An IPL Laser Accidentally Burned my Tattoo, Will It Be Permanently Damaged?

The tattoo will be slightly lighter, as the IPL destroys and "lifts" darker pigment molecules such as the ones found in your tattoo.

IPL targets color and pigment, so it would be very much attracted to inks in tattoos. When doing IPL on people with tattoos (that want to keep them!) it's best to cover the tattoo itself with something to prevent the light from hitting it at all. The treatment may in fact have removed some of the ink, and that's what is crusting off. In the treated areas the tattoo will probably lighten or smear a bit. But it won't be gone completely and you can have the tattoo redarkened again. Ask your... more