Laser Tattoo Removal Guide

Getting a tattoo removed is not an overnight process. In fact, laser tattoo removal – just like laser hair removal treatments or laser treatments for skin conditions such as rosacea, for example – is a method that takes quite a bit of time.

This is a result of how the method works to remove the ink from the skin. The laser tattoo removal method demands that clinics must approach tattoo removal with individual treatment sessions. These laser treatments must be spaced out appropriately, as each treatment result in effects that are not granted all at once, but in fact, have an effect over many months.

Let’s give an example, using the same size of a tattoo discussed in the post on how much laser tattoo removal costs. If you’ve got a tattoo that’s 3 square inches in size (again, that’s approximately the size of 3 standard sized USA postage stamps), the removal of this tattoo will be done over a number of repeated laser treatments.

For a tattoo this size, it’s likely to take 5-10 treatments.

(A note on the that point: The number of treatments depends on a few things, such as the amount or lack of color in the tattoo (black ink is the easiest to remove, whereas colored tattoo ink takes more time), the quality of the ink, the quality of the tattoo (home made or amateur made tattoos are quicker to remove), and also, the number of laser pulses the doctor or removal specialist is using in their equipment.)

But for a good rule of thumb, expect that it’s going to take up to 10 treatments. In most cases, that will remove a tattoo.

However, these treatments cannot be done all at once or squeezed together over a few days or weeks.

In fact, most clinics use the standard rule of allotting 6-8 weeks in between treatment sessions. One perk is that this does make it easier to pay for tattoo removal, but the reason behind it is simple that the body takes time to act on the effects of each treatment.

In our example here, that means the tattoo of 3 square inches is going to take 6 months at a minimum to remove at 5 treatments spaced 6 weeks a part, and perhaps up to 1 year or more if takes 10 treatments at 6-8 weeks in between each laser treatment session.

Unfortunately for the person with the tattoo,there is no way to rush this up. This means that if you have a tattoo you need removed for a wedding or future job opportunities, you need to start having treatments far in advance of when you want or need the tattoo removed.