Humans have been practicing the art of tattooing for thousands of years (check out the Iceman's 61 tattoos)  — and along with that, practicing the science of tattoo removal. One of the earliest known efforts to remove unwanted tattoos goes back to Ancient Egypt, where people used a paste made of salt and garlic as an abrasive to scrub the tattoo off of the skin. This process was painful and not always effective. Luckily, tattoo removal has come a long way since then, thanks to the advent of Q-switched lasers in the 1960s. Laser tattoo removal is the most effective method, and when performed by trained and certified laser technicians, it comes with a short recovery time and less pain than other methods.

Like the tattoo removal method in Ancient Egypt, Salabrasion is the process of removing the top layer of skin and rubbing it with salt. The idea is to physically scrub the ink off of the skin, but the result is often permanent scarring and pain.

Today, many tattoo removal creams can be found online and in stores, but none of these creams are FDA-approved. Unlike laser removal, tattoo removal creams have not been proven and demonstrated to work. While tattoo removal creams and ointments may still seem like a cheap and harmless thing to try, they have been shown to cause side-effects such as scarring and rashes, and are best left on the shelf.

The best and most effective method for tattoo removal is laser removal. Laser tattoo removal is one of few methods approved by the FDA and it offers shorter recovery time than other professional methods, like dermabrasion, which can leave redness for up to three months. Laser tattoo removal works by breaking up the ink pigments in the skin with a high-energy laser. Although the process takes time and multiple sessions, it produces effective results with less pain and redness.