Tattoo removal can be painful and scarring, but a Canadian student is developing a cream that avoids that by using the body’s own cells to make the ink fade. An estimated one in five Canadians has a tattoo and they have become especially popular with young people in their 20s.
Tattoo removal often involves laser treatments that break down ink particles which are then absorbed into the body. But doctoral student Alec Falkenham and his team at Dalhousie University are working on a topical cream that activates white blood cells to remove the cells that contain the ink and carry them off to the lymphatic system.
No burns or scarring, say researchers
“When comparing it to laser-based tattoo removal, in which you see the burns, the scarring, the blisters, in this case, we’ve designed a drug that doesn’t really have much off-target effect,” said Falkenham.
“We’re not targeting any of the normal skin cells, so you won’t see a lot of inflammation. In fact, based on the process that we’re actually using, we don’t think there will be any inflammation at all and it would actually be anti-inflammatory.”
Testing pig’s ears
Falkenham is not sure how many applications of cream will be needed to completely fade a tattoo. He is currently testing it on tattoos in pigs’ ears. Initial testing has shown “great results” but more needs to be done before the cream becomes commercially available.
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