Think Tangential Excision of Tattoos.

BACKGROUND. There are many techniques used to remove professional tattoos. Each method can be complicated by hypertrophic scarring, pigmentary changes, and/or insufficient pigment removal. OBJECTIVE. To study the results of precise, thin, tangential excisions of professional tattoos. The posttreatment migration of dermal tattoo pigment was also evaluated. METHODS. Five healthy white males had their professionally placed tattoos excised at a depth of 0.008 in (0.2 mm) using a Brown dermatome. Pre- and posttreatment biopsies were used to measure the depth of the tattoo pigment. RESULTS. At 3 months posttreatment, four patients had no significant scarring and three patients retained only scattered flecks of tattoo pigment. Each patient demonstrated migration of the deeper denim! pigment to a more superficial level. CONCLUSION. A superficial, tangential excision of a professional tattoo by a Brown dermatome is a viable, low-risk, inexpensive procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]