When you got your tattoo, the artist deposited ink particles below the dermis — too deep for skin shedding to clear, too large for your immune system to process. They sit there indefinitely. A laser breaks those particles into small enough pieces that white blood cells can finally do their job.
The two laser generations
Picosecond (Pico) lasers
- · Faster ink shattering = fewer sessions
- · Less heat damage to surrounding skin
- · Better for stubborn colours (blue, green)
- · More expensive per session
- · Still 6–10 sessions for full removal
Q-Switch (Nanosecond) lasers
- · Cheaper per session
- · Effective on dark inks
- · Decades of clinical use — well understood
- · More sessions needed than Pico
- · Slower fade on coloured ink
- · More skin trauma per session
What determines how fast your tattoo fades
Black is easiest. Red and orange are next. Blue, green, yellow are the slowest. White and UV reactive can be effectively impossible.
Old, faded tattoos clear faster than fresh, dense work. A 20-year-old traditional fades 2x faster than the same design from last year.
Areas with strong blood flow (chest, back, upper arm) clear faster than feet, ankles, hands.
Lighter skin tones can use higher laser intensity safely. Darker skin requires longer wavelengths and lower power — slower clearance, but safer.
Sessions need to be 6–8 weeks apart minimum. Going more frequently doesn't speed things up — it just damages skin.
Sun protection between sessions is critical. UV exposure can cause hyperpigmentation and slow clearance dramatically.
Questions to ask before booking
- · What laser do you use? (Pico is generally preferable.)
- · Are your laser operators registered nurses or trained under medical supervision?
- · Can I see before/after photos at sessions 3, 6 and 9?
- · What's your honest estimate of how many sessions I need?
- · What's the price per session AND for a course (most clinics offer packages)?
- · Do you offer free consultation and patch test?
Find a clinic
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