Important Things To Know About Tattoo Removal

If there's one thing that's for sure, it's that life changes. And with those changes, our taste can also alter. The things we once felt passionately about can feel like they aren't really reflective of who we are anymore. Hair colour is easy to change, piercings can be removed easily. But if you have a tattoo that you've fallen out of love with, it's a bit more of an effort to have it removed. Thankfully, technology is developing all the time and it's now cheaper and more effective than ever to wash away that ink and start again. While many people have meaningful body art that they love forever, others do make youthful mistakes. So if you don't want that design that carbon dates you or the name of the one who turned out to be a cheat on your skin anymore, what do you need to know?

How Does Tattoo Removal Work?

Lasers are used safely and effectively throughout modern medicine, and they are extremely useful when it comes to tattoo removal as well. It breaks the ink up into small particles, and over the course of a series of treatments this fades the tattoo from sight. Just like laser hair removal, the laser seeks out dark pigmentation, so removal tends to work better on darker colours, while lighter shades like yellow can be harder to remove. There is minimal damage to the surrounding skin. The way the process feels has been likened to flicking an elastic band rapidly against the skin. Some find it just uncomfortable, while others with a lower tolerance may find it slightly painful - using a topical numbing cream like xylocaine can help with this.

How many sessions will I need?

Every tattoo removal is individual and there are factors which affect how successfully it can be removed. A good average is about 10-20 treatments for a complete removal. The factors which affect the success of the removal are things like the age of the tattoo, how and where it was placed on the body and the colour of the ink used. Some modern lasers can now remove certain designs in as little as six sessions.

What process will I follow?

The first step is booking a consultation so that you understand the procedure of your particular removal. A different type of laser may be used depending on the colour of your ink - some are better at blues and greens, others at black. You'll want to take care to minimise the risk or scarring after your treatments, so avoid sun exposure, use a healing cream afterwards and always make a high factor sunscreen a part of your skincare regime to prevent any sun damage to the healing skin.

What after care do I need?

After treatment, you have have redness, swelling or bruising for a few days afterwards. Some people may also get blistering. Regularly applying something like Aquaphor under a clean bandage is recommended. If you plan on getting another design, it takes a while before you can be inked again in the same place. Leave at least four weeks after your last laser session before getting another tattoo in the same place.