Vanliga frågor

What affects tattoo removal success?

In 98% of our documented cases, the tattoo has completely disappeared, and the skin looks exactly as it did before the person got the tattoo. In a few cases, faint shadows and remnants of pigment have remained after treatment.

Today, researchers behind the laser technology used by Rethink state that with enough treatments, tattoos can always be completely removed—regardless of color or depth—which is why we are confident that you can remove your tattoo.

However, several different factors influence the final result and how many laser treatments will be needed. Essentially, this relates to the tattoo’s color, depth, age, contours, placement, and your genetic predisposition.

You can read more about these factors below:

Color

The colors black, blue-black, and other dark colors are always the easiest to remove, while lighter colors may require more treatments. Pink, green, neon colors, and turquoise shades tend to require more sessions.

There are also certain cheaper imported inks used by less reputable tattoo artists that can affect fading. These inks are often mixed with large amounts of metal during production to lower costs, which negatively impacts the treatment since the metal reflects laser light. However, this is uncommon among Swedish tattoo artists but could worsen results if you got your tattoo abroad at a vacation spot.

Depth

Some less experienced tattoo artists tend to place the needle too deeply in the skin. In such cases, the laser is not as effective compared to a more superficial tattoo. However, this usually does not happen with professional tattoo artists.

Age

The older the tattoo, the fewer treatments are usually needed. This is because older tattoos tend to lie more superficially in the skin over time and have likely already begun to fade naturally.

Contours

Tattoos with many contours often take longer to remove. This is because the contours are placed deeper in the skin due to the use of a thicker needle during the tattooing process.

Placement

The placement of the tattoo on the body affects the time it takes to remove it. A general rule is that the further away from the heart, the more difficult it is to remove. This is due to poorer blood circulation in the body's outer areas, such as the hands and feet.

Genetics

The ability of lymph nodes and white blood cells to eliminate the laser-treated tattoo pigments varies between individuals. If your white blood cells have a strong ability to break down ink pigments, the tattoo will disappear faster.