Redness, tenderness, and swelling typically subside within a day or two following treatment. Blisters usually appear within 24 hours of treatment; sometimes the blisters are very large and may look alarming – this is completely normal. Scabs, bruising, and blistering may take up to a week or longer to heal.
Complete healing usually takes about six to eight weeks.
Tattoo removal healing process
After your laser tattoo removal procedure, you might expect some redness, swelling, mild blistering, itching, and raised areas. This is to be expected. At first, the skin will be very sensitive and tender. These reactions to treatment should fade within two weeks.
One of the most common questions we get during our laser tattoo removal consultations is, “will my skin go back to normal?” And if this is something you've wondered too, we have good news for you. For the most part, yes, your skin will go back to “normal”!
Initial Laser Tattoo Results in As Little as 18 Weeks
Getting rid of a tattoo completely takes multiple sessions, but the results accumulate with each one. The sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart, which allows your skin to process the treatment. Many people start to see their ink fade after three appointments.
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.
Redness, swelling, slight blistering, a little itching, and raised areas are extremely common and should be expected after treatment. The skin will feel tender and sensitive at first. It should take a maximum of two weeks for all of these responses to treatment to subside.
Avoid picking at any flaking, peeling, blisters or scabs that form. Do not pop any blisters, as doing so can cause an infection. Know what's normal. After a laser tattoo removal session, you may experience some redness, swelling and blistering as your skin heals.
Laser Tattoo Removal After 1 Session
After the first session, most people can expect some significant fading, especially outlines. It's also important to note that differences in your tattoo will affect how the fading appears. You might see substantial fading in one portion of your tattoo and less in others.
Every individual is different, and therefore every tattoo is different. Understanding how laser tattoo removal works will help to understand why it's not as easy to predict. On average a person will need between 6-12 treatments laser tattoo removal treatments. However, some people need less, some may need more.
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.
If you have some ink that you no longer want or like, we have good news. Today's treatments can completely remove a tattoo and give you back the skin that you thought you might have lost forever.
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.
If you consciously drink plenty of water during the weeks and months of laser tattoo removal, your body will do a better, speedier job flushing away the ink. Along with a nicely hydrated body, it is important that the other liquid inside us all – blood – is moving well.
Black tattoos are the easiest to remove because the laser is able to target the black pigment more precisely. Other colors such as red, blues, and greens can become more difficult to remove depending whether the tattoos were amateur or professional. Green is the hardest color to remove followed by light blue.
Once the skin has fully healed and any crusting or scabbing has disappeared, we recommend the regular application of a moisturiser such as Vitamin E. This will help to improve skin hydration, reduce potential itchiness and assist in the ongoing healing and soothing process.
From the Second Week Onwards After Tattoo Removal
You can expect all your symptoms to become milder and milder with time. You might notice the treated skin looking darker as the pigment rises to the surface of the skin. The area around it might lighten (hypopigmentation) or darken (hyperpigmentation) too.
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.
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. Thankfully, this proves that your treatments are working according to plan, and it is just a matter of time until your tattoo has cleared up.
The three layers of skin
Whether you're getting a tattoo or getting one removed, the process directly involves the skin. It's helpful to understand the skin and its layers to fully appreciate the process of tattooing and tattoo removal. The skin is made up of three layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
Laser, being a source of intense heat, zaps up your skin's moisture. This leaves skin feeling parched, and dry skin is practically synonymous with itching.