Laser Removal FAQ

Most tattoos need several sessions, spaced several weeks apart. Laser tattoo removal is a gradual process, and the number you’ll need depends on:

Ink colour and density

Depth of the tattoo

Age of the tattoo

Placement on the body

Your individual immune response

Most tattoos require multiple sessions, spaced several weeks apart, to allow your body time to break down and remove the ink safely.

For a personalised estimate, try our free treatment estimator — it uses the Kirby-Desai scale, the same scoring tool laser technicians use.

Our prices are per session, based on the size of the tattoo: from £25 per session for a tiny tattoo (up to about 2×2cm), £40 for small (up to about 5×5cm), £70 for medium (up to about 7.5×7.5cm), and £90 for large pieces.

The consultation and patch test, which every removal starts with, is £5.

Your total cost is the per-session price times the number of sessions your tattoo needs — see our prices page for the full list and our estimator for a session estimate.

There are no packages and no upfront commitment. You pay per visit, and if your tattoo clears faster than expected, you stop paying sooner.

Yes — laser tattoo removal is uncomfortable, but each session is usually very quick.

People often describe the sensation as: A hot elastic band snap, or a sharp, stinging heat.

Pain tolerance varies massively between individuals and also depends on tattoo placement and size.

Yes. Every removal starts with a consultation and patch test (£5) before your first full session.

The consultation is an honest, no-obligation look at your tattoo: what results are realistic, roughly how many sessions to expect, and whether removal is even worth it for your piece.

The patch test fires the laser on a small area of the tattoo so we can see exactly how your skin and ink respond before treating the whole thing. It’s the safest way to start, and it means your first full session is set up correctly for you.

Sessions are quicker than most people expect. After a quick check-in — how the area healed, any changes to your health or medication — we photograph the tattoo to track your progress, set the laser for your skin and ink, and treat the area.

The lasering itself often takes just a few minutes; a small tattoo appointment is 15 minutes door to door.

Afterwards we cool the area, apply aloe vera gel (you take the bottle home), and go through your aftercare before you leave.

Several weeks at minimum — your body keeps breaking down and clearing ink for weeks after each session, so treating again too soon adds risk without adding results.

Most clients return every 6–8 weeks. We’ll advise what’s right for your skin at each visit, and there’s no penalty for leaving it longer: the fading carries on between sessions.

Keep the area out of the sun — a tan or sunburn on the tattoo means we may have to postpone, so cover up or use SPF 50 in the weeks before.

Arrive with the area clean and free of creams, fake tan or makeup.

Avoid alcohol for a few days before and after, keep well hydrated, and if you can, avoid smoking around your sessions — it slows the healing and the fading.

Let us know about any new medication or health changes at check-in, as some medications affect how skin responds to laser.

A few situations mean we’ll postpone or adapt treatment. We don’t treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and recent sun exposure, fake tan or sunburn on the area usually means waiting until it settles.

Some medications — particularly photosensitising ones — and some medical conditions also affect whether and how we can treat you.

We go through a short medical history at your consultation, so you’ll always know where you stand before anything is booked. If you’re unsure, just ask — it costs nothing to check.

We use a Q-Switched nanosecond laser, which is designed specifically for tattoo removal.

This laser delivers very short, high-energy pulses that break tattoo ink down into tiny particles. Your body’s immune system then gradually clears these particles over time.

We remove black and dark inks most effectively, and can treat reds. We use different laser wavelengths depending on the ink colour:

1064nm tip – most effective for black and very dark inks

532nm tip – used for reds and some other warm colours

Some colours are much harder to treat. At present, we cannot easily remove: Blue, Pink, White, Yellow, Green.

If your tattoo contains a mix of colours, we can discuss what may and may not respond during a consultation.

Results vary. Some tattoos fade significantly, some may be removed almost entirely, and others may always leave a faint shadow.

During a consultation, we will give you an honest assessment of what is realistic for your tattoo.

Yes — fading for a cover-up is one of the most common things we do, and it usually needs noticeably fewer sessions than full removal.

A good cover-up doesn’t need bare skin, just enough fading for the new design to sit cleanly over the old one. If you’re working with a tattoo artist, tell us what’s planned and we’ll aim for the level of fading the new piece needs — no more sessions than necessary.

When performed correctly, laser tattoo removal is considered safe.

Redness, swelling, blistering, and heat in the area are common and expected. This inflammatory response is an important part of the removal process, as it allows your immune system to clear the broken-down ink.

With correct treatment and good aftercare, the risk of scarring is low — the laser targets the ink, not the surrounding skin.

The single most common cause of scarring is picking at blisters or scabs while the area heals, which is why we keep aftercare simple and clear.

If your tattoo already has scarring underneath (from when it was applied), that existing texture will still be there once the ink has gone — laser removes ink, it doesn’t resurface skin.

Yes — we remove semi-permanent makeup including microbladed and tattooed brows, and lip liner.

Cosmetic pigments behave differently from tattoo ink: some shades — particularly nude, flesh, white and pink tones — can darken or change colour the first time they’re lasered. That’s why every SPMU removal starts with a patch test.

There’s more detail on our SPMU removal page.