Laser tattoo removal takes a long time. Treatments are scheduled several weeks to months a part and laser tattoo removal is not a process where you see immediate results after the 1st treatment session. Determining the amount of time it takes to remove a tattoo depends on:

Skin Type

The darker the skin the more sessions and time it will take to remove the tattoo.


Tattoos located on you arms, legs, and/or fingers will require more sessions and take longer to remove.


Black inks are the easiest to remove. Any additional colors will require additional sessions.

Amount of Ink

Amateur tattoos require less tattoo removal sessions, therefore should take less time to remove. Professional tattoos contain more ink and deeper ink penetration, which requires more sessions and take longer to remove.

Tattoo Scarring

If there are scars from getting the original tattoo you will likely need more tattoo removal sessions.


Layering of tattoos increases the amount of ink and the depth of the ink. Removing a coverup tattoo requires more sessions and time.

Smoking and Sun Exposure

Tattoo Removal and Smoking

You overall health is a factor in determining how long it takes to remove a tattoo. Smoking and sun exposure/tanning decrease the effectiveness of the immune system and the ability to heal.

Having a healthy immune system is important when undergoing laser tattoo removal. The laser only starts the process of tattoo removal. It’s the responsibility of the body to process the blasted ink particles through the digestive system which results in the clearing of the tattoo.

Now that we’ve identified some factors that influence the amount of sessions, lets identify the length it could take to remove a tattoo.

Related: How Many Tattoo Removal Sessions WIll I Need?

How long does it take to remove a tattoo?

Laser tattoo removal sessions are scheduled 4-8 weeks a part from one another. It takes a long time for the ink particles the clear the system after a laser session. You will not see immediate clearing of the tattoo right away. Gradual lightening of the tattoo will take weeks after a session. You may not even see results until after the 2nd or 3rd session depending on the factors mentioned above.

Scheduling laser tattoo removal treatments weeks part allows skin to fully heal. The laser can be quite traumatic on the skin. Scheduling a month or two a part reduces scarring, hyper- and hpyo- pigmentation.

According to the Kirby-Desai Scale, the average person requires around 10 tattoo removal sessions to remove a tattoo to their satisfaction. Applying 6 weeks between sessions means 60 weeks, or a years and two months to remove a tattoo.

Your individual results will vary based upon the factors mentioned above. The Kirby-Desai study had a wide range participants claiming it took between 3-20 tattoo removal sessions to achieve satisfaction.

Related: R20 Tattoo Removal is another method of laser tattoo removal which can dramatically reduce the time for complete removal.

Laser Tattoo Removal

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Try us out! Get your laser tattoo removal quotes!

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Written by Eric Zabinski
photo credit: Stephan Geyer via photopin cc

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