Black ink is the easiest to remove completely, followed by green and blue which can be a little more difficult. Pigments such as purple, yellow and white are the most difficult to remove completely. In order to successfully remove a bright, multi-coloured tattoo, different laser wavelengths are required.
Tattoo removal has some limitations including: it can be uncomfortable. it's a very slow process – 10 or more sessions may be needed to remove the tattoo. many tattoos cannot be completely removed – it's quite common to have some ink left in the skin.
In general, clients need at least three to six sessions to remove each tattoo. After every session, you must allow the area to heal for at least before receiving another session. With these numbers in mind, it takes a minimum of 12 to 24 weeks, on average, to remove a tattoo.
Tattoos can now be targeted with lasers that remove the pigmentation without damaging the skin, meaning you can go back to your old ink-free look. Some tattoos are challenging to remove. These include things like metallic ink, light greens, light blues, and permanent makeup.
Tattoo Ink
Green is the hardest color to remove followed by light blue. Neon colors are also incredibly difficult to remove, and typically require multiple treatments with the Ruby laser. As a general rule, the greater the contrast between the color of the tattoo pigment and your skin, the better the result.
Different colors, different lasers
Different dyes respond to different light wavelengths. Black and dark green are the easiest colors to remove; yellow, purple, turquoise and fluorescent dyes are hardest to fade.
Different colors of ink absorb color differently. Specifically, lighter colors like white, yellow, light blue, and pink are the most difficult to remove, as are green, red, and neon colors.
Over time, tattoos tend to fade and lose their pigmentation. This is especially true for black out tattoos which tend to break down much more rapidly.
Older tattoos generally fade more easily with laser treatments than newer ones. For instance, a black tattoo that is ten years old may take one or two treatments less than a one year old black tattoo. Why? Because the body has already absorbed some of the tattoo's pigment throughout the years, making it easier to fade.
About 21% said their regret had begun around the one-year mark, and 36% reported that several years had passed before they doubted their decision.
How you treat your skin, and its condition, affects tattoo removal as much as when you got the tattoo. Though most people find that there's little to no scarring from the process, it does happen. More frequently occurring in those with darker skin tones, scarring can come about due to a loss of pigmentation.
Guess how tattoos stay there forever, even as your skin cells die and are replaced? French researchers say they have found the answer, and it's a little bit surprising. They found that immune system cells called macrophages eat the ink, and then pass it to their replacements when they die.
The oldest form of tattoo removal was primitive dermabrasion; rubbing at the skin using some sort of rough surface like sandpaper until the layers peeled off. This technique was popular in Roman times.
Blackout tattoos are sometimes used to cover-up older ink, but they've also seen rising popularity as first-pass tattoos. Of course, as the nature of these tattoos may suggest, the process of getting a blackout tattoo is difficult and time-consuming.
The color of your ink will make your tattoo age a whole lot better. Darker colors, especially black, fade much less than brighter colors, especially red. Black and grayscale colors last usually longer than colored tattoos.
The only clinically proven method of fading is tattoo laser removal. During the procedure, concentrated streams of light are used to break up the ink deep beneath the surface of the skin.
Saline removal actually removes ink from the body, whereas a method such as laser removal, breaks up the ink into smaller fragments and may push pigment deeper into the skin, only to then be processed by your lymphatic system.
There are certain areas of your body where a tattoo will fade faster. Areas of the body tattoos fade most include the hands, feet, elbows, armpit and inside of the arms. The reason is simple: friction. For example, tattoos on your feet fade quicker as socks and shoes are constantly rubbing these areas.
Although it is not possible to predict the number of sessions required for complete removal, most patients generally need 6 – 8 sessions. Larger tattoos may take 10 treatments or more.
The American Academy of Dermatology says petroleum-based products can cause ink to fade. They recommend using water-based moisturizers on new tattoos instead. But why? Products like Vaseline and super thick ointments may trap moisture and bacteria on top of a new tattoo, increasing your risk of developing an infection.
Take about 1/4 cup of sand powder and aloe vera gel, combine them to create a gooey paste, and apply it multiple times a day over your tattoo until it vanishes. The sand grit in the mixture helps remove the pigment attached to the skin, and it is an efficient way of removing tattoos.
Yes, lasers can remove tattoos completely. In fact, lasers are the safest, most effective tool to remove unwanted tattoos with. However, you may need to receive several sessions before the tattoo is removed completely.