Some Things Everyone Should Know Before Getting Laser Tattoo Removal

According to a recent survey conducted in the United States in 2021, at least 12% of Americans have at least one tattoo they regret getting. There is a growing need for tattoo removal, and if you are finding yourself considering ridding yourself of an unwanted tattoo, it is always good to do a little research before starting the process, and here we have provided some basics that are important to know before starting treatments.

It is a process.  Tattoos are meant to be permanent, and laser tattoo removal does not happen overnight. It consists of a series of treatments, spaced with a minimum of 8 weeks in between. The number of treatments varies from person to person, and every tattoo is different.  Depending on what your goals are, plan for tattoo removal to take some time.

It is going to take multiple sessions.  On average to lighten a tattoo in order to cover it, we recommend 2-6 treatments, periodically showing your artist your results, and they will guide you on when the tattoo is ready to cover.  For full removal, an average of 8-15 treatments will be needed. Factors such as skin tone, tattoo location, colors used, depth of the ink, and general health and wellness all have an affect on results seen.

Some tattoos/tattoo inks are more difficult to remove than others.  Inks are not FDA approved, so while we have a general idea of what makes up most of the inks on the market, there is no way to be certain of what all is in your tattoo.  Tattoo artists can add anything they like to the ink to make the tattoo appear brighter or last longer, and some of those ingredients might be more difficult for your body to remove.  Typically, black inks remove the best. Reds and other warmer colors also tend to do pretty well, and while our laser does have the wavelength to treat cooler colors, such as blues, greens, and purples, they can be a little more stubborn to remove.

The laser is only as good at the technician operating it.  Make sure to do your research on where to go for your removal.  Lasers do not have a lot of regulation, and unfortunately there are a lot of places that are offering laser tattoo removal services that do not have proper training to do so, and can cause significant damage and unsightly scarring to the skin. Here at Vanishing Point, we require all of our technicians to go to school and have a laser certification, and they undergo a lengthy training process prior to even touching the laser on a client.

It is very precise! If you love your tattoo, but there is one little portion that you dislike, or if there is misspelled word, the laser is very accurate and any mistake, whether small or large, can be fixed.

No two tattoos are alike.  As stated previously, everyone sees different results.  A matching tattoo you may have with someone else may remove completely different than the other person.  At your free consultation, your technician will provide an estimate of how many treatments you may need.

Sometimes we will suggest waiting longer in between treatments.  It is not that we don’t want to see you, but there are instances where waiting longer that that 8-12 week minimum is suggested. All we are doing with the laser is breaking the ink into smaller particles that your white blood cells can eliminate like it was any other toxin in the body. That being said, sometimes after having a few treatments, we recommend waiting longer, in order to give your body more time to work at ridding itself of the ink, as it sometimes is better for the integrity of your skin to do so.  If you are noticing any pigmentation change of your natural skin tone in the area, such as hypo or hyper pigmentation, we also will suggest waiting longer in between, to give your melanin time to balance itself back out. 

We always start with free consultations to give more information on how the tattoo removal process works, what to expect during treatments, go over pricing and answer any questions you may have. It may seem daunting at first, but laser tattoo removal is very doable, and we always try to make the process as pleasant as possible!