Pictured: Wendy Hartwig, Nurse Prescriber at The Skin Clinic based at The Dental Spa

It is estimated that fifty per cent of people who get tattoos regret having them at some later stage. Concerns about competition for job interviews in the current climate is cited as the main reason, followed by the removal of a name or the wish for it not to show through a Brides' wedding dress as a close second. 

As a result of such regrets more people are now looking at tattoo removal, but a Shropshire skin clinic which launched a tattoo removal service last year has warned against people using home removal treatments that contain potentially dangerous chemicals.

"The safest and most successful way to remove a tattoo is by laser," explains Wendy Hartwig, Nurse Prescriber at The Skin Clinic based at The Dental Spa on Shrewsbury's Oxon Business Park. 

"Lasers work by producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin enabling them to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed naturally by the body's immune system. 

"The key is in the selective targeting which enables the laser to break up the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin. In the old days people tried to remove permanent tattoo inks by literally peeling off the skin using salt. Now, thanks to the advent of lasers and specialist training, the days of such painful procedures are fortunately over. 

"There are, however, a number of potentially dangerous tattoo removal 'soaps' on the market which contain strong chemicals. We would recommend that people steer clear of such home treatments and consult an experienced, skilled professional if they have a tattoo they wish to get rid of."