Nobody gets a tattoo with the intention of getting it removed. Most people have likely heard the whole "tattoos are forever" speech from the time they were children, and anyone considering inking up knows that its a lifelong decision. But no matter what your plan was going into it, sometimes what once seemed like a great idea may years later become a massive, butterfly-shaped regret.
The good news? Though tattoos are definitely permanent, the idea that they're "forever" is technically an outdated one. Sure, you can hide the ink of your ex's name with a bandaid, a lá Ariana Grande, or a creative cover-up job (or, erm, two creative cover-up jobs), like Pete Davidson, but these days if you're looking to totally erase it, laser technology has got your back. At least, sort of.
Though it is now possible to get rid of tattoos entirely, it isn't exactly as simple as pressing "edit, undo" on your regrettable decisions. "It's not as easy as it seems to get it removed," warns Miami-based dermatologist Roberta Del Campo. "... Theoretically [a tattoo] is a permanent treatment. Before you do anything that you have to work very hard to remove, think twice."
Here, she lays out everything you've ever wanted to know about tattoo removal — a process that will really will make anyone think twice before inking up.
The lasers are strong
The lasers used for tattoo removal are among the strongest and most intense on the market, mostly because getting rid of something that's supposed to be permanent isn't an easy process. "You want a very strong, intense energy to essentially microscopically break up and damage those pigment cells," explains Dr. Del Campo. "Each cell has [a color], so it's actually exploding them underneath the skin. It makes them rupture under the skin, the pigment then comes to the surface over the next week, so you get crusting, it's swollen, it looks probably pretty similar to when you actually get a tattoo to where it's swollen, it's red, you have to use good wound care for the week." Over the next week, the area will begin to scab and peel off until it's eventually time for another treatment.
You'll need more than one treatment
One session under the burning hot laser sadly isn't enough to do the trick. Depending on the size, color, and age of your tattoo, Dr. Del Campo estimates you'll need anywhere from 6-10 treatments to get it erased — so get ready to settle in for a nice, long relationship with your laser technician.
It's expensive
That $50 infinity sign tattoo you got on the boardwalk at spring break may wind up costing you 10 times as much if you want it removed. Dr. Del Campo estimates that each session can cost between $200 and $1,200, and a 2017 survey from The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates that the average cost per treatment is $401. So, $401 times 10 treatments, well — you can do the math.
Be very, very careful with who you go to
Though the process might be an expensive one, this isn't something you want to bargain shop for. Be sure to go to someone who is board-certified and has experience with tattoo removal — don't just walk into the spa down the street and hop on the table for treatment, or you run the risk of doing long-lasting damage to your skin. "In general, laser tattoo removal is the most common for patients getting scarring and discoloration, because as you can imagine [the laser] is so hot that it can be damaging," says Dr. Del Campo. "All it takes is one blister that doesn't heal and you get [a] scar. I've seen it commonly — unfortunately it's more common than not."
It doesn't hurt as much as you might think
In case there was any question, subjecting your skin to one of the strongest, most intense lasers on the market is hardly painless. But the good news is that nearly every provider uses some sort of anesthetic to make the process more comfortable for their patients. "Patients can expect mild or no discomfort, because typically anesthesia is used," says Dr. Del Campo. "Because if it's not used it's extremely painful because it's so hot. It is the most painful laser on the market because you're just rupturing everything — all that pigment under the skin you're just exploding it — and it's very uncomfortable."
The age and color of your tattoo matters
Fresh, new tattoos can be much harder to get rid of than those that have had a chance to age. "It's easier the older they are, harder the newer they are because there's more pigment," says Dr. Del Campo. "Our body naturally kind of lightens [the ink] over time, so we naturally kind of absorb some of that." She notes that certain colored ink, like red and yellow, are harder to treat than blue or black, but these days most good technicians are able to treat it all.
Skin tone makes a difference, too
The frustrating truth about tattoo removal is that its technology is still greatly lagging as far as inclusion goes, and according to Dr. Del Campo certain skin tones may not respond to the lasers as well as others."There are certain skin tones or types that you can't use a tattoo removal device on, because it won't pickup — for example type 5 or 6 skin, black skin — because the laser can't differentiate what's tattoo and what's normal skin," says Dr. Del Campo, who notes that the lasers work by identifying the pigment under the skin and "exploding" it. "So if it can't differentiate the two, it's not going to work. And then you have to go very low and you're going to get no improvement, or you have to go very high and you can get scarring."
Some tattoos can be completely removed
Back in the day, tattoo "removal" just meant leaving behind a mushy outline where the tattoo used to be and hoping for the best. Thanks to new technology in the lasers, though, they can now be almost fully erased. "The idea is to essentially make the tattoo invisible," says Dr. Del Campo. "I think that's much more common now... 5-6 years ago our goal was to give a very light shadow so that you can almost not see it, but you would see some vague hint of it because the lasers were not as effective. But nowadays, you can use lasers and essentially have normal appearing skin in that area." So yes, with a lot of time, effort and money, it is possible to erase your ex's name off of your finger forever; Thank the universe.
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