It is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to this often asked question, but broadly speaking, yes a tattoo can be 100% removed so long as your immune system is working effectively and you follow our sun-safe aftercare guidelines.
Today's treatments can completely remove a tattoo and give you back the skin that you thought you might have lost forever. Not only do they tend to be more effective, but many of them are less invasive and painful than tattoo removal treatments in the past.
Green is the hardest color to remove followed by light blue. Neon colors are also incredibly difficult to remove, and typically require multiple treatments with the Ruby laser. As a general rule, the greater the contrast between the color of the tattoo pigment and your skin, the better the result.
On average, it usually takes between six to eight appointments for complete success. Solid black tattoos are the easiest to remove as black pigment absorbs the laser light easier than most other colors. So, if you have black ink, you may need fewer treatments for complete removal.
Specifically, lighter colors like white, yellow, light blue, and pink are the most difficult to remove, as are green, red, and neon colors. White ink (and light colors that were made by combining darker ink with white ink) sometimes turns darker before it begins to fade.
Damage caused from an inexperienced operator or even a tattoo that has been applied to deep and caused scarring can cause the laser light to be reflected and not absorbed into the ink. If this is the case your tattoo may not be able to be completely removed.
If you have a history of skin hyper-sensitivity, scarring (keloids), skin infections such as impetigo or are prone to cold sores (herpes) then laser treatment may not be advisable. People with darker skins are at more risk than those with lighter skins.
Dermabrasion The oldest form of tattoo removal was primitive dermabrasion; rubbing at the skin using some sort of rough surface like sandpaper until the layers peeled off.
Older tattoos generally fade more easily with laser treatments than newer ones. For instance, a black tattoo that is ten years old may take one or two treatments less than a one year old black tattoo. Why? Because the body has already absorbed some of the tattoo's pigment throughout the years, making it easier to fade.
We need to address a misconception: tattoo removal creams don't actually remove tattoos. Instead, the tattoo removal creams can fade and re-color the skin around the tattoo to make the artwork less visible. If you want genuine removal, you'll need to shell out for (and suffer through) laser or surgical tattoo removal.
Some companies charge $10–25 per inch for removal. Someone removing a 36-square-inch tattoo might pay $400 for a session, whereas someone with a 4-square-inch tattoo might pay $175. Usually, the more inches you pay for, the less you pay per inch. Other companies charge by size category.
Generally, amateur or homemade tattoo may be removed within 3 to 7 sessions, while professional tattoos done with harder inks can require anywhere from 8 to 20 treatments. It is possible for some tattoos to require more than 20 laser treatments.
Guess how tattoos stay there forever, even as your skin cells die and are replaced? French researchers say they have found the answer, and it's a little bit surprising. They found that immune system cells called macrophages eat the ink, and then pass it to their replacements when they die.
Remove Colored Tattoos
Surprisingly, black ink is easier to remove than colored ink. This is true even when the colored ink is in a light tone. This is because the lasers used are designed to target the black ink specifically. However, this does not mean that colors other than black cannot be removed.
Newness. We've already discussed age as a factor that can affect the difficulty of removing a tattoo. A newer tattoo won't have the benefit of being exposed to as much sun, and your body won't have had as much time to work on carrying the ink particles away.
Older tattoos are easier to remove because they've already been exposed to the sun and absorbed by the body for some time. New tattoos can still be erased using the same laser removal techniques but they take more sessions.
Typically green, blue, and black inks are easier to remove, while red, orange, yellow, and white inks are progressively more challenging. New devices, such as the PiQo4 laser, have improved the efficacy and efficiency in treating these tattoo colors.
A laser and cold air are used simultaneously. 'Laser tattoo removal works by applying pulses of light to your tattoo to break the ink into small enough particles that your body's lymphatic system can flush them out,' Aoife Knox, Head of Brand and Creative at NAAMA, explains.
Yes, lasers can remove tattoos completely. In fact, lasers are the safest, most effective tool to remove unwanted tattoos with. However, you may need to receive several sessions before the tattoo is removed completely.
From the statistics presented, it is clear that tattoos are a popular form of body art in the United States. Approximately 23% of people regret their tattoos and 11% have tried to remove or cover them up. Laser tattoo removal has an average success rate of 71%, with 95% of patients saying the process was worth it.
A common ingredient in tattoo ink called iron oxide can be tasted during the removal process. While not harmful, this can be an unpleasant taste. Bare Tattoo & Hair Removal technicians always keep spare mints in the office in case you're one of the lucky 5% of people to experience this.
If proper protocols for treatments and post-care are followed, all of these side effects are temporary. Redness, tenderness and swelling typically subside within a day or two post-treatment. Blisters usually appear within 24 hours of treatment. Scabs, bruising, and blistering may take up to a week or longer to heal.
On average, it takes approximately two years between 10-12 sessions to see complete removal results. The time between treatments will vary based on skin type, ink density, location of the tattoo, and your overall health will play a factor in your removal results.
If you plan on getting tattoos when you're young, early 20s-30s, you might not see faded tattoos until you're well into your 50s! Proper care and upkeep of your ink can help slow this process down pretty significantly, but we aren't going to lie and say your tattoo will never fade.
Permanent tattoos, as the name suggests, are meant to be permanent. But alas, all tattoos will fade as the years go by, without exception, says Lorena Lorenzo, a Toronto-based tattoo artist. However, there are certain factors that'll make your tattoo fade faster, like sun exposure and friction, Lorenzo adds.