Home Blog Tattoo Gone by the Start of Summer? Yes!

Tattoo Gone by the Start of Summer? Yes!

Snr RN Kim Murphy|Tattoo removal
26 June 2018

It’s the depths of Winter, here in Australia, and we’re rugging up every day to fend off the chill.

But when Summer flashes its warm and happy smile once more, we’ll be back in tank tops and swim suits, baring skin for the world to see.

So if you’re sporting a tattoo that you’re wishing could just disappear before the weather changes again, now is the time to think about starting treatments.

How many treatments and how long between them?

If you’ve finally made the decision to get rid of your tattoo by Summer, you’re likely going to be raring to get started.

At our clinic, we give all new tattoo removal patients a free consultation to ensure you’re aware of how many treatments we estimate it will take to remove your tattoo, and all the other details you’ll need to give a fully informed consent to treatments.

The difficulty with knowing how many treatments it will take to remove your tattoo is that many factors influence the success of individual treatments. We wrote a blog outlining these factors (read it here).

Average treatment numbers range from four to ten treatments, and could be more.  

Treatments require at least four weeks in between, so if you’re hoping to have your tattoo gone at the first sign of warm weather, you’ll need at least four months, probably more. 

And the other question most people want to know is the cost of each session. This is also difficult to estimate over the phone, as it depends on the size of the tattoo and the location on the body. We really need to see it, in person, to give you a firm quote. 

That’s another reason we suggest you come and have your complimentary session, get all the info you need to determine whether removing that tattoo with us is right for you.

Will it be painful?

Most people had to bravely face some degree of pain to get their tattoo, and the prospect of enduring more to remove it makes the prospect less appealing.

But rest assured that because our clinic is a medical clinic, we have a range of pain management options available, including surface numbing cream, oral analgesics and stronger medications.

In your initial consultation, ask your medical professional about the options available and discuss your level of pain tolerance with her. We endeavour to give every patient the easiest and most pain-free experience possible.

Scaring and residual ink

Another common concern for those seeking tattoo removal on a part of the skin that is often revealed, is whether or not there is likely to be scaring or residual ink.

Scaring is always a risk with laser treatments of any kind. For this reason, we highly recommend always selecting practitioners who are highly experienced in laser treatments.

Scaring often occurs when laser type and strength levels are not correctly matched with skin types and colours.

Our clinic has been at the forefront of laser technologies for over 20 years, and our staff are highly trained in our extensive range of lasers, so you can have confidence that we have the best technology and knowledge of tattoo removal to ensure you get the best response.

But it is important to realise that some tattoo removal does result in raised scars along the tattoo lines or what’s known as a ghost image of your tattoo. In both cases, these residual markings will be visible on the skin.

While we can advise you regarding the likelihood of these, given the colours in the tattoo and other features, the ink used in the tattoo also has an impact on residual visibility and skin response to removal, and there is no way to pre-determine whether the ink in your tattoo will respond well to removal or whether it will leave some visible signs.

Make an informed decisiom

There’s a lot to consider when deciding to remove your tattoo.

With the year half over, and Spring just two months away, now is the time to start the process of removing your tattoo if you want to see results by Summer.

But you should always make your decision after collecting all the information you need.

That’s why our free consultation is recommended. You’ll have a chance to ask a highly trained registered nurse all the questions you have about the process and the outcomes, with no pressure to make a decision. Just come in and have a talk about your tattoo. We’d love to help you make the right decision.

Need more information?

If you’d like to know a little more about tattoo removal at Neutral Bay Laser & Dermatology Clinic, you can review our webpages on the topic here and here. 

Or better yet, call our friendly receptionists and make an appointment for your free consultation, and get all the information you need to have a tattoo-free summer!

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Written by Naomi Crain.
Naomi has worked with our clinic for two years, creating graphics and helping our patients better understand the treatments we offer.