Have you ever wondered if I can have laser hair removal over my tatoo? Our team put ink to paper to find out...
Do you want to undergo laser hair removal but are afraid that this will cause damage to your tattoo? Well, our team did some research, and there is good and bad news for you if you’re wondering about undergoing this procedure. The fact is that laser hair removal will not cause your tattoo to disappear. Should you do it though? Well, no – you shouldn’t, and here’s why….
How does laser hair removal affect my tattoos?
The way laser hair removal works is that a small intensity laser is beamed onto the skin. It’s set up specifically to target the follicles that are responsible for hair growth. The laser deactivates or destroys the follicles so they can’t produce hair anymore.
Of course, this isn’t something that happens in one session. It usually takes at least four to six laser hair removal sessions for the hair follicle to be completely destroyed and get perpetually smooth and hairless skin!
Now, let’s say you have a tattoo on the area you want to treat with laser hair removal. Remember – tattoo ink exists in the pigments of the skin. If they’re there – this confuses the laser so that instead of hitting the follicle, it will hit the pigment of the tattoo. While this won’t remove the design, it is predicted that the colour will become a little faded.
What if I want to remove the tattoo anyway?
So let’s say you want to get laser hair removal over a tattoo-covered area. You’re not particularly attached to the tattoo anymore and don’t care whether it fades off during the laser hair removal. Is it now OK to go through the process?
The answer is still no. Even if you’re willing to risk it – every good doctor will advise against the idea. This is because the problem goes beyond simple aesthetics. You’re risking painful injury and even scarring if you opt for laser hair removal on an area that has a tattoo.
Find Laser Hair Removal Treatments in Western Australia
If you’re based in WA and looking for Laser Hair Removal Treatments, find your local skin therapist here.
Can I have laser hair removal treatment over a tattoo?
As already mentioned – no, you can’t and not just because of the colour-fading effect. This can actually burn your skin, cause blisters, and generally cause damage to the tattooed area.
On top of all of that, the laser hair removal may not work at all because instead of hitting the follicles, the laser may target the ink. Now, imagine if this happens over a course of several sessions. Not only can you experience some form of pain and discomfort – but it’s also completely unnecessary.
So does that mean there’s zero chances of getting laser hair removal when you have a tattoo? Well, obviously – if your tattoo is on your thigh and you want to uer laser for your underarm hair removal – well then, no problem! The issue occurs when the tattoo is on the same area where you want to get the laser hair removal.
Many technicians, of course, have a way around this. After all, not all tattoos are the same. Let’s say you have a very small tattoo on your leg where you intend to have laser hair removal. A good technician simply creates a customized “cover” for the tattoo and applies the laser around it.
This way, you can still have laser hair removal for most of your legs while leaving a tiny island where the tattoo is located. Obviously, hair would still grow on this patch of skin so you’d have to deal with that on your own if that is what you want. Shave it off or wax/pluck it – depending on what you prefer.
But what if you have a full sleeve or a tattoo that covers the majority of your skin? If this is the case, then you might want to think twice about having laser hair removal.
Does the treatment also work as a laser tattoo removal?
How laser hair removal affects tattoos is very different from laser tattoo removal. The intensity of both lasers are widely different so while laser hair removal can cause fading, it won’t be able to remove the ink.
So we already clarified that you can’t have laser hair removal treatments on a tattoo-covered area of your skin. But what about the other way around? Can you get laser tattoo removal on an area where you had laser hair removal? The answer is – yes, you can.
In fact, most specialists recommend that if you really want to get laser hair removal, it’s best to have the tattoo removed first. Once the ink has been removed from the pigments – laser hair removal can be safely done against the skin’s surface.
Note though that this is a long process. Laser tattoo removal in itself can sometimes cause skin irritation, tenderness, and swelling. The treated area must heal first before laser hair removal is done on the surface. This will ensure that the hair removal is successful and that there are less chances of extended side effects such as infection or scarring.
If you plan to have a tattoo in the future – it’s also a good idea to undergo laser hair removal first. This is perfectly safe so that once the follicles have been deactivated on your skin, putting a tattoo in there would be easier with a blank and clean canvas.
Find Laser Hair Removal Treatments in Victoria
If you’re based in VIC and looking for Laser Hair Removal Treatments, find your local skin therapist here.
Finding Laser Hair Removal Specialists in Australia
Laser hair removal is a careful procedure that requires knowledge, experience, and technique. It’s best to have this type of procedure done by a local skin specialist to ensure the most effective results with minimal pain or discomfort. This is why it’s important to find a reputable skin clinic in Australia that will guide you through the process of getting laser hair removal.
More importantly – find clinics that will be upfront and warn you against certain circumstances that can affect your health in the process. Just because you found a clinic that’s willing to give you laser hair removal on your tattoo doesn’t mean it’s perfectly safe. Make sure you’re comfortable with the advice they’re giving you, and you understand the risks of having laser hair removal over a tattooed area.
