Do you have a tattoo that you wish you hadn’t gotten? Many people find themselves in this situation. Tattoos are rising in popularity, and so is tattoo regret. Today, one in five people who have a tattoo want to erase it. Fortunately, laser tattoo removal is a safe, proven solution. At Franklin Skin and Laser in Franklin, TN, we would love to help you say goodbye to your unwanted ink. So, how long does it take to see the results of this treatment?
Initial Results in As Little as 18 Weeks
The amount of time it takes for you to see your tattoo start to fade depends on how your body responds to the treatment. The kind of ink used is also a major factor. Getting rid of a tattoo completely takes multiple sessions, but the results accumulate with each one. The sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart, which allows your skin to process the treatment. 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.
Final Results After One or Two Years
The timeline of this treatment varies greatly from person to person, but most patients need between six and twelve sessions to completely remove a tattoo. Given the time in between each appointment, this means that you can see your final results within one or two years. That said, some people can be done after only four sessions while others will require as many as fifteen.
While the process does not provide immediate final results, most patients enjoy seeing the gradual progression. With each session, you will experience cumulative improvements. By sticking with this treatment, you can watch your tattoo fade into oblivion for good.
How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?
For most patients, the time it takes to get rid of a tattoo is well worth it. If you thought you might have to live with your unwanted ink forever, it can be a great relief to know that a laser treatment can erase it in as little as one year. So, how does this process work?
State-of-the-Art Technology
Not too long ago, tattoos were permanent. They were lifelong commitments that couldn’t be reversed. That was bad news for anyone whose tastes changed. Today, laser technology can do amazing things in the fields of medicine and cosmetics. When used to treat tattoos, they provide a safe, effective way to clear the skin of unwanted designs. You may have thought your tattoo would last forever when you got it, but that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. With the power of laser technology, you don’t have to live with tattoos you no longer want.
Our lasers emit focused beams that specifically target the colors that appear in your tattoo. The pigment in the ink absorbs this energy and ruptures. This process happens safely, because the beams are not attracted to the surrounding tissue. Once the ink particles have been blasted into tiny fragments, your body is able to safely reabsorb them. This happens through the natural process of your immune system.
Why Does the Ink Take Time to Remove?
Before laser tattoo removal, getting rid of tattoo ink was incredibly tricky. Even now, it takes time. This is because of the way it locks into your cells.
Your Immune System Can’t Get Rid of Tattoo Ink on Its Own
Your skin is a complex organ that is regulated by your immune system. Your body can detect foreign substances, such as tattoo ink, and works to get rid of them. In most cases, it can clear these elements with special cells called macrophages. Under normal circumstances, the macrophages absorb potentially dangerous particles and dispose of them.
Tattoo ink poses a problem for the macrophages. While they can absorb it, they can’t let it go. If a macrophage that contains tattoo ink ruptures, the ink is absorbed by other macrophages. That’s why tattoos stay in your skin permanently unless you seek cosmetic treatment.
Laser Treatments Need Time to Work With Your Body
Getting laser treatments is the safest and most complete way to get rid of your tattoo. With each session, the wavelengths blast some of the ink particles into fragments that are small enough for the macrophages to eliminate. Your body needs some time after every session to go through its clearing processes. By continuing your sessions, you will ultimately see your tattoo fade away.
What Factors Make Laser Tattoo Removal Go Faster or Slower?
Some patients can see their final results after several months, while others can take two years. Why does the speed of this treatment vary so much from person to person? The answer is that there are many factors that can make a tattoo harder or easier to treat. Here are a few:
The Age and Depth of the Tattoo Ink
Tattoos that are older are easier and faster to remove than fresh ink. Tattoos that are brand new need to heal a bit before receiving treatment. If you have had a change of heart immediately after getting a tattoo, you should wait between four to six weeks before starting the removal process.
Tattoos can be done at different levels of depth inside your skin, which is another important factor. As you might imagine, the ones that are deeper take longer to remove. If you want to get rid of an amateur tattoo, that could be good news for you. They tend to be done closer to the top layer of skin than professional designs.
