After the first session, most people can expect some significant fading, especially outlines. It's also important to note that differences in your tattoo will affect how the fading appears.
Common effects include redness, slight swelling, and a whitish “frosting” on the tattooed area, which is a sign that the laser has successfully targeted the ink. These effects are temporary and typically subside within a few hours to days.
After your laser tattoo removal procedure, you might expect some redness, swelling, mild blistering, itching, and raised areas. This is to be expected. At first, the skin will be very sensitive and tender. These reactions to treatment should fade within two weeks.
Many people start to see their ink fade after three appointments. Given six to eight weeks between each session, you can expect the results to start showing a few months after the process starts.
After your first laser treatment, the area will get red and have some swelling. There might be a tingly sunburn sensation for 30-45 minutes post-treatment, and blistering is the most severe of side effects, which typically pops up within 24 hours of your first session.
The tattoo won't get removed on the first session. Yes, the lasers can deliver a visible result, but it usually takes anywhere between 5 and 10 treatments to fully remove the ink (sometimes longer).
Tattoos will begin to fade within the first two to three weeks after treatment.
Once the lasers have broken up the ink particles, the lymphatic system transports them to the liver. In the liver, enzymes break down the ink particles to then be eliminated through urine.
The efficacy of laser tattoo removal depends on a number of factors. Certain bright colors are more difficult to remove than the standard black ink. If the tattoo was applied by a professional tattoo artist as opposed to an amateur application will also be an important factor.
Laser treatments may darken or lighten skin pigment over and around the tattoo. Sun exposure can also cause blistering and increase the time it takes to heal. Be sure to apply sunscreen before and after laser tattoo removal to minimize changes in your skin pigment.
Tattoo ink will often oxidize which is what happens to white ink when laser treated. The white pigmentation turns into a darker pigment because the laser breaks the particles apart into tiny fragments which oxidize with the light exposure and the tattoo often turns into a light brown or blue shade.
One week after first treatment, hair will begin to shed, but this is not new growth. Do not pluck or tweeze. Three to four weeks after the first treatment, your skin will be smooth.
Lasers can heat pigment-containing cells quickly through short pulses to rupture them and send the fragments into the body for drainage. Where does all that ink go? Some of the tattoo pigment gets washed away by the body's natural lymphatic system and some is released through the healing skin surface post-treatment.
Simply put, your tattoo has become darker because the metals in the ink have become oxidized, leading to a temporary greying or darkening until the tattoo fades. Thankfully, this proves that your treatments are working according to plan, and it is just a matter of time until your tattoo has cleared up.
Laser Tattoo Removal After 3 Sessions
If you're looking for a full removal experience, you are well on your way through the process. After Session 3, you will probably see significant fading on your tattoo. Some elements might be on their way to being “fully” faded. This appointment will begin like the second.
Tattoo appearance alters significantly after laser removal. Redness and swelling are common immediate reactions. The frosted appearance fades with time as healing occurs. Results vary based on skin type and tattoo characteristics.
Wrong Laser Wavelength for the Ink Color
If the tattoo ink can't absorb much of the light directed from the tattoo removal device, the particles won't shatter and the tattoo won't be erased.
Smoking slows down the healing process and impacts the immune system. This increases the number of removal sessions you have to undergo. Smoking also leads to poor blood circulation, which impacts oxygen and nutrients delivery to the treated area. As a result, the tattoo fades slowly.
In most cases, fading can be seen within a few weeks after the first laser treatment. However, especially with black line-work or very dense tattoos, the fading is very minimal and often is not noticed until pictures (before treatment and current) are placed side-by-side.
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.
In some situations, a tattoo may become unresponsive to lasers after repeated treatments because the ink has faded so much as to make it difficult for the laser to interact with the ink.
It's relatively common for tattoo removal to not remove a tattoo completely. But some tattoo removal procedures will completely remove the tattoo from your body. When tattoo removal isn't 100% successful, some colors of tattoo dye resist removal, and some pigment is too deep for lasers to reach, for example.