Tattoo Removal Pain; What to Expect

Tattoos are meant to be forever but thanks to the latest technology in laser tattoo removal, even the most stubborn tattoos can effectively be removed.

Those bad decisions you made in your youth doesn’t have to haunt you forever.

If it is time to make a change then we can help you bring this change about thanks to our effective tattoo removal services.

Is Laser Tattoo Removal Painful?

Most people carry their bad decisions with them for life because they are afraid that laser tattoo removal might be painful.

Perhaps you don’t like needles, perhaps your tattoo artist was a bit rough while applying your tattoo to begin with. Either way, you have this fear of getting that tattoo removed.

Tattoo removal can be painful. The laser energy pulses that are exposed to your skin can feel hot or even burning.

Many people describe the pain as the same as when hot oil splashes on your skin while frying eggs or bacon while others describe the feeling as the same as a rubber band snapping your skin.

This is probably a lot like your tattoo felt when you got it in the first place.

Tattoo Removal Feels Different For Different People

Some people say that tattoo removal is incredibly painful while others say that it isn’t quite as bad.

This is because tattoo removal experts need to use different techniques and wavelengths depending on the type of tattoo you have and these wavelengths affect the pain intensity.

Here are a few of the top factors that affect tattoo removal pain;

Ink colors

Black and green inks are easiest to remove because these darker colors absorb the laser light a lot easier where a much more intense laser wavelength is required for removing other colors like pink, yellow and other colors.

As a result, these other colors tend to be more painful to remove.

Pain relief

For tattoo removal, you cannot simply use any painkiller. You can only use non-aspirin painkillers like Tylenol because aspirin can result in excessive bruising and also promote bleeding.

At Tattoos Be Gone we use pain relief treatments like non-aspirin painkillers, an anaesthetic cream or anesthetic injections in order to reduce the pain.

These options are, however, optional since many of our customers prefer not to get pain treatment for tattoo removal at all.

Skin type

It is a bit harder to remove tattoos from darker skin types and laser therapy might be a bit more painful the darker your skin is because higher wavelengths are required for darker skin tones.

Tattoo location

Certain parts of your body is much more sensitive than others and tattoo removal in sensitive areas such as on your hands, feet and on thin skin areas such as inner thighs can be pretty painful.

Tattoo intensity

The amount of ink used per pigment can also affect the number of sessions and the amount of pain you have to endure.

Areas that contain more ink is more stubborn and more painful to clear.

Pain after Tattoo Removal

The pain in tattoo removal doesn’t end with laser surgery. Treated areas will feel sunburnt for a day or two after the treatment and can even stay red for a week after the treatment.

You should avoid scrubbing the treated area after the treatment because the skin will be sensitive and it can hurt or even cause scarring.

If you don’t take care of your skin prior to tattoo removal you can get a skin infection which can be terribly painful.

Follow care instructions carefully to keep pain to a bare minimum.

Tattoo removal usually doesn’t happen in a single treatment. You may require several sessions before the tattoo will be completely gone which could be painful every time.

Yes, tattoo removal can be painful but it most certainly is worth the discomfort if you can enjoy life without having to explain a bad tattoo to everyone you meet.

Contact our studio at Tattoos Be Gone right here in Las Vegas to discuss your pain tolerance so you can get your tattoo(s) removed with as little pain as possible. Our next blog post explores why laser is becoming so popular as a method of removing tattoos.