It is possible for a tattoo to appear darker after laser treatment. One reason for this is that once ink has been broken up by the laser, the immune system is free to move the smaller particles around in the skin. The immune system can flush the ink away internally or push it out externally. Pushing ink out externally allows for the ink to appear darker at times.
If you have light colors in your tattoo that may contain traces of white ink, it is possible to see these lighter colors change to a darker shade. This happens as the white ink oxidizes and turns a grayish color. Have no fear. The new color will be treatable. It just typically requires a combination of wavelengths to completely remove the now darker color.
As always if you have questions or concerns about the progress of your treatments, feel free to contact us. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.
This was a mixture of many light colors intended to create a flesh-toned cover-up. It is quite difficult to mimic a flesh-tone and often times they just do not turn out right. After laser treatments, the colors have oxidized. Notice that while the colors appear darker, the density is much less. After 3 treatments, we are beginning to see actual flesh color under the oxidized inks, especially in the center of the tattoo.