How long does it take to completely remove a tattoo? (photo)

Doctor's Answer

Most black ink tattoos take about 3 to 12 months depending on the type of laser technology used. Colorful tattoos such as yours are harder to treat.

On an average, each laser treatment is spaced out between four to six weeks as stacking the treatments too closely together can cause damage and possibly leave you with scars.

The colour and amount ink being treated also determines the number of sessions required. Green and sky-blue inks are especially difficult to remove using the traditional lasers. Such lasers include the gold standard Medlite C6.

Look to newer technologies such as the PicoWay. It has the 785nm wavelength attachment, which was purposely designed to remove these colours.

The picosecond technology is able to deliver small bursts of laser energy that penetrates deep into the skin in picoseconds (one trillionth of a second). This ensures that there is minimal damage to the area outside of the treatment zone.

This also means that more pigment is burned up with each laser application and the pigments are broken up into much smaller fragments when compared to the Q-switched lasers. You will typically only see changes after you have at least a few sessions done. My PicoWay does significantly reduce the required number of sessions.


Related: The Ultimate Guide to Tattoo Removal in Singapore


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