The new ways to remove tattoos are also the most effective, the least painful and the least likely to cause scarring. Dermabrasion, cryosurgery, cutting out that portion of the skin and scrubbing the area with salt are some of the options that were used in the past.

Removing tattoos today usually involves the use of a Q-switched laser. Of these the Hoya Medlite C6 is considered to be the gold standard for this procedure.

Using laser to remove tattoos was originally demonstrated in 1961, but it took two decades before they became widely available. Price was still a big factor though, and it took a few more years before they were affordable enough to be widely used by tattoo removal specialists.