the first thing youngsters ask is, will I be able to remove it, thus the techniques to remove these items are becoming more and more in demand," said Suhash Kothari, who runs a tattoo parlour in the city. To cash in on the situation, many hospitals are offering laser treatments claiming to have specialists for this purpose, but Kar cautions that laser tattoo removal is not without its risks.
• "Not all the treatments like skin peels, various creams, dermabrassion and even some types of laser techniques are so effective. Not only this, if it is done by inexperienced professionals, it can lead to scar and blister the skin," the laser specialist warns.
• He said, "Though the latest Q-switched Nd-YAG laser technique is very effective, it is not available everywhere.In the capital, for now, only RML has introduced this technique and other hospitals like AIIMS and Maulana Azad are still in the process of getting it".

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