Looking Professional: Eco-Friendly Tattoo Removal
July 12, 2008 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Business
Sure, that tattoo of your ex’s name in a heart of skull drinking a beer seemed like a good idea at the time…but when it comes to the professional world, tattoos we’ve gotten when were were teenagers or in college aren’t so great.
Hopefully, you were smart enough to go with a design that can be easily covered, but for some people there really is only one choice – tattoo removal.
Ouch. Removing your tattoos, from what I’ve heard, is a LOT more painful then getting them in the first place, and it is definitely harder on the wallet.
Another huge problem with tattoo removal? It isn’t very eco-friendly. In order to help patients avoid skin problems and scarring, tetrafluoroethane is used. This chemical has a super high global warming potential, but without it, tattoo removal just isn’t as effective or safe.
That’s changing. Researchers are now studying carbon dioxide as an alternative. Just to give you a comparison, tetrafluoroethane has a global warming potential of 1200, while CO2 has a global warming potential of 1.
You can read more about this story at About My Planet, but if you’re here reading this article before you get inked, please take my advice – make sure you can cover up your tatty when you need to do so to look professional.
Picture via sxc.hu.
