How does the placement of a tattoo affect its removal?

Can the placement of a tattoo really influence how long it takes to remove it? The answer is yes; to some extent, the location will affect the number of treatments you will need.

However, just because the tattoo is placed in an area farther from the heart does not mean that it won’t completely disappear. It may just require a few extra treatments until it is truly 100% gone.

Hands and Fingers
If your tattoo is located on your fingers or feet, it usually takes a bit longer to completely fade it. This is because these areas are farthest from the heart, resulting in lower blood circulation due to the increased distance. If you often find your fingers or feet to be cold, it could be a sign that your circulation is particularly low in those areas.

Lower Back
In the lower back, the body's lymphatic system has a harder time transporting the ink away compared to other areas. This makes tattoos in the lower back generally take longer to fade. If you have a tattoo in this area, we often recommend a longer waiting period between treatments to maximize the results of each session. Since lower back tattoos usually take longer to fade, it may be wise to ask our laser therapist to show you before-and-after images between treatments. It can be easy to become a bit blind to the results when there is a long gap between treatments, making it harder to notice the differences clearly.

Head and Near the Heart
If your tattoo is located on your head, neck, or near the heart, the body will find it much easier to manage and transport the ink away. This is because these areas have the best blood circulation in the body. Tattoos located on the neck or head are often also slightly shallower in the skin, as the skin there is thinner compared to, for example, the fingers.

What Can Be Done to Minimize the Number of Treatments?
For those with tattoos placed far from the heart, there is no need to worry excessively about needing many extra treatments, as long as you have patience. It is indeed possible to compensate for a "poor" placement by waiting a bit longer between treatments. This allows the body more time to process and eliminate the ink. In the end, this can mean you won’t need as many treatments, even if your tattoo is placed far from the heart.

Feel free to ask one of our laser therapists what might be a reasonable time to wait between treatments to compensate for the placement if you are concerned about needing many sessions.