Tattoo Removal 

Good - Black, Blue, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Brown, Red, Purple, Orange. 

Difficult – Tan, Yellow, Bright Green, Sky Blue. 

The laser tattoo removal itself may not be uncomfortable but discomfort is a normal response during treatment and recovery. The targeted areas will feel tender and sensitive to touch due to swelling and blistering thereafter. Once these effects subside over the next few days, so does the pain. Immediately after treatment, you will notice frosting on the area where the laser came in contact with the ink. It is caused by the rapid local heating of skin pigment releasing carbon dioxide on the surface of the skin which resembles white frosting. This signals the first stage of healing and it lasts for only a few minutes. More frosting occurs with dark ink compared to lighter ink. This is accompanied by swelling around the treated area. Redness, tenderness and swelling usually subside a day or two after treatment. Blisters start forming within 24 hours after treatment and they may appear alarming, but these indicate that your body is healing as it should. Avoid picking on your blisters because they will drain on their own and dry into scabs. The crust will eventually fall off within 10-14 days after treatment granted that the area doesn’t get irritated. One may even return to your usual activities shortly after treatment. The area will be bandaged to keep it dry for a few days following the treatment. 

Avoid sun exposure / tanning beds for 2 weeks pre and post. Avoid pain medicine, such as Aleve, Aspirin for 3-7 days. Topical numbing cream or local anesthetic may used and cold compress may be applied a prior to treatment. 

Keep out of the sun, out of pools/lakes/bath water until healed. Apply recovery balm and keep it covered for 5-6 days while healing. Apply ice 10 minutes post treatment. Basic reminders:

 • Use sunscreen to protect the treated skin which is particularly sensitive to sunlight following treatment.

 • Don’t apply makeup or any potentially irritating product on treated skin while it heals. 

• Avoid shaving treated areas unless the skin is healed.

 • Don’t soak in baths, hot tubs or pools unless the skin has healed completely 

The sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart, which allows your skin to process the treatment. Many people start to see their ink fade slightly after each subsequent session and greater improvement after three appointments. Given six to eight weeks between each session, you can expect the results to start showing a few months after the process starts. 

Recommended 6-10 treatments. 

There are a handful of symptoms you might see post-treatment such as blisters, swelling, raising of the tattoo, pinpoint bleeding, redness, temporary darkening, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, and bruising. These are common and usually subside within a couple weeks. As always, consult your doctor with concerns.