Does Laser Tattoo Removal Cause Side Effects?

Tattoo removal is a relatively recent procedure, available only for a few decades. Before that, a handful of traditional methods existed, none of which are recommended today, and complete clearance was unlikely enough that you wanted to be sure about your tattoo in the first place. Many techniques have been trialled and refined since. Aesthetic medicine has advanced considerably in this area over recent years, and the most advanced technique available today is picosecond laser removal. It is the one we use at Ray studios, because nothing outperforms it. It is highly effective and produces very few side effects.

Laser removal is by some distance the safest and most effective method

Misconceptions about laser removal usually trace back to accounts from people who used something else, such as lactic acid removal or, worse, removal creams and various home remedies. Those methods genuinely can produce severe side effects. We have covered them in a separate article on the different tattoo removal methods, worth reading closely if you are considering an alternative technique.

Chemical destruction using lactic or glycolic acid carries a name that should give any patient pause. It involves injecting acid directly into the skin to draw out the pigment through a tissue reaction. That reaction can take various forms, from simple redness to blistering and burns. These effects were documented by France's Haut Conseil de la santé publique in an official report in December 2020, so they are well established. Removal creams, whose chemical composition is frequently opaque, are another matter again.

What side effects should I expect after laser removal?

With laser removal, side effects are very limited and short-lived. That comes down to it being the most effective and the safest technique currently available, and to it being carried out exclusively by trained specialists. The likelihood of complications resembling those seen with other removal techniques is extremely low.

At Ray studios, our skin therapists can provide a numbing cream to apply an hour before your session, which reduces the heat and stinging sensation as the laser passes over the skin.

The laser emits extremely short, high-intensity pulses, on the order of picoseconds for a picosecond device. These fragment the ink pigment into small particles mechanically rather than by heating it, through what is known as a photoacoustic effect. The particles are then taken up by macrophages, the cells responsible for clearing foreign material, and pass into the lymphatic system to be eliminated naturally.

Redness on the treated area is therefore expected. Small blisters or scabs form occasionally, though they are harmless and have no medium or long-term effect. If blisters do appear, leave them alone. They resolve on their own within a few days. What matters is following the protocol your skin therapist sets out, applying the cream provided at your session daily until the area has fully healed.

Depending on factors such as your phototype, the laser settings and any sun exposure, you may also see hypopigmentation (lightening) or hyperpigmentation (darkening), meaning a temporary change in skin colour. These pigment changes are transient and in most cases resolve within a few weeks to a few months. Permanent scarring or lasting pigment change is extremely rare. Sun exposure is the factor most within your control here.

What if side effects persist after a session?

After each session, the skin therapist who carried out your treatment will give you the full set of recommendations to follow, particularly around protecting and moisturising the skin. Sessions are generally spaced eight weeks apart to give the body time to clear the treated ink particles. Healing itself is much faster. Redness begins to fade within 24 to 48 hours, and the skin looks normal again a few weeks after a session. Our article on getting the best results from your treatment covers the aftercare in detail.

Side effects occasionally persist beyond the window your skin therapist indicated, though this is rare. It usually comes down to insufficient moisturising, too much sun exposure, or the area not being cleaned thoroughly enough. If that happens, get in touch. Contact us during the day from Monday to Saturday with a detailed description of the effects and, ideally, photographs of the treated area. A skin therapist will come back to you quickly with what to do next to ease any discomfort and support healing.