Tattoo Removal Factors

Top Tattoo Removal Factors

What things can affect tattoo removal? Tattoo removal is like buying jeans. There’s no one-size fits all. Mainly because, thankfully, we’re all unique. Your skin, your tattoos, your lifestyle are just a few of the things that can make a big difference. Find out more below.

1 The tone of your skin

There are six different Fitzpatrick skin types. Lighter skin types one, two, three and four we are able to treat with no issue at all. Five and six, the darker skin types can cause older, less effective lasers some trouble. But not the PicoWay lasers that we use. It’s FDA cleared for all Fitzpatrick’s skin types so we are able to safely treat dark skin too. However, dark skin is one of those areas that can, in the wrong hands, go wrong. Mainly through lack of knowledge and application. Just another reason to choose the world’s tattoo removal experts, hint hint.

2 The color of your tattoo

In short, there are some colors that are harder than others. Black, dark blue, purple, red – the standard colors that were probably the only ones available 20 years ago we can be fairly confident of removing. The newer colors – orange, yellow, white, sky, blue, light green are a different story. They’re much harder to remove. White in particular behaves very strangely when the laser hits it, it can actually make it darker. You have multiple colors? Well then, yes they do present more of a challenge when we’re trying to do laser removal.

The right wavelength for the right color

Finding a provider that knows which wavelength to use for each color is really important. The PicoWay laser has all of the wavelengths. You can treat almost all the colors of the rainbow with it. With the exception of white, which again is very difficult for any laser to remove confidently. It can be done but it’s going to take time and some magical Removery expertise.

3 Where the tattoo is placed

With our advanced laser technology, we can remove tattoos from nearly anywhere on the body, so placement of the tattoo doesn’t impact if we can remove it (we can!) — only how long it will take. Tattoos in high blood flow areas can be removed faster than those on extremities. Extremities like fingers have low blood flow, which can take longer, while the chest and upper back have high blood flow and can generally be removed more quickly. Look at the image here, the farther away from the heart the longer the removal will generally take. It’s important to remember that every individual is unique and while the general timeline for tattoo removal is consistent across different locations on the body, there are always exceptions.

4 How much ink is in your tattoo

Or as they call it in the trade, ink saturation. This can vary depending on the style of each tattoo. Below you’ll see a range of different tattoos – the ink saturation increases left to right.

Low ink saturation

High ink saturation

The more ink saturation, the longer it will take to remove

Typically, tattoos with higher saturation will take longer to remove, while low saturation tattoos require fewer treatments.

At Removery, you don’t need to worry about the number of treatments affecting the cost — with our Complete Removal Packages, we will continue working on your tattoo until all removable ink is gone, regardless of the number of sessions.

5 Who created the tattoo

The difference between a tattoo created by a professional tattoo artist and an amateur one is a big one. Professional tattoo artists intend for their tattoos to last. Ever heard a tattoo artist say ‘Bold Will Hold’? The color of your tattoo

Experienced artists use ample ink placed deeply and expertly under the skin with just the right amount of pressure so that your tattoo doesn’t fade or experience blowout over time. An amateur artist might use less or more ink than they should and might be light-handed or heavy-handed, which may prolong or shorten the average timeline for tattoo removal. Knowing this before we treat your tattoo will help us make a more accurate estimation about how long it will take to remove.

6 The age of the tattoo

The short cut here is this – an older tattoo has had time to naturally fade and so could more likely be removed faster than a newly inked tattoo. Here’s a bit more of the science behind that: A new tattoo prompts a natural response in the body, where the immune system attempts to absorb the foreign particles (the ink) and flush them out. The body can’t break down the large ink particles, which leave behind the tattoo design.

10 year old faded tattoo. You can see the ink has faded and the edges are blurred. Less ink to break down. Shorter time required.

2-3 months old tattoo. Fresh ink, zero fading. More ink to break into smaller particles. Longer time needed to remove.

Over time, your body slowly chips away at the larger particles, which leads to your tattoo naturally fading. Your body can never fully process the ink on its own. However, a tattoo that’s older may be removed faster with laser tattoo removal than one that’s only a year or two old.

7 Whether you smoke or vape

Really? Whether you smoke or vape can affect how long it takes to remove a tattoo? Yep, it sure can. Nicotine narrows the small blood vessels that normally bring oxygen and nutrients to the treated areas to help them heal. So there are less blood cells there to flush away the ink particles – slowing down the body’s ability to aid the tattoo removal process.

Our simple 4 step process

Step 1

Free consultation

In just a few minutes our experts will size your tattoo, discuss desired results, and answer all your questions.

Step 2

Affordable payment plans

We offer flexible pricing and finance packages to find the right fit for everyone.

Step 3

Your tattoo removal appointments

Most laser sessions last just a few minutes, and the number of treatments will vary. Our specialists are trained to make the process as comfortable as possible.

Step 4

Aftercare

We take this to another level as it’s where the magic happens with tattoo removal. Better care gives better results.

Pay one low price

Our aim is to bring cost transparency to the tattoo removal industry. With Removery you pay one price for full removal. You will not pay and pay and pay for extra sessions until your tattoo has gone.

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All your questions answered

We know all of this information can feel quite overwhelming and you’re going to have a lot of questions. That’s why our experts explain it all as simply as possible right here.

Joshua Weitz, MD turns to the white board to help him explain it in detail. It’s laser science so it’s pretty complicated but we’ll do our best to explain it as simply as we can.

Your body is doing all of the hard lifting in between laser removal treatments so staying healthy leads to better results. Staying out of the sun and avoiding excess heat from exercise is essential. Follow our best practice and it will make a big difference.

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to time and laser tattoo removal. It can take over 12 months to actually remove a tattoo with treatments happening every 8 weeks or so, but the treatments themselves can be over in less than a minute.

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Get your free estimate

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.

Get Your Free Estimate

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With over 150 studios you’re sure to find one near you. We look forward to seeing you!

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