However, the difficulty is there isn't one single laser that can remove all the different colors in a tattoo. Since the laser equipment is quite costly, many dermatologists will lease the equipment and only schedule patients according to equipment availability. While the laser method is a great improvement over earlier procedures, results still are not always perfect, said the doctor. Darkening or lightening of the skin may occur and a patient shouldn't expect immediate results. Scarring is also a possibility.
Costs can range into the thousands of dollars for large tattoos.
The same risk possibilities apply to piercing and scarification as for tattooing since the skin is broken. And there are additional dangers, particularly in vascular areas such as the tongue and genitals. With piercing, people need to be aware of the anatomy. People can be allergic to the metals in jewelry, he added. Just as someone can develop oozing allergic reactions in earlobes, there is the potential for the same reaction to occur in other pierced body parts.