I've Recently Had my First Tattoo Removal Laser Session Done and I Have Seen VERY Minimal Results, Is that Typical?

asked 4 months ago by sa rah in Florida
Latest answer by Brian Dubow, MD
Question viewed 156 times
Tags: expectation, no change, normal

Laser used is AlexTriVantage Various shades of black colored tattoo Little to no difference after 5 weeks of first treatment Tan/olive skin complexion Have not tanned or smoked since first treatment Have been following proper aftercare instructions Tattoo area is shoulder blade/back/ and rib cage area 550$ per treatment

5 answers to I've Recently Had my First Tattoo Removal Laser Session Done and I Have Seen VERY Minimal Results, Is that Typical?

Results From Laser Tattoo Removal

Black ink actually absorbs all light wavelengths. Therefore it is the easiest to remove. However the shading involved does make the design slightly more difficult to remove. Besides the factors you mentioned, the number of treatments are also contingent on other factors such as the amount of ink, layering and the presence of any scarring or tissue changes. Practitioners are usually very cautious with darker skin tones to avoid the risk of overheating. But don't get discouraged after... more

Sanusi Umar, MD
Redondo Beach Dermatologic Surgeon

www.finetouchdermatology.com

Typical results after one laser tattoo removal session

Removing a tattoo is a long process with many treatments. You will not begin to see results after one treatment. On some tattoos, it can take between 10-15 treatments to remove a tattoo. It depends on the ink and the settings of the laser. It is important to be patient and give it time.

Brian Dubow, MD
Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon

Black tattoo ink is hard to treat

Black tattoo ink is very hard to treat and you are looking at many, many treatments to see results. Laser tattoo removal in general is very difficult and your tattoo will never be completely gone with any of the lasers on the market today. It's unfortunate, I know, but lasers have a long way to go in treating tattoos. One treatment will not yield noticeable results, and I'm sorry for that, but I'd say you are looking at a minimum of 8 treatments to see any lightening and blurring... more

F. Victor Rueckl, MD
Las Vegas Dermatologist

Results after Laser Tattoo Treatment?

Thank you for the question. Yes, your experience is not unusual. Every patient has a different reaction to the laser tattoo treatment; sometimes several treatments are necessary before significant results are seen. The degree of change seen will depend on the depth of the ink and the settings of the laser... it is very likely that the energy use will be increased during your next treatment. Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Little Change after First Laser Treatment

I see this occasionally and we have been using modern tattoo removing lasers for over ten years. One good thing is that you have not seen any scarring or bad reactions. I suspect at the next treatment, the power setting will be turned up allowing you to see a noticeable difference thereafter.

T. Wayne Day, MD
Nashville Dermatologic Surgeon

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