What It’s Really Like To Get Your Tattoo Removed

Nobody gets tattooed thinking about what happens if they hate the result — take it from someone who’s been tattooed 20 times over the last 17 years. The giddy satisfaction of selecting a design, finding an artist, making the appointment, and finally sitting for the session — whether it’s five minutes or five hours — is enough to convince anyone that this permanent decision is most definitely a solid one. And maybe it is for a few months (or even years!) as you proudly show off the ink to friends and family. But then a twinge of regret starts to seep into your mind, prompting you to yearn for the time when your skin was a blank canvas. Or, you might wish you’d selected a different design to fill that coveted real estate. Suddenly, the tattoo that felt like the best decision you made starts to feel like a mistake.

Luckily, there are solutions for getting rid of tattoos — but they require time, dedication, money, and pain tolerance. If you’re ready to commit and have the budget, laser tattoo removal might be a viable option to permanently erase the ink and get your skin back to square one.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about tattoo removal, from the average cost to the length of the treatment. Plus, I’m sharing my firsthand account of the experience (and just how painful the lasers really are when they blast away that unwanted design).

How Does a Tattoo Removal Laser Work?

Although lasers for tattoo removal have been around since the late 1960s, they often damaged the surrounding tissue in their effort to remove the pigment. But in 1980, Rox Anderson, a board-certified dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard and MIT, developed laser-based treatments for skin lesions, birthmarks, scars, and tattoos that were able to dissolve the pigment. This dermatological breakthrough continues to inform the development of pigment-targeting lasers to this day. But what exactly is the laser doing to eliminate the ink once it hits the skin?

First, it’s essential to understand how tattoo ink survives in the skin’s dermis (the layer of tissue just below the outermost layer of skin). “Tattoos stay on the skin because the particles of ink used are too large for our body’s immune cells to remove them,” says Dr. Robyn Gmyrek, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor of dermatology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. “Lasers use intense, focused beams of light to explode these large particles of ink into smaller pieces.” Once the tattoo ink is broken down, the immune system is then able to remove the particles. This happens with help from the lymphatic system to transport the ink out of the body via sweat, urine, or fecal matter. Yes, you read that correctly.

Dr. Joshua Weitz, M.D., clinical director at Dermatology Associates of Rochester and chief medical officer at Removery, notes that the most popular laser (a Picosecond Nd:YAG laser) contains different wavelengths of light to target different pigments of ink, called chromophores or light-absorbing molecules. So if you’re hoping to remove a brightly colored tattoo as opposed to black and gray ink, your treatment will need to be tailored with different laser wavelength settings.

However, some tattoo colors are more difficult to remove than others. “Tattoos that have bright, colorful pigments will permanently fade but may not fully [be removed] because they are composed of large molecules, like chromium and cobalt, that are difficult for even powerful lasers to fully break down,” says Dr. Will Kirby, M.D., chief medical officer at LaserAway. However, he notes that your immune system will continue to naturally process the remaining ink, and the tattoo will continue to fade over time.

How Long Does Tattoo Removal Take?

While you probably sat for just a single tattoo session, the removal process is unfortunately much more involved, and it’s difficult to determine exactly how many treatments you’ll need to completely eliminate the tattoo. The size of the design won’t necessarily prolong the treatment, but Kirby notes that tattoos larger than a sheet of paper, or tattoos that wrap around an extremity (like a full sleeve), may need to be split up into multiple sessions, as swelling can be a common side effect.

Weitz adds that the overall health of the client can also impact the treatment. “If someone is older versus younger, their immune system is going to respond differently,” he says. “Because at the end of the day, the laser is breaking up the ink into smaller particles, and then it's up to the body to carry the ink away from the area that's visible.” Things like smoking, an unhealthy lifestyle, and poor blood circulation can all theoretically impact how long it will take to remove a tattoo.

The tattoo depth can also influence the length of a removal process. “Tattoo artists have different styles,” says Weitz. “The pressure of the individual’s hand, how much ink was placed into the tattoo, the type of ink used — there [are] a lot of intangibles that we don't always have as much control over.” An extremely dark and dense tattoo will inevitably take longer to fully remove, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s impossible. Plus, those designs that you got tattooed in your teenage years? They might actually be easier to erase than you think.

