Laser tattoo removal
Six to twelve sessions over a year or more, and an honest answer about which inks will not fully clear. This is the treatment where expectations and reality are furthest apart, so we set them before you start rather than at session four.
Medically reviewed by Lindsay Short, NP-BC, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner · last reviewed September 2026
Set the expectation first
Almost everything that goes wrong with tattoo removal is an expectation problem rather than a technical one. Four things to know before you decide.
- Sessions
- 6–12 for most tattoos, sometimes more
- Spacing
- 6–8 weeks minimum, your immune system needs the time
- Total timeline
- Commonly over a year
- Complete removal
- Achievable for some tattoos, not guaranteed for any
The laser does not lift ink out. It shatters ink particles into fragments small enough for your immune system to carry away over the following weeks. That is why the gaps between sessions are long, why the process cannot be rushed, and why the person doing the real work between appointments is you.
Which inks clear, and which resist
Color is the single biggest predictor of how your course will go, and it is decided before you walk in.
Responds well: black and dark blue. These absorb across a broad range of wavelengths, which is why a simple black tattoo is the most straightforward case and the one most likely to clear completely.
Stubborn: green and light blue. They need specific wavelengths and typically more sessions than the black work beside them, which is why a multi-colored tattoo often ends up with green outlasting everything else.
Very difficult: yellow, white and some pastels. These can respond poorly to any wavelength, and white ink sometimes darkens on treatment because of how its pigment reacts. We will tell you if your tattoo contains these.
Older, faded amateur tattoos generally clear faster than dense professional work, because the ink sits shallower and there is less of it.
What it costs, and why there is no number on this page
- Small tattoo, 6 sessions
- Medium tattoo, 6 sessions
- Large tattoo, 6 sessions
- Add-on area (1x1)
We quote the course rather than a session, because a per-session figure tells you almost nothing when the session count varies from six to twelve depending on your ink.
Tattoo removal is quoted as a course after we have seen the actual ink, because size, colors, depth and age change the session count from six to twelve or more.
- Quoted in writing before anything starts. You hear the full figure at your consultation, not after treatment and not on the day.
- The consultation is free, with no obligation to book and no charge if you decide against it.
- We do not bill insurance. No prior authorization, no coverage denial part-way through, and no treatment decision made by a plan rather than by your clinician.
- Cherry and CareCredit financing are available, and membership pricing is lower than standard rates.
Publishing a headline price for tattoo removal would be close to meaningless. The honest number depends on size, ink colors, depth, age, whether it has been covered up before, and your skin type, and a figure that is right for a small black outline is badly wrong for a dense multi-colored sleeve. Bring the tattoo and get a real estimate.
What a session and the weeks after look like
The session itself
Minutes for a small tattoo. Uncomfortable, most people say more than getting it, with cooling throughout and topical numbing if you want it. The area frosts white immediately, which settles within about an hour.
Days one to seven
Redness, swelling and often blistering. Blisters are expected here rather than a complication. Keep it clean, keep it covered, apply what we give you, and do not pop them.
Weeks one to three
The skin settles and scabs lift on their own. Do not pick. This is the phase where scarring is actually created, long after the laser has finished.
Weeks three to eight
The fading you paid for. Your immune system clears shattered pigment gradually, so the tattoo continues to lighten right up to the next appointment. Photographs beat memory here, because week-to-week change is genuinely hard to see.
Full removal or fading for a cover-up?
Worth deciding at the start, because they are different plans at very different prices.
| Full removal | Fading for a cover-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions | 6–12+ | Usually 3–4 |
| Timeline | A year or more | Around six months |
| Cost | The full course | Substantially less |
| Goal | Clear the ink entirely | Give an artist a workable canvas |
If a new tattoo is going over it, say so. Lightening enough for a cover-up needs far fewer sessions than clearing to bare skin, and plenty of people arrive assuming they have to pay for the latter.
Sun protection matters between sessions: treated skin is vulnerable and a tan changes the settings that are safe. Keep the area covered or protected throughout the course.
Book your free consultationAnswers before you book
How many sessions does tattoo removal take?
Six to twelve for most tattoos, and more for some. Sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart because your immune system does the actual clearing between them, so a full course commonly runs over a year or more. Anyone promising removal in three sessions is selling something they cannot deliver.
How much does it cost?
Quoted at consultation, by size and by what the tattoo actually is. We do not publish a figure here because the honest number depends on ink colors, depth, age, layering and your skin type, and a headline price would only be right for one tattoo. Packages of six sessions exist for small, medium and large tattoos, and we quote the whole course rather than a per-session price.
Can any tattoo be completely removed?
No, and this is the most important thing on the page. Black and dark blue inks respond best. Greens and light blues are stubborn. Yellows, whites and some pastels can be nearly impossible, and white ink can sometimes darken with treatment. Realistic goals are substantial fading for most tattoos and complete clearance for some, not a guarantee for anyone.
Does it hurt?
More than getting the tattoo, most people say, a snapping, hot sensation, though each pulse is very brief and a small tattoo takes only minutes. We use cooling throughout and topical numbing where you want it. It is genuinely uncomfortable rather than unbearable, and it is over quickly.
What does healing look like?
The area frosts white immediately, which settles within an hour. Then expect redness, swelling and often blistering over the following days, blistering is normal here rather than a complication. Keep it clean and covered, do not pop blisters, and expect two to three weeks before the skin has fully settled. Then you wait for the next session.
Why the long gaps between sessions?
Because the laser does not remove ink, it shatters it into fragments small enough for your immune system to carry away, and that clearing takes weeks. Treating again too soon means treating ink your body has not finished removing, which costs you a session and gains nothing. Six to eight weeks is the minimum and longer often produces better results.
Will it scar?
Properly performed, scarring is uncommon, the laser targets ink rather than skin. The real risks come from aggressive settings, sessions spaced too closely, and picking at blisters during healing. Existing scarring from the original tattooing will still be there afterwards, since removing ink does not repair the skin texture underneath it.
Can you remove just part of a tattoo, or fade it for a cover-up?
Yes, and fading for a cover-up is one of the most satisfying versions of this work because it needs far fewer sessions than full removal. Three or four is often enough to give a tattoo artist a workable canvas. Tell us at the consultation if that is the goal, the plan is different and considerably cheaper.
Bring the tattoo, get a real estimate
A free consultation looks at the actual ink, colors, age, depth, layering, and gives you a realistic session count and a course price. If full clearance is not achievable, you will hear that first.