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November 22, 2009
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 Tattoo Removal Main Article |  Glossary |  Tattoo Removal Index 

Tattoo Removal Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Tattoo Removal article.

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2. To react with radiation and reduce it in intensity, as with a dose of radiation or transmitted light.
See also: Absorbed dose; Absorption; Malabsorption; Reabsorption.

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness. A general anesthetic puts the person to sleep. A local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a part of the body such as a tooth or an area of skin without affecting consciousness. Regional anesthesia numbs a larger part of the body such as a leg or arm, also without affecting consciousness. The term "conduction anesthesia" encompasses both local and regional anesthetic techniques. Many surgical procedures can be done with conduction anesthesia without significant pain. In many situations, such as a C-section, conduction anesthesia is safer and therefore preferable to general anesthesia. However, there are also many types of surgery in which general anesthesia is clearly appropriate.

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. Originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another. Synthetic antibiotics, usually chemically related to natural antibiotics, have since been produced that accomplish comparable tasks.
See the entire definition of Antibiotic

Cream: A word with many meanings that, in medicine and pharmacy, refers to a water-soluble preparation applied to the skin. An ointment differs from a cream in that it has an oil base.

Dermabrasion : Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that involves the controlled abrasion (wearing away) of the upper layers of the skin with sandpaper or other mechanical means.
See the entire definition of Dermabrasion

Dermatologist: A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems.

Excision: 1. Surgical removal, as in the excision of a tumor . 2. The removal as if by surgery, as in base excision repair .
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Eye: The organ of sight. The eye has a number of components. These components include but are not limited to the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, macula, optic nerve, choroid and vitreous.
See the entire definition of Eye

Family: 1. A group of individuals related by blood or marriage or by a feeling of closeness. 2. A biological classification of related plants or animals that is a division below the order and above the genus. 3. A group of genes related in structure and in function that descended from an ancestral gene. 4. A group of gene products similarly related in structure and function and of shared genetic descent. 5. Parents and their children. The most fundamental social group in humans.

Family physician: A physician who is educated and trained in family practice .
See the entire definition of Family physician

Hyperpigmentation: Dark spots on the skin. Hyperpigmentation is primarily a cosmetic concern that can be covered with make-up, although in some cases (such as the café au lait spots associated with neurofibromatosis) it can be a sign of an underlying medical problem. If treatment of hyperpigmentation is desired, a dermatologist may be able to use dermabrasion, laser treatments, or bleaching agents to effect change.

Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person.
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Laser: A powerful beam of light that can produce intense heat when focused at close range. Lasers are used in medicine in microsurgery, cauterization, for diagnostic purposes, etc. For example, lasers are employed in microsurgery to cut tissue and remove tissue.
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Lip: One of the two fleshy folds which surround the opening of the mouth.
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Ointment: A medication preparation that is applied topically (onto the skin). An ointment has an oil base whereas a cream is water-soluble. (The word ointment comes from the Latin ungere meaning anoint with oil).
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Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia . Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors.
See the entire definition of Pain

Pigment: A substance that gives color to tissue. Pigments are responsible for the color of skin, eyes, and hair.

Plastic surgery: The field of surgery concerned with reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects , or treatment for diseases, such as melanoma .
See the entire definition of Plastic surgery

Pulse: The rhythmic contraction and expansion of an artery due to the surge of blood from the beat of the heart. The pulse is most often measured by feeling the arteries of the wrist. There is also a pulse, although far weaker, in veins.

Salabrasion: A technique in which salt or a salt solution is used to abrade the skin, for example to remove the pigment from a tattoo or permanent makeup.

Salt: In medicine, salt usually refers to sodium chloride, table salt, used for seasoning food, for the preservation of meat, etc. Salt is found in the earth and in sea water and is isolated by evaporation and crystallization from sea water and other water impregnated with particles of salt.
See the entire definition of Salt

Side effects: Problems that occur when treatment goes beyond the desired effect. Or problems that occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effect.
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Skin: The skin is the body's outer covering. It protects us against heat and light, injury, and infection. It regulates body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. Weighing about 6 pounds, the skin is the body's largest organ. It is made up of two main layers; the outer epidermis and the inner dermis.


See the entire definition of Skin

Surgery: The word "surgery" has multiple meanings. It is the branch of medicine concerned with diseases and conditions which require or are amenable to operative procedures. Surgery is the work done by a surgeon. By analogy, the work of an editor wielding his pen as a scalpel is s form of surgery. A surgery in England (and some other countries) is a physician's or dentist's office.
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Tattoo: The permanent insertion of ink or other pigments below the skin using a sharp instrument. Humans have done tattooing for cosmetic and ritual purposes since at least the Neolithic era. In the Western world, tattooing has historically served as a brand of criminality, a sign of shame (like "The Scarlet Letter" of Nathaniel Hawthorne), a tradition dating back at least to the biblical mark of Cain. Note along these lines also the branding of slaves, the tattooing of prisoners of war in ancient Athens, and the marking of the foreheads of French prisoners in the 18th and 19th centuries with letters signifying their punishment. In the Middle Ages tattooing was done of Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem, the tattoo symbolizing the "stigmata of the Lord Jesus." In the Renaissance tattooing was done of astrologic signs to invoke their magical powers.
See the entire definition of Tattoo

Tattoo removal: Those who regret getting a tattoo have three choices: hide it, cover it with a better tattoo, or have it removed. The most effective form of tattoo removal is the use of a laser to destroy the ink itself. Multiple treatments may be needed, depending on the size of the piece and the inks used. Some tattoos cannot be completely removed with lasers, and lasers may scar some types of skin. Your best choice is prevention: don't get a tattoo you can't live with forever.

Therapy: The treatment of disease .
See the entire definition of Therapy

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. A topical agent is applied to a certain area of the skin and is intended to affect only the area to which it is applied. Whether its effects are indeed limited to that area depends upon whether the agent stays where it is put or is absorbed into the blood stream.
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 Tattoo Removal Main Article |  Glossary |  Tattoo Removal Index 




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