We’ve all made bad decisions, maybe that tattoo you got 15 years ago isn’t a good reflection of who you are today. Maybe your friend needed someone to practice tattooing on and now you have a tattoo that isn’t up to par with your expectations. Maybe you just want a coverup, but want creative freedom with your new tattoo.
Laser tattoo removal is incredible technology. It’s quick and effective. At Bamboo Tattoo we use a Medlite C6 laser for tattoo removal, we love this laser because it can be used on darker skin without damage and removes colour tattoos.
We most commonly use the laser machine to lighten tattoos to prepare for coverups. Sometimes clients come in with old tattoos that they want covered up, but we have to recommend a large, very dark tattoo that will distract from the old tattoo. The beauty of laser is we can do two or three sessions (depends on the person!) which allows for the coverup to be anything the client wants!
So how does it work? We prepare the old tattoo by cleaning it. Both the laser technician and the client put on glasses to protect their eyes. Then we start! The process is super fast, for a small wrist tattoo it will take less than 30 seconds. The tattoo will then appear white, this is called frosting. It lasts about 20 minutes and then the tattoo will look exactly the same as before. This can be frustrating, but it’s normal! The body takes 8 weeks to absorb the ink, meaning it can take 8 weeks to see results. If we laser again before this time, we may just be hitting ink particles that were already targeted, making the session ineffective. At the end of the 8 weeks, we laser again if needed.
Does it hurt? Honestly, yes. It does hurt. Luckily it’s nothing like the tattoo process which can take hours, this is incredibly fast. Every laser session you get will be less painful than the last, the laser only targets dark areas so as your tattoo lightens, the less the laser will hit it.
Will it completely remove my tattoo? Probably not. It’s a myth that laser tattoo removal will completely remove 100% of your tattoo. Some tattoos do go away easily, especially if it’s only black, has thin lines, or is very old. New tattoos are difficult to remove, and so are tattoos that are large and very dark. Some people’s bodies remove the ink amazingly, some are more stubborn. Sometimes at the end you’re left with very faint lines here and there. We usually recommend laser as a way to create an amazing cover up in the future!