“Usually older tattoos are a bit easier to remove because some of the ink may have already been cleared,” says Gmyrek, clarifying that this is mainly an anecdotal observation and might not apply to everyone. Your laser technician will advise you during an initial consultation about the estimated number of sessions required, but remember — everyone’s body reacts differently to lasers, as do tattoos.

“The average professional tattoo will typically require 10 to 12 treatments for removal,” says Kirby. “If a patient is interested in fading their tattoo, say for cover-up purposes, the number of treatments may be lower.” You should also be prepared for the entire process to take about a year or more, since appointments need to be spaced six to eight weeks apart.

How Much Does Tattoo Removal Cost?

Tattoo removal is not cheap, but the price is also entirely dependent on where you go to remove your tattoo and the number of sessions required. There are numerous studios that solely offer tattoo removal, such as Removery (a global chain) or NAAMA Studios (regional to New York). Some aesthetic laser salons and medispas, like LaserAway, also provide tattoo removal services, as do some dermatologists. Generally, however, you can expect to pay between $100 to $200 per session to remove the tattoo, although most companies offer bundle packages and payment plans to lessen the overall cost. These can be helpful if you’re looking for complete removal, as opposed to lightening the tattoo in order to undergo a cover-up, which might only require four to eight sessions.

Does Tattoo Removal Hurt?

I won’t sugarcoat it — yes, removing a tattoo is painful. But when I visited Removery to begin my own removal journey, I was also pleasantly surprised that it hurt far less than what I was expecting. I would give it about a 6 or 7 out of 10, pain-wise.

Once I entered the private treatment room and got situated on the dentist-style chair, the team provided an ice pack to numb the area on my inner bicep for 60 seconds. Then we started with one zap to test how my skin would react, after which a technician started to maneuver the laser wand around my tattoo. I’d describe the sensation as the snap of a rubber band on a sunburn. Honestly, I’ve had laser hair removal in my armpits, an extremely sensitive area, and that hurts much worse in my opinion (as does getting tattooed), and with the accompanying cold air wand directed at my skin, I barely needed to squeeze the stress ball the team provided. If you’re treating your face, neck, palms, or ribs — all spicy areas to tattoo — the pain might be more severe. The plus side? The laser is only hitting your skin for a few seconds (although this is dependent on the size of the tattoo).

The treated area reacts by puffing slightly and turning white, a process known as “frosting,” but this fades after a few minutes. For a 3-inch design with minimal shading like mine, the entire process was over in less than 10 seconds.

Tattoo Removal Aftercare

After the laser was finished, my technician reapplied the ice pack for a few seconds and reviewed the aftercare with me. She recommended that for the next 48 hours, I keep the area clean and dry, avoid heavily scented products or tight clothing, and avoid working out. She also emphasized lots of sun protection.

By the time I got home, the skin around my tattoo was still slightly red, and for a few days afterward the area was a little sensitive to the touch. With only one session down and at least seven more pending, I don’t see that much of a difference yet, but the technician team assured me that in a few more months I would see significant lightening in the dark black lines.

Are There Any Risks To Tattoo Removal?

As with any skin care treatment that involves lasers, there is a small (but not insignificant) degree of risk with tattoo removal. “Because lasers generate heat in order to break down the tattoo ink, and because it is difficult to tell how much ink is in the skin, if too much heat is generated it can cause blisters, scars, and discoloration of the skin (which can be temporary or permanent),” says Gmyrek. A trained technician will understand how to adjust the laser settings to appropriately treat your tattoo. However, just as you wouldn’t visit a sketchy tattoo shop for a new tattoo, be sure to vet your removal options thoroughly and ask for plenty of before-and-after photos.

The good thing is laser tattoo removal is feasible for all skin tones. As Weitz explains, “The 1064 PICO [laser] is approved for use in Fitzpatrick 1-6 [Editor’s note: the measurement for classifying skin tones based on the amount of pigment a person has], so the full gambit of individuals out there, regardless of how much melanin is in their skin, [can undergo treatment].” He clarifies that the settings do change depending on a client’s melanin levels in order to safely and effectively remove their unwanted tattoo.

So, regardless of your skin tone or the type of tattoo you’re hoping to say goodbye to forever, with enough patience, pain tolerance, and some thoughtful budgeting, you can soon be on your way to ink-free skin, permanently. Or, at least until your next, more thought-out tattoo.