Tattoo Removal
When former Hockeyroo Anna Flanagan decided to have two tattoos removed as part of her personal journey of addiction recovery, she had high hopes and real fears about what was involved. Here Anna sits down with Removery laser technician Lawree Pruha to get some honest answers to her questions.
Lawree says: If you can sit through getting a tattoo, you can sit through the removal process, no matter where it’s located on your body. And remember, each treatment is very quick. Depending on size, most tattoos can be treated in less than 90 seconds. We describe the feeling as like a rubber band flicking against the skin, so little intense pulses. On areas of the body where there’s less fatty tissue, you might feel that flicker a little more intensely. But usually, once that first pulse is fired, clients feel like it’s very doable – and that’s especially true if they have previously been treated with older technologies. The PicoWay® laser system is a much more gentle experience because it’s simply speeding up what the body is trying to do naturally from the moment you get a tattoo, which is to remove it. While the body tries to break down this new foreign object. I.e. your tattoo, can’t because the ink particles are too large. Our lasers speed up this natural process by dispersing the particles into smaller pieces. Your body looks after the rest.
Lawree says: Blisters are very rare. While they can occur, it’s more commonly on areas of the body that naturally hold a lot of heat, like the mid-torso, or where there is an area of heavily saturated ink. That’s why we don’t usually bandage after treatment: we want to minimise trapping heat in the area. Clients can expect to feel slightly swollen after a treatment and that the treated skin will look a little red.
Lawree says: Immediately before and after the laser treatment, we will ice the skin for three to five minutes. Once the ice comes off, clients are free to get dressed and leave. We recommend applying hydrocortisone cream once a day for five days, avoiding submerging the skin in hot water – so take showers, not baths – and staying out of the sun. Keeping the area clean, dry, and cool is key.
Lawree says: It depends on the size of the tattoo – we usually allow 15 to 20 minutes. That includes icing the skin and potentially moving the client around so we can reach the tattoo more easily. The laser itself is the quickest part of the treatment. We have clients who come in during a lunch break, and we also have late-night opening hours so people can come in after work.
Lawree says: If clients are concerned about rubbing or friction from clothes, we can provide a lightweight gauze covering to get them through the day. But most find they are completely fine to get dressed and return to work as normal. You can also take anti-inflammatory medication if you feel you need it, but few people do. We often get asked about using numbing creams, but we recommend against it. The majority of people simply don’t need them.
Lawree says: As a general guide we say no rigorous exercise for 24 to 48 hours after treatment. So instead of a run, go for a walk; instead of a boxing class, take an easy bike ride. We want to avoid anything that is going to inflame or irritate the skin – and that includes swimming in a chlorinated pool, which we advise steering clear of for up to five days. Again, we don’t want to submerge the body in a lot of chemicals.
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Lawree says: Avoiding the sun for the whole treatment period is our recommendation, as exposure can lead to pigmentation issues. If you are out in the sun, we suggest covering your tattoo with something like sports strapping tape, so that way you can swim and enjoy the weather without worry.
Lawree says: The short answer is no, it shouldn’t leave any scarring. However, before your first treatment, we do a really thorough consultation. That’s going to help us pinpoint if there was damage prior to when the tattoo was applied when it was applied, or afterwards. Sometimes the tattoo artist may have been heavy-handed, or there might be trauma to the skin or pigmentation. As long as there’s no scar tissue or anything that was caused while the tattoo was applied, we generally say we can get the skin back to its original condition. But this is also dependent on clients following the aftercare protocols. You have your responsibilities too! There are some inks we cannot treat, such as white, yellow, and some reds, which may still remain on the skin – but overall we can get most people back to clear skin.
Lawree says: Yes, you can cover an old site after partial removal, or get a new tattoo once the old one is completely removed. We recommend waiting six to eight weeks after your last treatment, as the body is still breaking down those ink particles, but after that, if the skin feels fine and we’re not seeing any redness, you can go ahead. Because we’re not penetrating or opening the skin with the laser, the way a needle does, the skin should feel the same and have no extra sensitivity.
Lawree says: On average clients need between eight and 12 sessions, bearing in mind where the tattoo is on your body makes a big difference. Further from the heart – so fingers, toes, lower limbs, and areas with poorer circulation – can be a bit slower. Referring back to my previous answer, if there are no issues with the skin or the ink, clients can expect the tattoo to be 100 percent removed.
Lawree says: The cost will vary depending on the size of the tattoo. We will discuss your individual circumstances during your initial consultation, so you will have a clear idea of how many treatments you are likely to need and what timeframe you’re looking at. We offer several payment plan options with flexible payment terms, starting from $16 per week for a smaller tattoo – effectively the cost of a few cups of coffee a week for the duration of your treatment (packages starting at $1,090 over the course of a year).
Removery is the world’s largest tattoo removal experts. Want to learn more about tattoo removal? Book a free consultation with a Removery expert today, and read more about Anna’s story and how she overcame addiction.
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We’re on a mission to give you the most straightforward, easy and efficient laser tattoo removal experience. Your estimate will be entirely bespoke to your tattoo; the size, the colours, the ink. It won’t take long and afterwards you’ll have a plan to finally get rid of your unwanted tattoo and get back to being you.
