Healing & aftercare
Will Laser Tattoo Removal Leave a Scar?
The short answer
Rarely, when it is done properly. In a 2026 survey of laser practitioners, a complication of any kind was reported in about 8 in 100 sessions, mostly swelling and blisters that heal. Lighter or darker patches were reported in about 6 in 1,000 sessions and raised scars in about 2 in 1,000.
Written by Daniel Mason, Level 4 Laser Technician at The Blackbird Wing
Published · Last reviewed · 3 min read
The laser is tuned to hit ink and leave skin alone, so scarring from properly done removal is rare. The more common thing is a temporary change in skin colour, and it helps to know in advance what is normal.
How often things go wrong
In 2026, 94 Dutch laser practitioners were asked how often each complication happened across their sessions.[1]
1,000 laser sessions
- 2 in 1,000 raised scars
- 6 in 1,000 lighter or darker patches
- 81 in 1,000 a complication of any kind, mostly swelling and blisters that heal
The darker dots sit inside the lighter group: the patches and scars are among the 81, not on top of them. These are practitioners’ own estimates of their work.[1]
The same survey found complications were reported more often with darker skin types, coloured tattoos, permanent make-up, tattoos that had been treated before, and tattoos under a year old. They were also common in people who had first been treated by someone untrained or had tried a removal cream or other alternative first.[1]
Temporary lightening of the skin is common enough that the largest study of removal results still counted a tattoo as successfully removed when it happened, because it fades.[2]
What keeps the risk low
- A patch test first. A few pulses on a corner of the tattoo, then a wait to see how your skin responds before the first full session.
- No tan on the area. Darker skin, including tanned skin, absorbs more of the laser’s light, which is where lighter and darker patches come from. Cover up or use SPF 50 between sessions.
- Leaving blisters alone. The aftercare sheet covers this. Most scarring I see from removal comes from picked blisters, not the laser.
Pain is the other thing people ask about before their first session, and that has its own guide.
References
- 1.Poelhekken M, Velthuis PJ, Tjin EPM, Quant DAK, van der Bent SAS. Practitioner-Reported Complications in Tattoo Removal. Dermatology. 2026;242(4):449–456. doi:10.1159/000551910A survey of 94 Dutch laser practitioners about how often each complication happens in their sessions.
- 2.Bencini PL, Cazzaniga S, Tourlaki A, Galimberti MG, Naldi L. Removal of Tattoos by Q-Switched Laser: Variables Influencing Outcome and Sequelae in a Large Cohort of Treated Patients. Archives of Dermatology. 2012;148(12):1364–1369. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2012.2946One clinic’s records of 352 people treated with the same type of laser I use, over fifteen years.
