If you have a tattoo or you don’t, there’s just something about folks with tattoos. But even so, tattoos being permanent can sometimes be a negative thing. One in five (22%) of Australians with tattoos regret that they got it, and one in four (25%) have commenced or looked into getting it removed.
Lots of tattoo parlours will forbid folks who are inebriated from getting a tattoo since they could regret it when they sober up. If that’s the case, there are laser tattoo removal services out there to help out.
There are 11 things you need to know about tattoo laser removal, and the article below covers them all. Keep reading to find out more.
1. It Takes Time To Remove a Tattoo
Despite what you might have heard or what the media would have you believe, tattoo removal isn’t a quick process. Depending on how complicated your tattoo is and how much ink and colour it has, it could take a year or more to remove the tattoo completely.
It’s like everything else in life. It takes a few hours to put on a tattoo, but it takes months to remove it. As long as you don’t build up hope that you will be rid of your tattoo in an hour, you are good to go.
2. Consider a Tattoo Removal Specialist to Do the Job
There are many different spas or clinics which will claim that they will perform tattoo laser removal. But it isn’t as easy as all that.
Tattoo removal is complicated and needs a certain level of professional expertise to get it done right. You don’t want to walk around for years after with a shoddy tattoo removal job, do you?
That’s why you need to choose the place where you are going to get your tattoo removed with care. Make sure to ask around for referrals, especially if you have friends who have gotten their tattoos removed. And read online customer reviews to find the best tattoo removal place for you.
You could even ask the tattoo removal service to give you examples of other jobs they’ve completed with before and after pictures, especially if the tattoos are similar to yours in size, shape, colour, and definition.
3. All Ink Can Be Removed
There was a popular belief in the past that coloured tattoos cannot be removed. Well, that was true for the previous technology available. That’s because the laser was attracted to darker colours like black, and greens and yellows were the hardest to remove.
But with the new Pico laser tattoo removal technology, tattoos of all colours can be removed, with no problem. That’s why if you are considering getting your tattoo removed, now is the time to do it. Don’t wait any longer.
4. Get Ready for It To Be Expensive
Okay, this isn’t the case in all laser tattoo removal cases. But if your tattoo is particularly intricate, with lots of colours, and has been on your body for a while, it will not only take longer for your tattoo to get removed, but it will also be more expensive.
It could run up to hundreds of dollars for your particular tattoo to be completely removed. But if you are tired of the tattoo or if you don’t want it anymore, then you might think it’s worth it to pay such a large amount to get rid of it.
5. There Will Be Pain During the Session
Just like you were warned of how painful it is to get a tattoo, it’s similarly painful to remove one as well. Of course, it depends on your pain tolerance levels. If you are the kind of person who has lots of tattoos and is fine with pain, then you might be alright with the laser tattoo removal process as well.
But if you are the kind of person who feels pain easily, then make sure to have a conversation with your tattoo removal specialist about it, so they can offer you some suggestions. They might use a topical numbing cream, or maybe they can even use a chiller that uses cold air to help you feel more comfortable during the process.
6. And There Will Be Pain After as Well
Similar to how you would feel pain after getting a tattoo for a few days, as the skin recovers, you would also feel pain after a tattoo removal session. The discomfort could last up to a week. Note that the site will blister, so you will need to have some salve and bandages to ensure that the scab can heal properly.
Great news though – the more sessions you have, the less aftercare there is, and the less pain there is since there is less link reacting to the laser.
7. Use Sunscreen on Your Tattoo Removal Area
Did you know that the primary reason why people aren’t eligible for or aren’t able to get a tattoo lasered is that they have had sun exposure on the tattoo? Well, if you know that you are beginning to hate a tattoo and wish to get rid of it, then start wearing zinc oxide sunscreen on the tattoo right away.
This way you can reduce sun exposure and be more eligible to get the tattoo removed. Also, avoid staying out in the sun or going for long tanning sessions during your tattoo removal process, since it can aggravate your skin and make it harder to remove the tattoo.
8. Block Out Time To Get Your Tattoo Laser Removal Done
Again, depending on the size and age of your tattoo, your tattoo removal process could be quick and easy. Or long and boring.
Some people are in and out when getting their tattoos removed. Others can take up to an hour per session. You never know how your session will pan out, so it’s a good idea to block out some time every time you have a session, so you aren’t rushing in and out of there.
9. The Process Could Leave Some Scarring
This is an unfortunate side effect of the tattoo removal process. Especially if you want all the ink removed, without leaving a single trace, know that your skin will not be perfect after. There will be some scarring and there might even be some skin pigment lightening.
That’s why it’s highly recommended that you go to a tattoo removal specialist with lots of experience because they can reduce scarring and depigmentation by quite a bit.
10. Make Sure You Don’t Skip the After Care
If you want your laser tattoo removal process to go smoothly, you will need to follow the instructions laid out by your doctor or specialist to a T. Do not skip even a single aftercare instruction, so that your skin can come out looking as happy and healthy as possible.
Yes, you are already spending a lot of time in sessions, but with proper aftercare, you will be able to have a better experience overall. Put on an antibiotic ointment and also a deep moisturizer on your tattoo removal area, especially for the first 3 days after your session.
One thing you could also do is purchase clothing that doesn’t rest on your tattoo, so it doesn’t irritate the skin. For example, if you have a neck or back tattoo removal going on, then consider buying keyhole back shirts, or backless shirts, to prevent your shirt from rubbing against it.
11. Sometimes It’s Better To Do a Coverup Tattoo Instead
Depending on your tattoo, sometimes the tattoo removal specialist will recommend that you don’t remove the entire tattoo, but do a cover-up tattoo instead. This way you don’t have to take the entire tattoo with all the ink, but you can just lighten up the tattoo enough that you could add to it and make it something else entirely.
This can help you feel like you still got your tattoo removed, but you don’t have to spend a year getting it removed or hundreds of dollars in completely removing it. Of course, it depends on your preference. Some people will want to remove every remnant of the tattoo from their body.
Laser Tattoo Removal – Use the Tips Above To Make It Easier
A tattoo you got when you were 18 might not convey the same emotion or sentiment to you at 35 or 50. That’s why lots of folks are getting laser tattoo removal to remove their ghastly youthful mistakes.
You can do this too. Contact our clinic today to learn more about how we can help you remove your tattoo and become free again.
