Pharrell Williams and a New Way to Remove Tattoos?

According to Plasmetic.com, rapper and producer Pharrell Williams is planning on undergoing a new way to remove tattoos without scars. Here are some details:

a. This is an invasive procedure that requires skin grafting.
b. The patient has to give a sample of his skin.
c. This skin is then replicated in a laboratory.
d. Once this is done, the new skin is stitched over the tattooed one.
e. It does not leave any scars.
f. Once the skin is healed, new tattoos can be done on it.
g. This is a faster and less painful alternative.

Now, this sounds to me that they are planning to remove the old tattooed skin and replace it with a skin graft that was grown in a laboratory. The statement "It does not leave any scars" is the one I really question here. I have performed skin grafts many times before (such as on burn patients) but any skin graft patient will tell you there are scars involved. Just because the skin is grown in a laboratory doesn't mean that it won't create scars. Furthermore, one cannot place a skin graft over intact skin because it will just slough off if the underlying skin isn't removed first.

This whole thing sounds like a crock to me. Lasers are very effective with tattoo removal nowadays, just ask Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp (remember when he changed Winona Forever to Wino Forever? Doh!).

We don't do laser tattoo removal at my office, by the way.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: