Now that you’ve finally decided to have your tattoo removed, you need to start preparing for your first appointment. Preparing for your laser tattoo removal session is just as important as correctly caring for the treated area afterwards.
In this guide, we will look at how to care for your tattooed skin before and after your laser removal session, ensuring you achieve the best results possible.
Laser Tattoo Removal Prep – What To Do
In the weeks leading up to your laser removal session, you will want to stay out of the sun and avoid tanning beds. In essence, you want to avoid burning your skin.
Freshly tanned or burnt skin doesn’t respond well to laser treatments. It places you at a higher risk of developing skin pigmentation and damaging your skin in general. The healthier your skin is, the better your results will be.
This is really the only prep you need to do prior to your appointment.
What About the Session?
If you’re worried that your tattoo removal session will be painful, know that you’re not alone. The good news is that it sounds a lot worse than it is.
A laser removal session will feel quite similar to when you tattooed the skin, pain-wise. However, you will have the option to apply a topical numbing cream to make your session more comfortable. You will still feel a slight snapping sensation after applying the cream but it does take a lot of the edge off during treatment.
You can expect to be in and out in less than 30 minutes – depending on the size of your tattoo, of course. You will need a little extra time if you want to apply a numbing cream though.
The average number of sessions each patient requires is anything from five to eight. However, there are a number of factors at play, including the size and location of your tattoo as well as the type of ink that was used.
Laser Tattoo Removal Post-Care – What To Do
Following your session at a laser skin clinic such as Aesthetic Harmony, a layer of anti-bacterial cream is usually applied to the treatment area. This helps moisturize the area and keep itching at bay.
Your skin is going to feel sore after your laser removal session, similar to a sunburn – this will only last a day or two. In most instances, the skin will be healed after two weeks but we recommend waiting six weeks before you schedule your next session.
This way, your body has time to work on the broken ink before laser is used to break up any remaining ink again. Your lymphatic system is always doing its job, it just needs time to do so.
It’s important that you use the time between your sessions to care for the treated area, ensuring it has the best chance of healing correctly. Swelling, bruising, redness and tenderness will all occur during this time, which means you need to keep your skin protected.
Here’s what you can do to enhance your laser tattoo removal results:
- Avoid direct sun exposure. By keeping the treated area out of direct sunlight for at least two weeks, you can prevent skin damage and pigmentation.
- Keep your skin protected. By keeping the area protected from scratches, friction and excess physical activity, you help the healing process.
- Don’t soak the area. For the first five days, it’s important not to soak the treated area. Soaking the skin will weaken it which can cause it to break. This is when infection and inferior results occur.
- Keep the area moisturized. You can keep itching to a minimum and speed up your recovery by keeping the treatment area moisturized. Just be sure to use an anti-bacterial moisturizer.
- Stay hydrated. The more hydrated you are, the better your blood flow is, which helps your lymphatic system get rid of the unwanted ink.
- Give your body enough time to heal. Everyone wants to get rid of their tattoo as quickly as possible, but your body and skin need time to heal – this will help speed up your results.
By following these steps, you ensure you get the most out of each laser tattoo removal session. Taking the necessary pre and post-care steps will give you the best chance of removing most of your tattoo and speed up the treatment process.
Over and above taking these steps, it’s important to take the time to choose a reputable clinic for your removal sessions. The technology they use as well as the qualifications and experience of the laser technician all make a difference to your experience and results.
One bad laser removal session could leave enough damage to reduce the efficiency of future removal sessions.
Laser tattoo removal takes time and patience but as long as you focus on the end result, the process will feel well worth it.
