The short answer is yes, but it depends on a few things including tattoo size, tattoo ink colour and where the tattoo is. However, it's important to remember that a multitude of different factors go into successful tattoo removals, and not all tattoos can be completely removed.
Absolutely—if you choose the right technique. Laser removal is a highly effective and safe way to remove a tattoo. For most people, it can completely eliminate an old tattoo, although in some cases, the client and specialist may determine that substantial fading will meet the client's goals best.
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.
Tattoos can now be targeted with lasers that remove the pigmentation without damaging the skin, meaning you can go back to your old ink-free look. Some tattoos are challenging to remove. These include things like metallic ink, light greens, light blues, and permanent makeup.
In reality, it's all about the body's immune system and its inability to remove the ink. Though they may be permanent, tattoos can also fade or lose their sharpness over time. If the tattoo was applied too deeply in the skin, the ink pigments can start to migrate to new areas.
A tattoo that is poorly maintained can begin to experience some very slight fading after the first year. A tattoo that receives the appropriate care may not experience noticeable fading for many years – even a decade! The standard falls somewhere in the middle of that.
It will still look great as long as you take care of it and let it heal properly. Your tattoo will naturally fade over time. For some people, it can take only a couple of years for them to start to notice that the ink doesn't look as strong anymore. For others, tattoo fading won't be noticeable for decades.
Tattoo Ink
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.
Different colors of ink absorb color differently. Specifically, lighter colors like white, yellow, light blue, and pink are the most difficult to remove, as are green, red, and neon colors.
Yes! Tattoos on dark skin types can be completely removed. However, the tattoo ink will play a factor in the removal outcome. Not all ink colors can be removed from dark skin types, and the Fitzpatrick scale helps us determine which ink colors are safe to remove from different skin types.
How you treat your skin, and its condition, affects tattoo removal as much as when you got the tattoo. Though most people find that there's little to no scarring from the process, it does happen. More frequently occurring in those with darker skin tones, scarring can come about due to a loss of pigmentation.
About 21% said their regret had begun around the one-year mark, and 36% reported that several years had passed before they doubted their decision.
Immediately after your laser tattoo removal session, you'll notice that the area around your tattoo appears white. This is due to the release of carbon dioxide from your skin and is a sign that your skin absorbed the lasers well. The white appearance usually fades within a few minutes.
While there are pros AND cons of tattoo removal, for the most part, it's a positive experience for all. Whether you regret getting your tattoo or you're ready for a change, there's good news. Laser tattoo removal is an effective method for erasing unwanted ink!
Amateur Tattoos
Professional tattoo artists can utilize laser tattoo removal to remove unwanted amateur tattoos and make room for artwork that their clients can be proud of. Furthermore, most amateur tattoos are made using different substances that are often easier and quicker to remove than regular ink.
Different dyes respond to different light wavelengths. Black and dark green are the easiest colors to remove; yellow, purple, turquoise and fluorescent dyes are hardest to fade.
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.
There are certain areas of your body where a tattoo will fade faster. Areas of the body tattoos fade most include the hands, feet, elbows, armpit and inside of the arms. The reason is simple: friction. For example, tattoos on your feet fade quicker as socks and shoes are constantly rubbing these areas.
Participants told us they regret getting tattoos on these spots: upper back, upper arms, hips, face and butt. Size matters. Apparently, the smaller your tattoo, the more likely you are to regret it. We found that 63 percent of people with a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand regret it.
If you have a very large tattoo that you'd like to have removed, you probably have a lot of questions—like whether removal is even possible. Fortunately, laser tattoo removal can remove a tattoo of any size.
Can tattoos be removed in one session? It's very rare that a tattoo can be removed in just one treatment. The only cases where we've seen that happen were very light tattoos, applied in an amateur manner on fair skin.
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.
The color of your ink will make your tattoo age a whole lot better. Darker colors, especially black, fade much less than brighter colors, especially red. Black and grayscale colors last usually longer than colored tattoos. This is especially the case with white hued tattoos.