Fading tattoos. Would it hurt if I ran glycolic acid pads over them?

Question

Just a thought..for tattoo removal/fading. I use glycolic acid pads as apart of my nighttime facial routine. Would it hurt if I ran them over my tattoos?

Sheila S. Nazarian, MD · Answer

Tattoo ink is deep within the skin. It's one of the reasons why they're hard to remove. Glycolic acid works on the skin surface and will not affect or fade your tattoo. If you want your tattoo removed, you will need to do laser tattoo removal. I am a huge fan of the PicoSure laser for this as it's 3x faster than any other laser currently on the market. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

Jared Mallalieu, DO · Answer

This will not hurt a tattoo. Tattoo ink is deep in the skin and his type of exfoliation does not penetrate deeply enough to damage the tattoo. Be well, Dr. M

Lee P. Laris, DO · Answer

Lighter strength chemical peeling like Glycolic acid won't do much to fade a tattoo because the ink is typically in the deeper layer of skin. The exfoliation that occurs with Glycolic which helps to empty clogged pores and dry up excess oil would never reach the ink, but it won't hurt you to swipe over the tattoo if you'd like to.  Deeper peeling agents would damage your skin if applied in a strength needed to reach the deep ink and leave you scarred.

Sejal Shah, MD · Answer

The glycolic pads are unlikely to hurt the tattoo, unless you get some skin irritation (unrelated to the tattoo) but they will not fade the tattoo.  The tattoo ink is in the deeper layers of skin and will require laser treatments to remove.  I recommend the Enlighten Laser.Good Luck!Dr. Shah

Fading tattoos. Would it hurt if I ran glycolic acid pads over them?

Answers (4)

Answer: Glycolic Pads to Fade Tattoo

Answer: Glycolic Pads to Fade Tattoo

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Fading tattoos. Would it hurt if I ran glycolic acid pads over them?

Answers (4)

Answer: Glycolic Pads to Fade Tattoo

Answer: Glycolic Pads to Fade Tattoo

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Tattoo Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.