Why Is Proper Aftercare Important?

Laser Tattoo Removal Aftercare

Tattoo removal aftercare can greatly impact how your skin heals after each treatment, your final results, and the amount of time it takes to achieve a full removal. It is important to follow all aftercare protocols carefully, along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle to ensure your treatments are always effective.

3 Key Tattoo Removal Aftercare Steps to Remember

Maintaining a proper aftercare routine is crucial for preventing complications and optimizing the effectiveness of your treatments. Following every treatment, you should always: 

Keep the skin clean and dry. 

Avoid sun exposure for 2 full weeks. 

Apply petroleum jelly to reduce inflammation when needed. 

What to Expect: Post Treatment

After every treatment, you could experience tenderness, itchiness, hives, swelling, or bruising – along with some other minor side effects. They are completely normal and might not even occur in some clients. Here are those side effects, and how to treat them if necessary:

Blisters: Water blisters, small or large, are very common with laser tattoo removal. They usually go away on their own within a few days, but you can puncture larger ones with a sterile lancet.

Scabbing:The skin can get raw after treatment(s), possibly resulting in scabbing. Keeping the area covered and clean will resolve the issue within a few days. 

Crusting:The treatment area can become crusty due to fluid exiting the tissue. Keep the area covered and clean, and it’ll resolve on its own within a few days. 

Infection:Laser tattoo removal causes your skin to be compromised, putting the area at risk for bacteria exposure. Keeping the area clean and covered will protect you from possible infection. 

Changes in Skin Color:After treatment(s), the skin could slightly lighten or darken in color. In most cases, any changes will resolve on their own, but there are topical creams that can help restore the original skin color if needed. 

If you are ever concerned about a particular side effect, no matter its severity, contact your laser removal specialist for guidance.

“In 99% of cases, we don’t have any complications at all.”

Bill Kwan, MD

Laser Tattoo Removal Aftercare FAQs

We’re firing a high-intensity light into your skin so minor side effects are extremely common post tattoo removal. If you see any of the following side effects, don’t be alarmed. Please reach out to us and we'll be happy to answer questions and advise on the proper course of action.

Minor Laser Tattoo Removal Side Effects and How To Treat Them

Blisters

You can get tiny water blisters or big water blisters. It’s really common with laser tattoo removal. You can carefully lance any large ones with a sterile lancet, but they tend to go completely within a few days.

Scabbing

Sometimes the skin is a little raw after the treatment and you can get a little bit of scabbing over the area. We recommend you keep it covered and keep it clean with a little bit of alkaline water, and it’ll be fine within a few days.

Crusting

Crusting means some fluid has come out of the tissue and left a bit of a light crust on it. Again, we expect that to happen. Simply keep it covered and keep it clean and it’ll be fine within a few days.

Infection

Keeping the area clean and preventing bacteria going into compromised skin is what you want to avoid. Do your best to keep it covered and keep it clean.

Changes in skin color

This is more common with darker skin types where the skin could be slightly lighter or darker in color after treatment. It tends to resolve over time and there are topical creams that will help bring that color back down to the original skin color.

Laser Tattoo Removal Aftercare FAQs

Minor Laser Tattoo Removal Side Effects and How To Treat Them

You can get tiny water blisters or big water blisters. It’s really common with laser tattoo removal. You can carefully lance any large ones with a sterile lancet, but they tend to go completely within a few days.
Sometimes the skin is a little raw after the treatment and you can get a little bit of scabbing over the area. We recommend you keep it covered and keep it clean with a little bit of alkaline water, and it’ll be fine within a few days.
Crusting means some fluid has come out of the tissue and left a bit of a light crust on it. Again, we expect that to happen. Simply keep it covered and keep it clean and it’ll be fine within a few days.
Keeping the area clean and preventing bacteria going into compromised skin is what you want to avoid. Do your best to keep it covered and keep it clean.
This is more common with darker skin types where the skin could be slightly lighter or darker in color after treatment. It tends to resolve over time and there are topical creams that will help bring that color back down to the original skin color.

Healthy Aftercare Patient Following Removal

How Your Overall Health Affects Tattoo Removal Results 

Laser tattoo removal (and its success) relies heavily on your immune system and its ability to flush out ink particles effectively. Taking the necessary steps to strengthen your immune system can enable your body to remove ink faster, which can decrease the total number of sessions you need to fully remove your tattoo.  

Boost Your Immune System Between and After Treatments

Because laser tattoo removal is partially a natural process, boosting your immune system is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall results—and in some cases, make them happen faster.

Step #1 Stay Hydrated Before and After Treatments

Being hydrated is great for your body no matter the circumstance, but your water intake can actually improve how the body reacts to tattoo removal treatments. Hydration increases your circulation, which causes an influx of white blood cells around the treatment area to discard ink. The more white blood cells present, the faster tattoo ink can be carried away to fade your tattoo.

Step #2 Eat Clean & Regularly

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet will provide your body with the fuel it needs to regenerate healthy skin cells after treatment(s).

