It is very uncommon for a patient to scar from laser tattoo removal treatment when the proper laser protocols and patient aftercare are followed. If the skin already has irregularities such as scarring expect that to remain after laser tattoo removal.
If you are suffering from tattoo regret, laser tattoo removal is the most effective method to eliminate your tattoo ink without scarring. It is safe for all skin tones and works on virtually all inks. In just a few laser sessions, your skin can be ink-free.
Myth: Laser tattoo removal leaves a scar. Laser tattoo removal typically doesn't result in scar formation. But sometimes darker-skinned individuals can experience some loss of pigmentation; over time, however, this becomes less noticeable. And occasionally the outline of the original tattoo can persist.
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.
If you receive laser treatments, the procedure can sometimes cause swelling and blistering and can temporarily alter the color of your skin. Sometimes, superficial scarring may develop or your skin may be permanently discolored.
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.
Changes in pigmentation of the skin is common after laser tattoo removal, but the skin will almost always return to normal after it is fully healed and all the pigment has been reabsorbed. Post tattoo removal pigmentation changes typically take from six months to a year to disappear, if they arise in the first place.
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.
These include things like metallic ink, light greens, light blues, and permanent makeup. Newer tattoos can sometimes pose a problem as well. It doesn't hurt to try. Whether a tattoo can be removed or not can really only be decided on a case-by-case basis.
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.
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.
It is possible for a tattoo to appear darker after laser treatment. One reason for this is that once ink has been broken up by the laser, the immune system is free to move the smaller particles around in the skin. The immune system can flush the ink away internally or push it out externally.
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.
Complete healing usually takes about six to eight weeks.
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.
One of the most common home tattoo removal methods we see talked about is salabrasion or rubbing the skin away with salt. It's an old method, and it does technically work, provided you rub enough skin off to reach the layer where the ink is held. You could also achieve the same effect with coarse sand or sandpaper.
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.
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.
Due to its specialised short-pulse laser technology system, which means the laser does not rely solely on heat to remove ink, Picosure or Picoway lasers are the fastest method of laser tattoo removal.
Laser tattoo removal is the only proven, FDA-approved method for safely, effectively, and completely removing unwanted tattoo ink. Unlike creams, injections, and surgical procedures, tattoo removal lasers target the pigment by using appropriate wavelengths to super-heat the ink and break it into smaller particles.
From the Second Week Onwards After Tattoo Removal
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. This is completely normal and will fade with time.
Your skin may tingle or itch (as if you have a sunburn) for a few days. It may look red for a week or even for two weeks, but this isn't anything to be concerned about. You may experience slight swelling for up to a week after your treatment, and in some cases, the skin may blister.
A few hours after treatment your skin may begin to peel and blister which usually takes 3 – 14 days to disappear. These side effects are completely normal and expected as your body is quickly trying to heal itself, shedding the damaged outermost layer of skin. Some people may experience very light bleeding as well.