No single laser can remove all tattoo colors. 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.
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.
Black ink tends to outlast any other color because it is super pigmented. Other darker colors like dark blue, dark green, gray, and dark purple will have a similar lifespan to black ink. Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
Colored tattoos can fade over time and might need regular touch-ups to remain sharp. Black and gray tattoos are low maintenance in this regard as they don't fade easily and do not require you to get periodic touch-ups.
Ink color does play a role in tattoo removal success. Colored tattoos often require more treatment sessions to completely remove compared to all-black tattoos. However full removal of even the most colorful tattoos is possible.
Tattoos Which Are Easy to Remove
Black, dark brown, dark blue, and other dark colors can be easily disintegrated using laser and require fewer sessions of treatment. Black, in particular, is the easiest color to remove, as it absorbs all colors and all wavelengths and can be removed quickly.
Tattoo Ink
Black tattoos are the easiest to remove because the laser is able to target the black pigment more precisely. Other colours such as red, orange, and yellows can become more difficult to remove depending whether the tattoos were amateur or professional.
Ink Particle Size: Tattoos are permanent because the ink particle size is too large for the body to remove through its natural processes. The bigger the ink particle size, the harder it is to remove a tattoo. During laser tattoo removal, the ink particles are shattered into tiny particles.
Red: Red pigment often causes the most skin reactions and is considered the most dangerous because it contains cadmium, mercury or iron oxide.
Lasers are high-intensity light beams which usually have a single wavelength. Different ink colours absorb different wavelengths and the higher absorption of light results in quicker removal of the tattoo. Since black colour absorbs all wavelengths, it is the easiest to eliminate.
Dr. Kunin reports that black might be the safest permanent tattoo ink; it is often derived from a substance called carbon black and rarely causes any kind of sensitivity issues.
Scarring. Scarring is probably the biggest concern for those getting their tattoos removed with a laser. The more aggressive the treatments, the more likely it is to get a scar. Certain areas on the body are more likely to scar such as the wrists and ankles.
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.
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.
Yes! Covering your existing tattoo by process of “blacking it out” is entirely possible, though it will be a time consuming and expensive undertaking.
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.
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. This is especially the case with white hued tattoos.
Yes, lemon and lime juices are natural brighteners that can help fade tattoos. Apply freshly squeezed juice to the tattoo 2-3 times a day. This method works well for black tattoos (they will turn light brown) and does not work well with colored inks — green, blue, etc.