Factors that determine how many sessions will be required include;
Skin Type – Pale skin is easier to treat than darker skin as there is a bigger contrast between pale skin and tattoo ink. The laser targets the colour it is programmed for and if there is not a lot of difference between the skin colour and the tattoo colour then both will be targeted. Darker skin colours will require more sessions as the laser power will be lower to minimise side effects.
Placement of Tattoo – The immune system clears laser shattered tattoo inks better when the tattoos are located on the torso. These tattoos require fewer treatments. Tattoos on the extremities such as feet or hands are cleared the slowest and therefore require more sessions.
Colour(s) of Tattoo – The darker the ink colour the easier it is to remove.
Volume of Tattoo Ink – Tattoos with minimal ink require very few sessions as they are easy to remove. These are usually amateur tattoos or cheap tattoos that were obtained whilst overseas in places such as Bali and Thailand.
Depth of Tattoo – The skin consists of multiple layers. The deeper the tattoo the harder it is to remove and the more sessions required to fade or eliminate the inks.
Age of the Tattoo
Tattooing methods have changed over time, with newer techniques often distributing more ink deeper in the skin.
Location of the Tattoo
Tattoo ink is broken down by laser and taken away by the body’s lymphatic and immune systems. Blood supply and lymphatic drainage vary with various body areas, with the greatest supply being the head/neck and upper body, and the least to the extremities. Therefore tattoos that are situated in areas of high blood supply and lymphatic drainage usually require fewer treatments to remove.
Black and darker colours tend to be the most readily removed, with yellow, green, and multi-coloured tattoos possibly requiring more treatments to achieve your desired results.
Amount of Ink
Tattoos with minimal ink or outlines only tend to be easier to remove and require fewer sessions than heavily inked and solid areas such as tribal tattoos.
Scarring – Tattooing the skin can often lead to complications such as scarring and other changes in the tissue that make the tattoo more difficult to remove by laser. Where these complications exist, more sessions may be required to remove the tattoos. Other treatments may be used in conjunction with tattoo removal to assist in breaking down the existing scar tissue enabling the achievement of your desired result.
Layered Tattoos – Tattoos that have been tattooed over tend to be more difficult to remove due to the increased amount of ink and number of colours.
