Possible to Lighten a New Tattoo?

Once the skin has completely epithelialized, then tattoo removal lasers can work to help lighten the tattoo pigment underneath the skin. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Often, new tattoos respond very well to laser treatment. Typically laser treatment consists of many, ten or more treatments done at least once per month. Newer tattoos might not need as many treatments as mature tattoos because the older tattoo has pigment that has been surrounded by the host's collagen in the dermis of the skin. The new tattoo's pigment exists freely within the dermis and may be more susceptible to fragmentation by the laser and the host's immune system can engulf the particles of pigment and carry them away from the dermis. I have had some patients though, whose new tattoos were stubborn. There never is a guarantee of results with tattoo removal.

You are in luck. A fresh tattoo is the easiest to lighten requiring the fewest treatments especially if black ink is used. I would recommend finding someone with a q-switched tattoo removal laser and they can do one or two treatments and it will be much lighter. I hope this information helps.

First you must let the skin heal from the tattoo roughly 2-3 weeks. After this the simple options include injecting the tattoo with some sterile saline solution which will have a slight lightening effect, or several treatments with a Q switched laser. Hope this was helpful.
Dr D.

Lightening a tattoo can be a very good possibility, but may lighten unevenly depending on how the tattoo artist put the ink in. Using a PicoWay Laser is probably the most effective laser as it takes less treatments and does not harm the skin if proper aftercare is used. If you are lightening for a cover-up then you may have to take it half to three-quarters gone for a good cover-up.