Hi there,
I just had a couple of questions about the removal of a small portion of a tattoo, it’s about 1 inch by 2 inches, and basically it was just a mistake that I would like to later get tattooed over again. Would this be possible? It’s 3 letters and it does not touch any other part of the tattoo. I was also wondering how long the recovery period is in terms of getting it tattooed over again. I appreciate your time.
Andrea
Hello Andrea,
Tattoo removal is done with a laser. Laser tattoo removal is a long process that requires multiple sessions of treatments, usually performed every 6 to 8 weeks.
The number of sessions is highly variable and depends on multiple factors:
• Quality of ink: high quality inks used by professional tattoo makers are more difficult to erase
• Density of ink: outlined tattoos are easier to treat than tattoos with dense ink coverage
• Type of pigments and colors: darker colors respond better than paler. All lasers work on black ink, some lasers work on red ink and some others work on green ink
• Location on the body: tattoos located on head, neck and trunk respond better than those located on extremities
Generally speaking, after carefully taking into consideration all these factors, tattoo removal could require from 8 to 12 sessions, sometimes more. When a second tattoo is planned on the same area, fewer treatments are usually needed.
After a treatment, a light bandage is left on the area for 24 hours and then an antibiotic ointment is applied twice a day for a few days to prevent infection. Small blisters and scabs are to be expected and disappear after few days.
Risks related to laser treatments are:
• Hyperpigmentation or brown discoloration of the skin
• Hypopigmentation or whitening of the skin
• Scarring or thickening of the skin
Hyper and hypopigmentation are usually reversible and tend to disappear with time but the formation of scar tissues is permanent.
To prevent these complications, it is essential that laser tattoo removal should be performed in a medical clinic by trained technicians under medical supervision. The occurrence of complications is minimal and problems can be dealt with very quickly in order to avoid long term consequences.
I hope this answers all of your questions!