HELP! I Just Got Tattooed and I HATE it - How Long do I Have to Wait to Start Tattoo Removal?

It’s something we see more than we wish — a client comes in with a fresh tattoo or still healing brows, and they’re bummed, like really bummed.

They’ve set up a consultation to discuss tattoo removal with one of our providers, they’ve filled out all of their paperwork, and they’re rip roarin’ ready to go — the only problem is, we find out they just got tattooed. 😬

Maybe this tattoo was a spur-of-the-moment tattoo, a drunken mistake, the artist didn’t deliver what they had discussed, or more likely than not, it just wasn’t the vision that they had, and they struggled to find their voice before the ink went down.

We see this a lot actually, where clients asked for a tattoo and were talked into something that doesn’t remotely look like what they asked for.

This tattoo was supposed to be a simple outline of a hand holding a lipstick knife — obviously, this client didn’t receive what they asked for. In this case, this client started removing it as soon as possible, and we’re well past the point where they could get a coverup, but we’re going for full removal!

We’re going to talk more about consent and the importance of making sure your client feels in control and comfortable in their bodies during a procedure like getting tattooed or undergoing tattoo removal in an upcoming blog, but for now we’ll just say this: if you’re reading this and are feeling embarrassed or ashamed that you struggled to find your voice during your tattoo appointment, know that you’re not alone and that we’re here to help, with no judgment, and a ton of empathy and consideration to this super sensitive subject/patch of your skin.

So, circling back to the point of this post: how long do you have to wait to start laser removal on a brand new tattoo?

The most important thing to keep in mind is that both getting a tattoo and undergoing tattoo removal are both creating trauma to your skin, both in your epidermis (the top layer of your skin that you can see) and your dermis (where the pigment lies).

Because of this, it is imperative that you allow your tattoo to fully heal before getting laser tattoo removal.

How long is that, you ask? Well, the absolute least amount of time any reputable laser tattoo removal shop should treat you is 6 weeks — your epidermis should have fully healed by then, meaning there’s no pigment, scabs, or flaking skin on your skin that could cause blisters or burns from the laser picking up pigment on the surface of your skin, and also enough time for your dermis to heal.

Your dermis is where the pigment is deposited, and when you get a tattoo, your macrophages (a specific type of white blood cells) react to the trauma by swallowing up the ink in an effort to eliminate them through your immune system. The problem is that they’re too big to transport, so they get stuck in your dermis.

Once your dermis is healed, we can start laser tattoo removal, which shatters those ink particles into smaller pieces that your macrophages can actually transport!

Semi-permanent makeup like microblading generally only requires 6 weeks of healing before a session of laser removal can be booked.

Here at Take It Off, we suggest waiting 8-12 weeks after getting tattooed to start your removal sessions, because skin health is our number one priority, and when your skin is healthy to start, the likelihood of unwanted side effects can be mitigated.

When it comes to PMU (microblading, nanobrows, powder brows), 6 weeks is generally just fine; PMU uses much finer needles and also a more shallow depth when applied.

Traditional tattoos are placed between 1mm to 2mm into the skin, where the dermis is, while PMU needle depths range from 0.08mm to 0.15mm - at this depth, the pigment is deposited into the border between the epidermis and dermis and therefore heals faster.

We’ll talk more in a future article about the unique caveats involved in PMU removal (it can be tricky!), but in general, starting your removal after 6 weeks should suffice.

We know that getting a tattoo that you hate can be tough on your confidence, your self-esteem, or downright piss you off. But don’t worry, we’ll get you started down the road to fading it out to get a coverup, or to completely remove it once your skin is healthy enough to do so.

We’re always happy to discuss more during a free consultation, so we can get you booked in advance, and set your mind at ease that the tattoo you hate is going to be taken off at Take It Off PDX!