Back to Blog
Learn everything you need to know about laser tattoo removal in Ottawa.

Here are a Few Things You Should Know to Prepare for Your Laser Tattoo Removal Treatment

Do you regret a tattoo? You’re not alone. Many people have tattoos they’d rather be rid of. Whether you chose your tattoo on impulse when you were young, after a wild night out, or were madly in love, there are many reasons why people get tattoos and then end up regretting them years (or maybe just days) later.

But thankfully, you’re not stuck living with regret. With laser tattoo removal technology, you can remove your tattoo easily, and move on without the constant reminder stuck on your skin.

So if you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should opt for this treatment, here are a few things you should know about laser tattoo removal in Ottawa.

An Ideal Technology for Tattoo Removal

If you’ve done your research on tattoo removal, you’ve probably come across a number of methods. Chemical peels, dermabrasion, and surgery are all big names. While the first two don’t sound too bad (and surgery sounds absolutely painful), these methods are not the most advanced or even safest methods to remove tattoos.

Like all treatments that involve removing something from your body, there is a risk of side effects. And the more invasive the treatment—like surgery—the more risks there are for adverse effects, such as infection, inflammation, and scarring.

Although there is always some risk with any treatment, laser tattoo removal is the most advanced, efficient, and recent tattoo removal technology, with improved speed, safety, and reduced risks. The focused laser simply breaks up the ink particles without harming the surrounding skin, and your body removes the particles as part of its natural healing process.

Factors That Affect Treatment Duration

Since the laser needs to break up the ink into small, fine particles to be effectively flushed out of your body, you will need multiple treatments to get the desired results. Thankfully, new laser technology is available that will speed up the duration of treatment by zapping ink particles into dust instead of larger particles. However, the number of laser treatments you will need to effectively remove the ink will depend on several factors, such as:

  • Your age—which will affect how fast your body heals;
  • The age of your tattoo—newer tattoos take longer to remove since there is much more ink than older tattoos that have faded;
  • The location of the tattoo—the further away it is from your heart, the slower the blood circulation and healing time;
  • The size of the tattoo—the larger the tattoo is, the more treatments it will need to effectively treat all of the ink;
  • The type and colour of the ink—black and dark green are usually the easiest colours to remove, with blue, green, yellow, purple, and turquoise being more difficult. However, PicoSure, the new laser tattoo removal technology, makes removing any colour much easier.
  • The skill of the tattoo artist—while professional tattoo artists apply the ink evenly throughout, the ink is usually more saturated, taking longer to remove. Amateurs tend to apply the ink unevenly, posing some difficulties with removal, but usually the ink is less saturated and easier to remove.

Other Considerations

As mentioned earlier, the older the tattoo, the easier it will be to remove. More treatments are needed for newer tattoos, especially if they are less than a year old. These newer tattoos may lead to swelling and bruising since the ink is still very saturated. Tattoos five years and older are typically much easier to remove.

Layered tattoos—as in covering an old tattoo with a new one—also pose some difficulties with this treatment. The more layers there are, the more treatments you may need. Also, if your skin is prone to tanning, then you may experience hyperpigmentation from the extra treatments. However, the hyperpigmentation will eventually disappear.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to that dreaded tattoo, contact a laser tattoo removal clinic in Ottawa for more information. While there are many factors that will influence the number of treatments you’ll need, the latest laser tattoo removal technology is available for easier and faster results. So zap away the regret, and start living your life to the fullest without the constant embarrassment fixed on your skin.