Step #3 Stay Active

Exercising regularly can strengthen your immune system, so it isn’t overworked by laser tattoo removal treatments and the function of removing ink.

Avoid The Sun After Tattoo Removal Treatment 

Arguably, the most important aftercare step is limiting sun exposure after every laser tattoo removal treatment. We recommend avoiding direct sun exposure for 2 full weeks, and taking any necessary precautions to keep the area covered. Clients should also be mindful when scheduling treatments, so the healing process does not overlap with beach vacations or similar activities. Completely avoiding the sun is simply unrealistic for most people, so here are some ways to protect the treatment area while it’s healing:

Sunscreen

Applying SPF 50+ sunscreen with at least 20% zinc oxide can help protect the treatment area from the sun. However, sunscreen is not enough for sun protection if you’re looking for best-in-class removal results.

Keep Treatment Area Covered 

For true sun protection, you should highly consider keeping the area covered at all times with clothing. This may be impractical for some clients based on the particular season and their personal lifestyle choices; however, there are some workarounds. Wearing light colored clothing does not absorb heat like darker colors, which can help regulate your body temperature in warmer months. You can also cover the area with waterproof cushion tape, a large band-aid, or kinesiology tape to create a physical barrier between your skin and the sun without additional layers of clothing. Many clients start removal in the winter to avoid the hassle of applying sunscreen and wearing long sleeves in the summer.

Tattoo Removal Aftercare: Frequently Asked Questions

Laser tattoo removal can be a large investment of your time and money, often leading to a variety of questions about the process and how it truly works. For your convenience, we compiled some of the most asked questions about laser tattoo removal—and provided you with answers straight from our in-house experts.

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work? 

Laser tattoo removal combines laser technology with your body’s natural process(es) to remove tattoo ink. Removal lasers produce a high-intensity light that targets tattoo ink particles directly, without harming surrounding skin tissue. Tattoo ink absorbs this laser’s energy and shatters into smaller, more-digestible pieces. After your session concludes, your immune system begins removing those particles from your system gradually. Your tattoo will begin to lighten and disappear until it’s fully gone. 

How Does Skin Color Affect Tattoo Removal Results?

While more advanced laser technology ensures tattoo removal is safe and effective for everyone, the process can require a different approach for certain skin tones. Higher amounts of melanin cause the laser’s energy to be absorbed at an increased rate, often resulting in skin discoloration due to improper wavelength settings.  Most reputable laser removal providers use a numerical scale known as the Fitzpatrick Scale to measure the amount of melanin in one’s skin. The Fitzpatrick Scale allows laser specialists to properly navigate treatments based on your skin tone and determine which ink colors can be removed safely. Not all tattoo ink colors can be removed from darker skin tones due to how increased amounts of melanin react to the laser. Any possible limitations will be communicated at your initial consultation, so you know exactly what to expect from the process based on your skin tone.

What is the Best Laser for Tattoo Removal? 

Removery has conducted extensive research to find the best laser for tattoo removal treatments on all skin types. The PicoWay laser by Candela provides the safest, most effective removal results compared to any other laser on the market today.

How Long Does It Take for Tattoo Removal to Heal?

It can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to fully heal from a laser tattoo removal treatment. This timeline is heavily dependent on your tattoo’s qualities (the size, etc.) and your aftercare routine. When the treatment area is fully healed, you can expect all symptoms to disappear, and your skin will return to its normal state.

Can I Shower After Laser Tattoo Removal?

We recommend waiting 24 hours after your laser tattoo removal session to start showering. This initial waiting period can help avoid additional irritation and allow the skin to start healing. Once you’re shower-ready, you should follow these aftercare steps to avoid any skin damage and irritation:

Use Lukewarm Water: Using lukewarm or colder water can reduce discomfort, redness, and swelling while showering.

Use Lower Water Pressure: Higher water pressures can cause extreme irritation and discomfort to the treatment area—or even cause skin damage if blisters are present on the skin. If your shower has high water pressure, it is recommended to gently pour water over the area instead of direct contact.

Use Mild Soap & Avoid Scrubbing: Clean the area gently with a mild soap and avoid scrubbing the skin with exfoliating products. After showering, pat the area dry with a clean towel.

Avoid Submerging the Area: Do not soak your treatment area in baths, pools, or other bodies of water until your skin is fully healed. Because the skin is compromised, you are more susceptible to harmful bacteria and infection.

Can I Exercise After My Treatment?

After your treatment, you should avoid any activities that can aggravate the area or cause unnecessary friction, such as the gym or tight clothing. In most cases, you can continue these activities within 36 hours after treatment—or whenever your initial side effects subside.

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Schedule Your Free Estimate

By following proper aftercare protocols, you can achieve the best possible results from your laser tattoo removal treatments—and even speed up the entire process in some cases. Whether you’ve already started your journey or you’re researching the topic, Removery is here to provide you with the safest, most effective tattoo removal experience possible. Our advanced laser technology and extensive clinical expertise have provided over 2 million successful treatments worldwide; and now, we are ready to make your removal story a reality. Schedule a consultation to get started:

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