For all tattoo removal procedures, it's best to wait 6 to 8 weeks between treatments for best results. Follow this guide when planning a tattoo removal: Smaller tattoos: 3 to 4 sessions, or between 18 and 32 weeks. Medium tattoos: 5 to 8 sessions, or between 30 and 64 weeks.
Tattoo removal treatments fit along a bell curve – most patients will need between fine and eight treatments, some will see complete removal in three or four, and others may need 10 or more treatments if there is significant scarring or layered tattoos.
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.
Larger tattoos may require between eight and 10 removal sessions. Smaller tattoos may require between five and seven removal sessions. However, some tattoos can take as few as two treatments or as many as a dozen sessions.
The average number of sessions necessary for complete tattoo removal is 6-10, although it can be more than 10, depending on certain factors, which are described below.
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.
Laser tattoo removal not fading can be caused by several factors. Some of which are the type of laser used, laser wavelength and ink colour, the laser technicians experience, recovery time between each session, and your immune system. Tattoo removal using laser treatment is not magic.
Very dense tattoos with shading and thick lines will also take longer to remove, simply because there are more ink particles for your immune system to process. In some cases, very dense tattoos may only fade rather than completely disappear, because some of the ink can become trapped, deeper into the skin.
About six weeks is the ideal waiting time between laser treatments because that allows the treated area to heal while the immune system gets rid of the ink. Following the treatment aftercare instructions can help increase the rate of removal and keep your skin in the best condition possible.
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.
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.
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.
The cost of Tattoo Removal can be considerably more than the original cost of having the tattoo done. The cost difference is associated with the Medical Doctors oversight, the high cost of the lasers used in the process as well as the fact that the average tattoo takes multiple treatments to remove.
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.
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!
Depth of ink
What makes tattoos permanent is the fact that the ink penetrates the second layer of skin – the dermis – which is then protected by the epidermis, the outer layer. The further into the dermis the ink has penetrated, the harder it is to remove.
Ink Particle Size: Tattoos are permanent because the ink particle size is too large for the body to remove through its natural processes. The bigger the ink particle size, the harder it is to remove a tattoo. During laser tattoo removal, the ink particles are shattered into tiny particles.
Tattoo ink will often oxidize which is what happens to white ink when laser treated. The white pigmentation turns into a darker pigment because the laser breaks the particles apart into tiny fragments which oxidize with the light exposure and the tattoo often turns into a light brown or blue shade.
Lasers heat up the ink particles in your skin to break them down into smaller particles, which are easier for your immune system to remove. It can take multiple laser therapy sessions to remove a tattoo.
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.
If your tattoo has scarred over, it's more difficult to remove because the ink gets buried further into the skin.
Does Skin Go Back to Normal After Laser Tattoo Removal? Yes. Your skin should go back to normal following laser tattoo removal. We can remove most tattoos completely, and following aftercare instructions will help your skin heal and return to a healthy and ink-free state.
Our experts recommend waiting until your tattoo has completely healed which can take around six to eight weeks after having the tattoo before you start your removal sessions. This will help avoid damage to your skin. How long does it take to remove fresh tattoo ink from skin?
Why does your tattoo seem to be getting darker after laser removal treatment? Simply put, your tattoo has become darker because the metals in the ink have become oxidized, leading to a temporary greying or darkening until the tattoo fades.