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Tattoo Removal Cost ≈ $900 average cost

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What Tattoo Ink Colors Are Easiest to Remove?

Which ink colors are easiest to remove using laser tattoo removal? Any ink colors that won't come out at all?

What inks are easiest to remove

I am assuming you are asking about the best tattoo removal procedure in existence currently, which is the use of Q switched lasers. With that in mind, The darker the colors, the easier it is to remove. Black and blue are the easiest. Red, yellow, orange, and green are the hardest. Green lasers respond best to the Alexandrite 755nm wavelength laser spectrum. Colored inks are sometimes not possible to be fully removed even with multiple sessions.

Doctor's Website

Sanusi Umar, MD

Redondo Beach Dermatologic Surgeon

All tattoos represent a challenge

The general rule of thumb is that the darker the ink, the easier it is for the laser to target the ink. As the color lightens, the correct laser wavelength becomes imperative. Also, as the dark ink fades and degrades with each treatment, the challenge is to have a technology that offers higher energies to keep pace with the progress. What is not mentioned by the other panel members is that skin type/skin color is a huge factor in which tattoo colors can be... more

Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Dark Tattoo Pigments Are Easier to Remove

Lasers used for laser tattoo removal work by targeting specific pigments within the tattoo, breaking them up, and allowing the body to absorb them. Just like how sunlight is attracted to darker pigments (like when you wear a black shirt on a hot day), lasers can most easily eliminate darker pigments like black and blue because they typically contrast with skin more. Lighter colors or colors that mimic the skin’s natural pigment are more difficult to remove because the laser light... more

D. Scott Karempelis, MD

Atlanta Dermatologic Surgeon

Infrared Coagulator Treats All Tattoo Colors

Lasers and other light therapy devices, such as the Infrared Coagulater (IRC), are the treatments of choice today. Lasers work by emitting short, intense pulses of light that pass through the skin and target the ink. The energy from the laser light fragments the large particles of tattoo pigment enabling the body’s natural immune system to more easily scavenge the pigment and carry it away. This process usually takes several weeks, and multiple treatment sessions are often... more

Nelson L. Novick, MD

New York Dermatologic Surgeon

Easiest Colors for Tattoo Removal

The easiest colors to remove are black and blue. And the hardest colors are green, red, yellow and orange. The best lasers for tattoo removal are the Q-Switched Alexandrite and ND: YAG, depending on the color.

Bruce Katz, MD

New York Dermatologic Surgeon

Easiest tattoo removal

Black ink (and shades thereof) is the easiest tattoo color to remove. Colors are more difficult and sometimes may never be completely removed even after numerous treatments. Amateur tattoos that are not done by a professional are the easiest of all tattoos to remove and often resolve with as few as 2 - 3 sessions.

Elizabeth F. Rostan, MD

Charlotte Dermatologist

Tattoo colors that are easiest to remove?

First off you must use a Q switched laser system for tattoo removal Black and Grey are the easiest ink colors to remove. Usually, a Yag(1064nm) laser works well for these) Green is the most difficult followed by light blue (Yag and Alexandrite lasers 1064nm and 755nm). Red/brown/yellow/orange respond well in my experience primarily using 532nm laser. The bottom line is you can usually clear a tattoo to a level that is barely noticeable to the naked eye, it's just a matter of how many... more