Accessibility Accessibility Widget
Accent Image
city skyline at dusk

Laser Tattoo Removal
How Long Does The Process Take?

Laser Tattoo Removal: How Long Does the Process Take?

Every tattoo seems like a good idea in the moment, but we are delightfully fickle creatures. Our opinions and attitudes often change with time, and tattoos serve as a reminder of the past. This reminder is one that many people don’t want. If the inked imagery or words you once loved no longer fit the person you’ve become, laser tattoo removal is the solution. At Princeton Aesthetics in Princeton Junction, NJ, we offer industry-leading technology to remove unwanted tattoos.

What Is Laser Tattoo Removal?

Laser tattoo removal is the process of extracting tattoo ink from the skin to reveal the clear and natural skin underneath. A significant portion of the US population has at least one tattoo, and later many people end up regretting their decision.

Instead of living a life of regret, many people are turning to laser technology to remove the memories for good.

Why Do People Get Tattoos Removed?

People remove tattoos for a variety of reasons that usually align with the reason they got the tattoo in the first place. Some people commemorate certain times, people, and beliefs with tattoos. Other people get tattoos on a whim without putting too much thought into it.

Change is one of the beautiful things about being human; we change, and at least in the context of tattoos, we have option to change the outside to reflect the inside. Below we look at some of the most common reasons people decide to remove a tattoo.

Change of Heart

Although slightly less common now, it was once fashionable to tattoo a love interest’s name or other symbolic representation of the romance on the body. After a breakup, this once sweet gesture can turn sour and require tattoo removal to remedy.

Shifting Values

What we want at 18 is often very different from what we want by middle age. Beliefs may change in the realms of religion or affiliations or general attitude. All these changes can make tattoos undesirable. These tattoos, along with those of the offensive variety, are some of the most commonly removed tattoos.

Business Casual

No matter how common tattoos become, there are still many work environments that don’t view tattoos favorably. Some people with visible tattoos struggle to find work and others want to remove tattoos to achieve a greater sense of professionalism.

Aesthetic Dilemma

Tattoo techniques have improved over the years, but some older tattoos haven’t aged well. Sometimes people get a tattoo that doesn’t turn out as they wanted. Misspellings or a subpar tattooing technique can result in people turning to tattoo removal for help.

Time Travel

Tattoos often serve as a reminder of specific times, places, people, and feelings that many people would just as soon forget. People who are fed up with the constant reminders scribbled on their skin find freedom from the tattoo removal process.

Removing a tattoo is a liberating experience no matter why you want it gone. Below we look at the laser tattoo removal service we offer our clients at Princeton Aesthetics.

Which Laser Technology Is Used?

Scientists created impeccable laser tattoo removal technology in response to the growing number of people who want to remove tattoos. At Princeton Aesthetics, we use only the most advanced Cutera technology to clear and rejuvenate skin. We use the world’s leading Enlighten laser for safe, fast, and effective tattoo removal.

About Cutera Enlighten

Enlighten by Cutera is the premier tattoo removal system that uses short pulses in three laser wavelengths to break pigment into microscopic particles. Tattoos are no match for the powerful Enlighten laser, which has the power to rid the skin of all ink colors and ink particle sizes.

As one of the most renowned names in aesthetic technology, this system safely and effectively removes tattoo pigmentation and benign skin pigmentation.

How Does Cutera Enlighten Work?

This one-of-a-kind non-thermal laser uses photo-mechanical power to target cell pigmentation and shatter it while leaving the surrounding cells and tissue untouched. During your session, we direct the laser to the tattoo, and it penetrates the skin with a light beam.

When this beam of light interacts with the ink, it breaks the ink down into tiny, fragmented particles. As the ink particles break down, the inked lines and colors break up. Clear, tattoo-free skin appears after repeated sessions and repeated exposure to the particle blasting laser.

This technology works with the size of the ink particles. We use nanosecond pulses to break up large ink particles, and picosecond pulses to remove the particles altogether. While the laser rids the skin of pigmentation, it’s also working double-time to deliver deep skin restructuring. Removing unwanted tattoos with Cutera Enlighten reveals gorgeously clear skin where your ink once was.

No other tattoo removal laser offers the precision results of the Cutera Enlighten. Along with most other experts, we consider it the safest, fastest, and most effective laser for removing tattoos and correcting melasma and other skin pigmentation issues.

What Makes Enlighten Better Than Other Tattoo Removing Lasers?

