TCA (trichloroacetic acid) is a non-prescription skin peeling agent used for dermatology conditions to remove wrinkles, acne scars and fine lines on the face. But just how well does it work for tattoo removal?

Like all tattoo removal choices available today there seems to be mixed results. There are many different solutions for tattoo removal today including: pulsed light, laser, fade creams, cryosurgery, salabrasion and skin peel with acids. All of these methods for tattoo removal claim to say they are the most effective.

It should not come as a shock, that results will vary with each person and their tattoos, because a mulltitude of factors come into play. How well a tattoo fadesare affected by the following: color and types of skin, how fast a person’s body heals, the age of the tattoo, what colors are in the tattoo, type of ink, depth of the ink, location of the tattoo on the body and more.

TCA as a tattoo removal method does have a couple of medical studies published in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery and the South African Medical Journal. In both of these studies positive results were observed. Each study reported similar results that TCA treatment for tattoo removal was found to be safe, simple and an effective tattoo removal agent with an 85% success rate at either removing or fading the tattoos on subjects that were tested.

When using TCA it creates a controlled inflammation on the surface of the skin. It is applied directly on the tattoo with a q-tip. The pigments from the ink break apart and seperate as the TCA works its way into the skin and rise to the top. As part of the healing process, the top layer of skin will peel away. The body will naturally re-grow the skin. The process is repeated as often as it takes to get the desired results. Depending on how fast a person heals—it usually is repeated at six week intervals.

It is advised to keep the area awayfrom the sun during the complete process. New skin is photo-sensitive, meaning it is more vulnerable to damage by the sun.

Surprisingly, TCA is said to work very well on all types of ink colors. Even the colors that do not work well with the laser treatment seem to fade with TCA.

One final thought, some people seeking the ultimate solution for tattoo removal will use the cream products or undergo the TCA skin peel process as a first choice to fade the tattoo, and then undergo laser treatment. That way the laser procedure, which seems to be the best overall solution, is not as expensive and time consuming.