Do you poop out ink after tattoo removal?

Author: Matteo Kunze  |  Last update: Tuesday, November 4, 2025

After laser treatment, the broken-down ink particles are tiny enough to be absorbed by your army of white blood cells. Once absorbed, the tiny particles are sent to your lymph nodes and eventually eliminated through perspiration, urine or fecal matter.

Where does ink go after tattoo removal?

When you get a tattoo, you can pretty much expect that it'll be with you forever. But, if for whatever reason you change your mind, there are removal options. Unfortunately, even after removal, the ink doesn't just disappear — we actually excrete it through our lymphatic system.

Do you pee out ink after tattoo removal?

No, the body doesn't eject the pigments from the bladder. It exits through solid waste.

How long does it take for tattoo ink to leave your system?

It usually takes about 6 – 12 weeks for the body to finish getting rid of these loosened ink particles.

What happens to your body after tattoo removal?

During the first week after the laser treatment, the body will continue to remove and digest the ink. During this step of tattoo removal, your skin will begin to heal. As a result, it will likely remain red and swollen for the first several days, which is quite normal.

What Happens When You Get A Tattoo Removed

Is it OK if ink comes off tattoo?

It's normal for a tattoo to peel and lose a little bit of ink as your skin heals. Care for your tattoo diligently by keeping it clean, moisturized, dry, and out of the sun.

What organs are tattoo ink found in?

However, very low doses of the pigment-associated substances might be cleared by the intracellular acids of macrophages and could subsequently be transported to other organs. In animal studies, tattoo pigments have been found in the kidney, the liver, and the spleen.

Can I donate blood if I have tattoos?

Yes, you can donate blood if you have tattoos

The same rules also apply to ear and body piercings. Remember, tattoos also include tattoo “touch-ups” and permanent cosmetic tattoos.

Is tattoo removal hard on the liver?

The ink that breaks down is processed through the liver, so it is important to discuss liver problems with your doctor before proceeding. Keep in mind that a healthy liver will have minimal to no issues, but a liver that is already struggling could end up with adverse effects.

How do you detox after tattoo removal?

Stay Hydrated. The best tip people always give for healthy and glowing skin is to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. This tip also works for tattoo removal aftercare. Laser tattoo removal fragments the ink, which is then filtered out by your body's lymphatic system; this also triggers the immune system.

Do you poop out laser tattoo removal?

Laser tattoo removal doesn't actually 'remove' tattoos. The process breaks down the ink particles so your white blood cells can carry them to your liver. Basically, you poop out your old tattoo.

Do you pee ink after tattoo removal?

Once broken down, the ink particles enter the lymphatic system and are processed similarly to other waste products. The body filters these particles through the liver and kidneys. While you don't literally “pee out” the ink, the kidneys filter waste, eventually exiting the body through urine.

What are the risks of tattoo removal?

Laser tattoo removal can leave behind skin that is lighter than the skin around it. Other risks include possible scarring, infection, pinpoint bleeding, redness, or soreness, none of which should last for long.

What breaks down tattoo ink?

Laser tattoo removal uses bursts of light energy to break down tattoo pigments under your skin. Once the ink is shattered into tiny fragments, your body's immune system processes and flushes it out. Sessions are typically spaced several weeks apart to allow your skin to heal and give your body time to clear the ink.

What is the disadvantage of tattoos?

A skin infection is possible after getting a tattoo. An infection might be due to contaminated ink or equipment that isn't sterilized correctly. Getting a tattoo at a studio that doesn't follow good safety steps also can raise your risk of a skin infection.

Can I donate blood if I'm on my period?

Yes. Menstruating doesn't affect your ability to donate.

What is the rarest blood type?

AB negative is the rarest of the eight main blood types - just 1% of our donors have it. Despite being rare, demand for AB negative blood is low and we don't struggle to find donors with AB negative blood. However, some blood types are both rare and in demand.

Is tattoo ink toxic to the body?

However, evidence does show that some tattoo inks contain carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) – chemicals that have been classified as known or possible carcinogens by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

How does your body excrete tattoo ink?

The immune system then recognizes these fragments as foreign intruders and sends macrophages (the clean up cells) to escort them out of the body. The small ink particles are processed through the liver and kidneys and are eventually expelled through various ways of excretion.

What animal does tattoo ink come from?

Gelatin is used as a binding agent and is perhaps the most common animal ingredient found in tattoo ink. Some inks will use shellac instead, which is derived from beetle shells. Bone char is used in some brands of black ink to give it a darker pigmentation.

What stage of tattoo is itchy?

Stage Two (Days 7-14) – Itching and flaking begins, and this continues until layers of dead skin and scabs have fallen off. 3. Stage Three (Days 15-30) – Tattoo looks fully healed but may look slightly cloudy for a few weeks. Deeper layers of skin are still repairing, so continue to look after your tattoo.

How long does it take for ink to disappear after tattoo removal?

Laser tattoo removal is a process that relies on the body eliminating ink from the skin which can take some time to process. While results will become apparent within a few weeks, it is not unusual for the body to take more than a year to completely eliminate ink.

Why is there a hole in my new tattoo?

Thick or excessive scabbing

Excessive scabbing is most common cause for tattoo cracking. Most tattoos will produce a very light and barely visible scab, others may have heavier scabs with thick, prominent crusts. Scabs will begin to raise, decreasing in moisture which will increase the chance of cracking.

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