Last Updated on September 13, 2022 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A video on social media shows a woman removing a tattoo using candle wax, nail polish remover, aspirin, foam and another incomprehensible product. We fact checked and found the claim is False. Temporary tattoos can be removed using soap, alcohol or oil-based products. But permanent tattoos are removed using laser surgery, surgical removal and dermabrasion.
The Claim
A video on Facebook shows a woman removing a tattoo on another woman’s leg by putting candle wax, an incomprehensible product in black bottle, nail polish remover, foam and aspirin. As the concoction of all these things freezes, the woman scrapes it with a knife to remove the tattoo. A screenshot of the post is given below:
Fact Check
Is the video authentic?
It does not seem so. In the video, the tattoo looks superficial on the skin as if made by using a marker pen. We also found #parody in the video’s title that raises the question of whether the video has been made out of mockery. It was further supported by the fact that the claimant is an arts & entertainment page.
There is a reason why this video looks fake. As explained by our expert Dermatologist Dr Jyothi Kannangath, “Products like candle wax, aspirin or foam cannot remove permanent tattoos because the ink is placed deeply into the dermal layer of the skin. Our immune system cannot remove larger ink particles, which is why the tattoo becomes permanent. Hence, rubbing with wax, foam or any other products (as usually shown in YouTube videos) is of no use when it comes to tattoo removal.”
Can you remove a tattoo at home?
In a certain scenario only. If the tattoo is temporary then it can be removed at home. Temporary tattoos sit on the top of the skin, while some may sink into the skin a little bit. Either way, they do not last more than a week or two and are often removed using soap, alcohol or oil-based products.
Dr Kannangath informs, “Most of the temporary tattoos will disappear quickly. But at times when the tattoo is tough to remove, you can use oil, alcohol, sanitiser or exfoliating agents like brown sugar and nail polish remover.”
However, if the tattoo is permanent, you need laser surgery, surgical removal and dermabrasion to get rid of the pigment. Permanent tattoos are made by penetrating ink into the skin through a needle where the ink rests there for the rest of your life. In context with permanent tattoos, Dr Kannangath further explains, “Laser tattoo removal is the most effective and safest way. Dermatologists employ Q-switched lasers for this purpose, where the most common laser is Q switched Nd-YAG laser. The laser energy breaks the ink particles which are carried away by our body’s scavenging cells. Multiple sessions are required to clear the tattoos. But not all the colours will respond equally well. The latest machine for tattoo removal is called the Pico laser, which works better than the Q-switched lasers.”
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