How Many Laser Tattoo Removal Treatments Do I Need To Get Rid Of My

Laser tattoo removal is the best tattoo removal option. It is the safest and most effective tattoo removal treatment that guarantees the disappearance of the tattoo in the shortest possible time (now take that with a grain of salt). However, even as such, laser tattoo removal takes time. How long, you may ask. Well, it can take a long time before you see real results. Laser tattoo removal is surely notorious for being time consuming and of course, rather expensive.

But don’t let that put you off! Laser tattoo removal is, again, the best tattoo removal option for you. To clarify some things about how long it takes for the tattoo to actually fade away, keep reading. In the following paragraphs, we will see why laser tattoo removal takes a long time to work and when can you expect final results. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Overview of laser tattoo removal

How it works?

Before we get into the discussion of how many treatments are needed to get rid of a tattoo, we must first discuss how laser tattoo removal works. Today, laser tattoo removal is performed using special types of lasers called Q-switched lasers. These are the best lasers on the market for this purpose.

They use what is called the photomechanical effect to target the ink inside the skin. Once they target the ink, the lasers send out a shock wave of infrared energy that dissipates the ink. This is possible because the ink absorbs infrared light and dissipates from the inside out (when heated).

This may sound complicated, but it’s a fairly simple process. Unfortunately, a few shockwaves won’t be enough if you want to get rid of the whole tattoo. It can take hundreds of infrared shock waves to even notice the ink dissipating into the surrounding skin.

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How long does it take to get rid of a tattoo?

Laser tattoo removal takes time; much of the time ! Probably longer than it took you to get your tattoo.

One of the main reasons laser tattoo removal takes so long isn’t the number of infrared shock waves. It resides in the heat produced by these waves. In order not to completely burn the skin, the clinician can apply only a few of these infrared waves at a time. Otherwise, in addition to burning the skin, one could end up with severe scarring and skin damage. This is why it is essential to have laser tattoo removal done by a professional.

So how many treatments does it take to get rid of a tattoo? It may take you between 10 and 25 laser removal sessions to get a partially or fully removed tattoo. However, these sessions cannot be done right away, all together in a few days. It takes time between each session for the skin to heal and recover. The body needs to recover and build an immune system defense for the next laser removal sessions.

Now, the number of treatments depends on some factors. For example, larger, colorful tattoos placed in areas of thin, sensitive skin with a high number of nerve endings may take longer to remove than a smaller, black and gray tattoo placed in, say, on the thigh. Sometimes it can take up to a year to completely get rid of a tattoo.

Another reason tattoo removal can take so long is your own immune system. Sometimes, when the immune system is weakened, laser removal is not as effective as it usually is, so you may need even more removal sessions than expected.

What factors determine the number of tattoo removal sessions

Laser tattoo removal will not take the same number of sessions for each person. Certain factors specifically determine the number of laser removal sessions for your particular tattoo. These factors include;

The lymphatic system is a system of organs, tissues, and vessels all working together to remove all kinds of toxins, metabolic wastes, and foreign bodies from your body. It is also responsible for moving lymph, a colorless liquid, to your bloodstream. Thanks to this, the body is sufficiently supplied with anti-inflammatory cells. This is how our body is able to fight off viral and bacterial infections, inflammation and all kinds of immune deficiencies.

The lymphatic system is very busy and its priority is to take care of your organs. As such, it may take longer to recognize ink wandering around the body. So, from the same laser removal treatment, it can take up to 2 months for the body to detect the dissipating ink and work to eliminate it completely from the body. Once this happens, the tattoo will begin to fade quickly and laser tattoo removal will appear more effective.

Laser tattoo removal can be very easy or very difficult depending on where your tattoo is located. You may wonder why? First of all, if the tattoo is located somewhere on thin, sensitive skin with lots of nerve endings, laser removal may take a long time so as not to damage the skin by burning or scarring it.

Also, in areas of thin skin, blood flow is generally lower than in areas of thick skin. This means that the lymphatic system will take even longer to target the ink that dissipates in the skin area, which means that the tattoo will also take longer to fade.

Blood flow is, of course, strongest in the chest area, as it is closest to the heart. Thus, the tattoos in this area will begin to fade in the shortest possible time. Tattoos away from the heart will take longer to fade and show the effects of the laser removal procedure. The lower the blood flow, the longer the laser tattoo removal process; it’s just the nature of our body.

Of course, the larger the tattoo, the more removal sessions it will take to get rid of the ink. If a large tattoo is also colored, especially with colors like red and yellow, you can expect up to 25 tattoo removal sessions to get rid of the ink. It will be difficult to get rid of such a tattoo, and there is no guarantee that the red and yellow will completely disappear.

As we mentioned in previous paragraphs, colored tattoos take longer to get rid of, especially if they contain red and yellow ink. The color/pigment of the tattoo can significantly affect the overall time of the removal process.

Dark pigments, such as black, gray, dark blue or brown are the easiest to remove. The infrared laser can easily target and heat darker pigments due to their easier absorption of heat and light. On the other hand, things get really tricky when it comes to lighter pigments, like red, orange, yellow, white. These pigments cannot easily absorb infrared energy, which required more removal sessions and a more aggressive approach.

• Your age (and the age of the tattoo)

The age of your skin can significantly affect the effectiveness and duration of laser tattoo removal. For example, tattoos on older skin are difficult to remove resulting in skin wrinkles, healing issues, and a general lack of elasticity and moisture. Older skin also doesn’t rebound and is generally sensitive to treatments like laser hair removal.

Moreover, new tattoos are also difficult to remove. Despite having young skin, it can be difficult to get rid of fresh ink, especially considering that the skin has just healed from the tattoo. You must wait at least a few months to undergo laser tattoo removal. This is the only way to minimize skin damage, burns and scars.

However, sometimes people experience tattoo infections or even allergic reactions (to ink, for example). This can damage the tattoo, as well as the skin, even when properly treated and healed. And, of course, it can affect the overall tattoo removal process. As a result of an allergic reaction and infection, the tattoo does not look good and one wants to get rid of it.

But, the skin is sensitive and one cannot simply pick up the remaining ink. The skin needs to heal completely, which can take a long time (depending on the severity of the skin damage). And only then can you switch to laser hair removal, which can also take even longer to avoid damaging already weakened and damaged skin.

Final Thoughts

Laser tattoo removal is the best option for effective and complete tattoo removal. Of course, this is very time consuming and quite expensive, but it gives the best results and minimizes any potential damage to the skin. We surely recommend that you explore your options; there is a procedure that takes less time but can seriously damage the skin (especially if it is not performed by professionals). I hope our little overview of laser tattoo removal was helpful, but if you have any further questions, be sure to speak to a professional clinician.

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