A tattoo removal session can take anywhere from a minute to an hour, while complete tattoo removal usually takes several sessions. Professional tattooists use specialized equipment to inject pigment deeper into the subcutaneous layer of the skin, so professional tattoo removal may require six to eight visits. Typically, laser tattoo removal takes six to eight sessions.

Tattoo removal can take up to two months, and the removal process occurs in sessions, of which there may be between six and ten. Large and dark tattoos take longer to remove than small and light ones. And each session must be spaced apart for the skin to heal between them.

For example, if a client has a quarter-sized tattoo, the treatment can take three to five minutes. For a small tattoo about 5 square centimeters in size, removal will likely take about five minutes. For a very small tattoo that is less than one square inch, you should expect removal to only take about two minutes.

Large and Dark Tattoos Take Longer to Remove

The larger the tattoo, the more color and detail it has, the longer it will take to complete this procedure. If the tattoo contains many colors, the removal process may take longer as the technician stops and starts the treatment using different wavelengths for different colors. Depending on the size, color, depth and age of your tattoo, the effect of the laser may not be as noticeable as you would expect after a session. For this reason, it may take several sessions to completely remove the tattoo.

Also, the duration of the process can be affected by the color and size of the tattoo, the age and elasticity of the skin. The size of the tattoo is the most important factor in determining the duration of the session. The age of the person, the ink used for the tattoo, and the age of the tattoo affect the number of sessions needed. The exact length of a laser tattoo removal session will depend on several factors, including size, color, and location on the body.

Tattoo Age and Many Other Factors Affect Removal Time

Many factors can affect the time it takes to remove, including the size and age of the tattoo, individual skin tone and condition, and even the color of the ink removed. The time required for most removal sessions is directly related to the size of the tattoo, ranging from 10 to 20 minutes for smaller tattoos and 45 to 60 minutes for larger tattoos. A laser removal session can last a few minutes, small tattoos can last an hour or more, and large, intricate tattoos.

For example, small tattoos of just a few centimeters or inches in size that don’t require a lot of ink can be completely removed in as little as 4 or 5 sessions; for larger tattoos with a lot of pigmentation, 6 or more may be required. The duration of this treatment varies from person to person, but most patients require six to twelve sessions to completely remove the tattoo.

Tattoo Removal Takes Several Weeks

Most treatments are six to eight weeks apart, so for small to medium tattoos, the process can take several months. Tattoo removal surgery can take anywhere from one to several hours, depending on the size of the tattoo and the surgeon’s method of restoration.

You’ll need to undergo a series of laser treatments over a period of several weeks or more to remove the tattoo. Therefore, you usually need to go through several procedures to remove professionally designed tattoos. These types of tattoos usually take longer to heal after removal, so you may need more treatment.

For example, one of the most common reasons is fading of a tattoo that you may not want to retouch; since the pigment remains in the skin after it has faded, laser removal is the best way to deal with old tattoos. Sometimes it makes sense to live with unwanted tattoos for about a year so that the pigment has time to age before laser removal.

Old Tattoos May Take Longer to Remove

Some older tattoos take longer to remove due to the quality of the ink and the way the skin has become overgrown with pigment. While older tattoos, which are more likely to fade, are easier to remove in the long term, new tattoos with fresh ink are more resistant to this treatment. As a rule, it takes fewer sessions to remove an old tattoo than a new one, because it has already begun the process of degradation.

In the same way that particularly colorful tattoos are more difficult to remove, deep tattoos also take longer to remove because deeper layers of skin need to be treated. Monochrome tattoos are sometimes easier to remove because the depth of the ink doesn’t sink into the skin as much as colored tattoos; however, even black pigment takes time to remove, especially if the tattoo is larger or includes shades of gray.

The simple explanation is that while a tattoo deposits pigmented inks in the subcutaneous layers of the skin, tattoo removal requires the removal of these pigments, which can take longer the more complex, larger, and more colorful the tattoo is. There are different sizes of tattoos, and larger tattoos require more time to clean, cool, and bandage after treatment.

Ensure the Area Is Cleaned Well Before Removing the Tattoo

Even large areas of tattoo removal require more time for cleaning before treatment, as well as for cooling and dressing after treatment. Large tattoos, as you can probably imagine, take longer to remove than small ones. Tattoos that are covered or resurfaced will likely take longer to see full removal results due to the density of the ink layer in the dermis. Even the smallest tattoos take time to remove and you should expect large tattoos to not be done overnight.

Once the laser breaks the ink into smaller pieces, your body’s immune system works to remove the ink over the next few weeks, washing it off the tattoo area. It takes weeks for the body’s immune system to do its job after a laser session, so the tattoo will slowly lighten during this period of time. This takes a long time because every time a laser tattoo is applied, the particles are broken down and digested by the body’s immune system. The body allows the immune system to get rid of these particles as the body heals between sessions.

Some Removal Strategies Are Especially Effective

Use Cutera Enlighten to remove unwanted tattoos and reveal the beautiful clear skin where your ink once existed. Black ink responds well to laser treatment, and you will need fewer sessions to remove particularly black tattoos. This means that laser hair removal specialists need to consider how much ink your body can safely absorb after a session, in addition to other considerations, such as the size and color of the tattoo and skin tone.

The laser tattoo removal process varies from person to person, and the length and duration of the treatment will depend on the depth of pigment, the color of the tattoo and the size of the tattoo.