Getting a tattoo that you eventually come to regret is not a rare occurrence in today’s society—some surveys estimate that up to half of all people grow to hate theirs at one point or another. Thankfully, tattoo removal has become an increasingly viable option as technological improvements continue to make it safer and less invasive. However, this doesn’t mean the process is a walk in the park, and many people are unprepared for this reality. Before you make the decision to expunge the inky sins of your youth from your body, here are a few things to brace yourself for.
Tattoo removal is going to hurt.
There’s no point in denying it—tattoo removal hurts. Most people report that the tattoo removal process is actually more painful than getting the tattoo itself. The sensation itself has been described as everything from the world’s worst rubber band pop to hot oil on the skin, but regardless of how you conceptualize it, expect to spend a good amount of time within the threshold of pain.
The reason tattoo removal hurts so much has to do with the placement of the ink in your skin—it’s located in the middle dermal layers. This means that the removing it requires working through the upper epidermis, and while laser removal technology has gotten much better at leaving the top layers of your skin intact, tattoo removal is far from painless.
Tattoo removal is going to take a long time.
Tattoo removal is a slow process. While the individual sessions typically only span a few seconds to a few minutes, it’s common for a patient to need anywhere from six to ten before the tattoo is completely removed. You’ll have to wait at least six weeks between sessions to give your skin time enough to heal, and this means that it may take a year or two before the whole process is said and done.
Tattoo removal is going to be expensive.
Most insurance companies won’t cover tattoo removal in their plans, which means that you will be responsible for your bills. Estimating the exact cost of tattoo removal is a bit difficult because it varies based on a number of factors, such as the specialist you use and the size and color of your tattoo. However, most removals begin at around $100 to $200 per session for small, monochromatic ones and increase from there.
