You couldn't live without it at age 18. Now you're 28, the VP of a prestigious bank, engaged to be married next summer, and you've found the most incredible strapless wedding gown that shows off your flawless, tan shoulders and arms - and a glaring tattoo of barbed wire circling your upper left appendage. You're way past regret. What to do?

Here are four options for taking away your tattoo blues.

Make-up
Without question, make-up is the quickest, easiest and most painless way to eliminate your tattoo. This works best for those who don't have the time and/or money to permanently remove the tattoo and those who only want to "lose" the tattoo for their march down the aisle. An Internet search will identify several brands of tattoo cover make-up on the market. With some products, complete and natural-looking coverage is a multi-step process that requires primers, lotions and finishing powder. Be sure to choose the best color to match your skin tone.

Chemical Peel and Microdermabrasion
Though do-it-yourself chemical peel products are available, a dermatologist is the safer way to have your tattoo removed by chemical peel. Chemical peel progressively removes layers of skin and, eventually, the tattoo design. Microdermabrasion essentially "sands" the skin to remove the tattoo. This method can leave scars. Most tattoos are deep within the dermis, and in order for the tattoo to be removed, this skin and all the ink must be removed with it. Dermabrasion uses manual abrasion of the skin (with either fine grit surgical sandpaper or a tool) to remove the tattoo. Again, have a dermatologist perform this procedure.

Lasers and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Lasers produce short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin and break up the tattoo pigment. The laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system. The surrounding skin is not damaged. Depending on the extent of your tattoo, laser removal will take multiple sessions, is somewhat costly (in the thousands!) and involves mild discomfort. The number of treatments required depends on the size, color, location and age of the tattoo. Scarring, if any, is determined by the same factors. FYI - green and yellow inks are the most difficult to remove. Dark and red inks, along with purples and oranges resolve easier.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is relatively new and costly, too. A gel is applied to the skin and then a wand is used to emit pulses of light onto the skin area being treated. This method is said to be less painful than laser therapy, and more effective, resulting in less total treatment sessions.

Excision
As you've already guessed, this method requires a topical anesthetic and literally cuts the tattoo out of your skin and the wound sutured. Excision is best suited to smaller tattoos. It will leave a small scar, and it's generally inexpensive in comparison to some of the other options. Bye-bye, butterfly.

No doubt, cover-up make-up is looking pretty good to you right now...

About the Author: Susan Hawkins is a writer for My Wedding Favors at http://www.myweddingfavors.com. Visit their website for wedding gift ideas, wedding shower favors, bridesmaid gifts, more great articles and much more.

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