There are three main types of tattoos:

Decorative Tattoos
Decorative tattoos have been around for at least 5000 years and have been used to indicate status, group membership, serve as a rite of passage or display art that an individual enjoys.

As the popularity of tattoos grow, so does the number of people looking to have their tattoos removed. Career concerns, bad artwork or art placement, changing lifestyle or personal taste are some of the reasons why people decide to remove their tattoos.

Cosmetic Tattoos
Known as permanent cosmetics, such as permanent eyeliner or lipstick.

Traumatic Tattoos
Usually the result of a trauma that embeds a foreign substance, such as dirt, in the skin.

There are many factors that determine the outcome of tattoo removal. These include:

• Patient's age
• Skin type
• Type of tattoo
• Age of the tattoo
• Color of the tattoo
• Size and depth of the tattoo
• Whether the tattoo was performed by a professional or an amateur
• Laser removal of tattoos breaks up the color without damaging normal skin. The body then removes the pieces of pigment without leaving a scar, as previous tattoo removal methods did. Multiple treatments may be necessary.