With laser tattoo removal, is there an amount of time that is too much to have between treatments?

The short answer is, no. With laser tattoo removal time is a good thing. It t takes time for the skin to heal. It also takes time for the immune system to work on the ink that has been shattered by the laser’s energy. The majority of this process does occur in the first 4 to 8 week after treatment. This is when the immune system is most active, however as long as there are shattered ink particles in the skin, the immune system will continue to work to flush them out. It is not uncommon to continue to see fading several months after treatment.

On the other hand, we know that once the decision is made to remove a tattoo, you want it gone as soon as possible. We recommend treatments be done every 4-8 weeks to allow time for your skin to heal and give your immune system an opportunity to flush away the shattered ink. Sooner than 4 weeks is not advised. As treatment progresses and we begin targeting ink deeper in the skin, treatments may need to be spaced further apart. This is to ensure you are seeing the best possible result from each treatment. If you ever have questions or concerns about your treatment, the way your skin is healing, the way or tattoo is fading, etc please feel free to speak to one of our laser specialists. We are here to answer your questions and ensure your satisfaction.

The photos below show a tattoo that required more than 4 weeks for healing.  The first photo was taken prior to the first treatment.  The second photo was taken about 6 weeks after the first treatment.  An area of the tattoo was not fully healed, and thus we deemed it necessary to wait longer before treating a second time.  Just over one week later the tattoo was ready to treat.  It’s amazing the difference a week can make on how much ink is flushed from the skin.  Notice in the third picture the area where the scab had been.  More ink has faded from that spot than just about any other area of the tattoo.  The longer a scab or blister is intact, the more active the immune system is and often times more ink is flushed away from those areas than from areas that heal more quickly.  So while scabs and blisters are no fun to deal with, just know that their presence can help to remove more ink from your tattoo.