Avoid sun-exposure
Keep your tattoo out of the sun for at least 2 weeks before your session. We cannot laser excessively sun-tanned skin.
Keep healthy and hydrated
Ink is removed by a healthy immune system. Drinking plenty of water, regular exercise and a healthy diet improves your chances of ink clearance. Healthy immune cells and lymphatic drainage clears ink faster.
Communicate new medications
Some medications can increase your risk of blistering (photosensitive). Antibiotics e.g. roaccutane and retinoids (vitamin A) are common culprits. If you are unsure please get in touch with our clinic.
Read our preparation advice
We will provide you with a overview of how to prepare for a session. This includes advice on how to use numbing cream.
Ice and elevate
Taking heat out of the skin and elevating limbs reduces swelling and blistering. We encourage iceing the area until the “sunburn” feeling is gone (approx 1-2 hours after the treatment). Applying Aloe Vera for the first 24 hours can aid cooling, irritation and offers some antibacterial protection.
Protect the skin
Once the skin is cooled apply a dressing (e.g. fixomull) and continue to reapply until the skin is healed underneath. This is especially important in high-risk areas such as ankles and wrists.
Avoid sun exposure
Laser treatment causes a localised thermal burn and UV light can damage the skin further. Keep it fully covered for the first two weeks following a session and use high-factor (+50) sun-cream in-between sessions.
Avoid heavy exercise and swimming for 72 hours
Heavy exercise can increase swelling, blood flow and sweat to the healing area. Walking or light exercise is fine, however we don’t recommend heavy gym sessions! Swimming should be avoided on healing skin for the first 3 days or until blisters are healed.
Once you have cooled the area for 24 hours we highly recommend covering with a second skin product (e.g. fixomull) or a dry sterile dressing for between 3-5 days. Sometimes, if the skin is still healing we recommend reapplying the dressing.
This is a very common aftercare question. It is not uncommon for small blisters to appear (< 1cm) within the first few days. It is extremely important to avoid popping / disturbing small healing blisters. Once the area has been properly cooled, cover with fixomull or a similar sterile dressing for 3-5 days.
Very larger, tense blisters (>2cm) can be lanced with a sterile needle, patted dry with gauze and then covered with a dressing. If you don’t feel comfortable please reach out to our staff or seek medical support.
The short answer is yes! The skin is dry and dehydrated following laser treatment. Regular moisturising can relieve burn symptoms (itchiness and irritation), encourage blood flow, aid healing time and encourage ink removal. Once you have removed the dressing and all blisters are healed, apply a vitamin-E cream twice a day for up to two weeks.
After the skin looks completely normal (usually within two weeks), switch to an oil-based skin product, for example rose-hip oil or bio-oil until your next session with us. All our staff are trained in tattoo removal skincare and can give advice. If you are interested, please see our recommended products here.
Caring for your skin between sessions helps ink removal and skin health. We have a motto in our clinics… “Laser tattoo removal is only as good as the skin you care for”. If you don’t care for your skin between sessions it can impact healing time and overall skin health. Here are some general tips on how to aid the process.
Skin-protect
Protect the healing skin from being disturbed or knocked.
Nourish
Regular moisturising helps rehydrate and encourage blood flow and promote skin health.
Sun-protect
Laser and sunlight don’t mix! It is vital you avoid sunlight whilst the skin is healing to avoid skin damage.
Stay healthy
Avoid smoking, exercise, eat nutritiously and keep well hydrated. This may seem obvious, but we cannot state how important a healthy immune system is for successful tattoo removal.