Differences Between TCA and Tattoo Removal Creams

Posted by Novelty Clinic on October 19th, 2022

1. Effectiveness
2. Trustworthiness of Manufacturer Claims
3. Cost

1. Effectiveness

* TCA has been proven effective in 2 medical studies and has a customer satisfaction rate of over 90%.

* Most removal creams are made primarily of skin pigment faders and inhibitors, one of which is known to be carcinogenic. The cream alone will usually fade the skin pigment above the tattoo, but not the tattoo itself.

Dermapen

2. Trustworthiness of Manufacturer Claims

* Most tattoo cream removal manufacturers make claims about the effectiveness of their product that have not been proven and cannot be proven or they would all have a medical study to use in their advertising literature. No such study exits.

* The cream manufacturers almost never offer simple, honest and straightforward guarantees of their product. One accepts returns only of unopened product in its original packaging. Another explains their return policy, but in the last sentence states that retail sales are not guaranteed. Guess what? They only sell retail. Another manufacturer does a good job of hiding their policy which is no money back, but they will send you more product free if you pay shipping and a substantial handling fee - for a limited time only and only if you follow their convoluted return policy instructions.

Profhilo

* The major TCA tattoo removal manufacturers have a standing 6 month money back guarantee. If the unused portion of the product is returned for any reason within 6 months of the original purchase price you will receive a refund.

* TCA is a cosmetic acid used every day to perform facial peels, remove or reduce acne scars and, of course, to remove tattoos.

What the Mayo Clinic says about tattoo removal creams
Tattoo removal creams are widely available online. But there's no evidence that they work. The tattoo will remain visible, and skin irritation and other reactions are possible. Remember, tattoos are meant to be permanent. Because the ink is placed beneath the top layer of skin, complete removal of a tattoo is difficult.

- Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.

One Manufacturer Admits Creams Do Not Work on Tattoos
Civant Skin Care, a manufacturer of a pigment fading product in England which is made of the same ingredients used in so called tattoo removal creams in the United States says in their own literature:

"Dermal pigmentation occurs underneath the skin where as epidermal is actually on the skin. In the case of dermal pigmentation, topical creams can not penetrate below the epidermis to alleviate the problem".

In other words topical tattoo removal creams can not penetrate through the first layer of skin (epidermis) to the the second layer (dermis) where all tattoos are located, that is what makes them permanent.

3. Cost

* TCA tattoo removal products cost approximately per ounce of 50% concentrate with one ounce capable of removing 8 - 10 square inches of ink in the second layer of skin.

tattoo removal

* Creams vary in price - from and up for a 1 month supply with no mention of the number of ounces you need to purchase for removal of even a small tattoo. The cream will begin to fade your skin pigment which at first deceives you into thinking it is the tattoo fading instead of the skin pigment above the tattoo. By the time the buyer realizes what is happening they have spent several hundred dollars.

4. Other Considerations

* TCA can cause hypopigmentation or a lightening of the skin pigment on the treated area. Also, it can result in some scarring if not used according to instructions. There is no reason to expect removing tattoo pigment will be without side effects. Even laser surgery, the "Gold Standard" of tattoo removal can cause hypopigmentation and scarring.

* Anything capable of removing a tattoo also includes the risk of side effects.

* Creams usually have no side effects because they do not have the ability to penetrate the skin deep enough by themselves to remove a tattoo. That is backed up by the lack of any medical study on the effectiveness of tattoo removal creams, if there was such a study everyone would know about it.