The Location of Your Tattoo
Surprisingly, the speed of your tattoo removal process is affected by where you chose to get the ink done. Tattoos that are closer to your heart can be cleared faster than ones that are far away. This is because areas near your heart get stronger circulation and more immune system cell activity. For this reason, tattoos on your hands and feet might require more time than designs on your chest.
Your Immune System
The strength of your immune system can also play a role in the rate at which your tattoo fades. People with very active immune systems can clear the ink particles faster than other individuals. No worries, though: laser tattoo removal is safe and effective for almost all healthy people.
The Color of the Ink
This is one of the biggest factors that can speed up or slow down the fading of your tattoo. Contrary to what you might think, darker colors usually recede faster than lighter ones, especially pastels. Greens can pose a special challenge. However, the lasers we use today are extremely sophisticated. They are able to tackle a full spectrum of colors. Their ability to handle tough shades is one of the reasons
why they are more effective than treatments offered in the past.
Don’t be surprised if you see results quickly in certain areas of your tattoo, while other parts take longer. This happens because the easier-to-treat shades fade faster. The other areas will catch up. In fact, if you had a tattoo that was only partially removed in the past, laser technology offers an exciting opportunity to try again. Working with the latest and most advanced techniques, we will be able to finish the job.
The Size of the Tattoo
This one is a bit of a no-brainer. Larger tattoos take more sessions than smaller ones. So, if you have a little heart design on your wrist, it will take less time than a full sleeve.
How Can You Accelerate the Process?
There are a few things that you can do to help your body respond to your sessions. First, try to treat yourself well and boost your immune system. Eat healthy, nutritious food, and get enough sleep. When your immune system is optimized, your macrophages can do their job more easily. Second, don’t smoke. Smoking compromises the body and can slow down the process. Third, avoid getting a sunburn close to your appointments. Laser treatments cannot be performed on sun-damaged skin, meaning that you might need to push back the date.
The Benefits of Laser Tattoo Removal
You Can Be Free of a Design You No Longer Like
Our tastes change over time. If a tattoo you once enjoyed no longer pleases you, that’s totally normal. Many people get tattoos to reflect certain relationships, religious beliefs, or group affiliations. If these aspects of your life change, you might not want to keep the tattoo. Laser treatments can help you get your appearance to align with your current sense of self. As a result, they can make you feel happier and more confident.
You Can Alter a Tattoo More Easily
If you just want to change a tattoo instead of removing it, laser treatments can help with that, too. By eliminating the areas that you want to get rid of, you can clear space for your tattoo artist to make updates. In one famous example of tattoo alteration, Angelina Jolie removed the name of her ex from her arm and replaced it with the coordinates of her kids’ birth locations.
You Can Enjoy a Safe, Effective Process
When you choose this treatment, you can rest assured that you will benefit from the highest safety standards and the most effective means of removing ink. Our lasers are FDA approved and have helped many patients get rid of their unwanted tattoos without harmful methods. You will be amazed by the results they offer. In the past, many tattoo removal treatments yielded spotty results. Today, our advanced lasers can treat all colors faster and more completely than ever before.
Schedule a Consultation
Would you like to learn more about this treatment? If yes, schedule a consultation with us. We can tell you all about how our laser treatments work when we meet you in person. During our conversation, we can examine your tattoos to determine the number of sessions you will need. Together, we can start a journey towards clear, ink-free skin.
Erase Your Ink With Laser Tattoo Removal
Getting rid of your unwanted tattoos has never been faster or easier. Depending on how you respond to the treatment, our lasers can deliver visible results within a few months. After one or two years, most people are clear of their unwanted ink for good. That’s all the time it takes to achieve a lifetime of freedom from your old tattoo.
For more information about this treatment, contact us at Franklin Skin and Laser in Franklin, TN. We would love to help you put your tattoo in the past.
