Why Is Salabrasion Risky?

The process of using a salt/saline treatment to remove tattoos can be a partially effective method, but it usually only results in lightening the tattoo. A complete tattoo removal result should not be expected.

The process involves puncturing the top layer of the skin and opening it up so that a salt paste can be applied or a saline solution can be ‘injected’ into the skin in a manner similar to tattooing. This causes the water in the cells under the pigment to rise and start blistering, forcing the ink in the dermal layer to come to the surface of the skin and form a scab. When the scab eventually heals and falls off, it takes some of the ink with it. After three or four procedures, the tattoo should begin to get lighter.

The first thing to keep in mind with this method is that it will never fully remove a tattoo. While it can make tattoo cover-ups more successful, it should never be viewed as an alternative to laser tattoo removal.

The second consideration is that opening up the skin and injecting a caustic solution is much more aggressive and invasive than lasers. This means there are higher chances for side effects, and healing can be prolonged.