What makes Enlighten different is that it uses both nanosecond and picosecond pulses. Most other lasers only use nanosecond pulses, which doesn’t remove ink particles as efficiently. Enlighten’s picosecond technology removes more ink particles in fewer treatments than alternative lasers.

How Long Is a Session?

Getting a tattoo is often a long process that can last anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours. The removal process doesn’t work this way. Tattoo removal sessions can last anywhere from five to thirty minutes, depending on the size of the tattoo.

If you are visiting us to remove multiple tattoos, your sessions are longer than when removing only one. However, they are still often much shorter than the time to get the tattoo.

Can a Tattoo Be Removed in One Session?

Deciding to remove a tattoo is exciting. If you are like many of our clients, you are eager to see your new clear skin, fast. Unlike the immediate results given when getting a tattoo, though, tattoo removal is a process that happens over time.

Depending on the size, coloration, depth, and age of your tattoo, the effects of the laser may not be as noticeable as you expect after one session. How prominent the results are will depend on the tattoo. Hearing this news is often disappointing to clients, but the sooner you start your treatment, the faster you’ll see the results you want.

One way to track treatment progress is to photograph your tattoo before and after each treatment and again a few weeks later. This gives you a visual record of how the laser removal process is working. One treatment may be sufficient for your removal needs, but it may take more than one treatment to reach your aesthetic goals.

Are Some Tattoos More Difficult to Remove Than Others?

Really dark and deep tattoos are more difficult to remove than lighter tattoos. We can still remove them, but they often take on a blurry shape before fading. Different colors respond better to different laser pulses, and that’s one reason we use the Cutera Enlighten technology.

How Long Does the Process Take?

How long the process takes depends on the client and the tattoo or tattoos scheduled for removal. Each of our clients has different needs, and we cater to these needs on an individual basis.

The best way to find out how long the process takes is to schedule an in-person consultation with us. During your consultation, our experts will assess your skin and tattoos to give you more detailed information about the process. We tailor your treatment plan to provide the best results possible.

In general, clients need at least three to six sessions to remove each tattoo. After every session, you must allow the area to heal for at least before receiving another session. With these numbers in mind, it takes a minimum of 12 to 24 weeks, on average, to remove a tattoo. Clients with larger tattoos, more tattoos, or special ink may expect an extended treatment duration.

This is just an average, and you may see results in fewer treatments. All tattoos respond slightly differently to laser technology. Schedule your consultation today to learn more about how our laser removal treatment for tattoos can serve you.

What Happens After Each Session?

Similarly to what happens after getting a tattoo, we dress the area with a bandage and give you instructions on how to protect the area in the coming days. You might have some familiar itching on the area when it heals.

Is There Any Way to Speed Up Tattoo Removal?

Unless you are a smoker, there isn’t much you can do to remove your tattoo faster. Smoking actually increases the likelihood of needing more treatments to remove tattoos and increases the time required for healing. If you are a smoker who wants to remove a tattoo, quitting could speed up the removal process substantially.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

Throughout your tattoo removal treatment process, you must take measures to protect the area from the sun by keeping it covered with clothing or using a high-quality sunblock. We recommend that you avoid swimming, long baths, or any prolonged submersion in water during tattoo removal treatment. When towel drying, pat the area dry instead of rubbing it to maintain the best treatment results.

Is There Any Downtime?

Because we use state-of-the-art Cutera Enlighten technology instead of traditional ablative therapies, you won’t experience much, if any, downtime after treatment.

How Much Does Laser Tattoo Removal Cost?

Much like getting a tattoo, pricing for laser treatment depends on the size and intricacy of the tattoo. Someone with a small and simple tattoo will pay less than someone who wants to remove a sleeve. Book a consultation with our tattoo removal experts to learn more about pricing.

Is Laser Tattoo Removal Right for Me?

This treatment is right for anyone who, for any reason, wants to remove a tattoo. Having regrets about getting your tattoo is normal, and many people are in the same position as you. We treat clients of all ages, genders, and circumstances to help them leave the past behind.

We are unable to treat pregnant or nursing women and individuals with bacterial infections or open wounds on or around the treatment site. We kindly ask these individuals to wait to book treatment until these factors are no longer relevant.

Contact Us

Don’t let regret hold you back; step into the next stage of your life by removing a tattoo. Contact us at Princeton Aesthetics in Princeton Junction, NJ, to learn more about laser tattoo removal or to book a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!