Quick answer: The level of pain depends on the location of the tattoo, use of pain relief and your personal pain tolerance. It usually ranges from minor discomfort to a short snap, like being flicked with a rubber band.
Before tattooing became ubiquitous, a common question for someone who had just been inked was “Did it hurt?” The art form did have a reputation for being quite painful, but not everyone has the same sensation. In fact, some people say they actually like the feel of being tattooed, and some even say they often fall asleep during the process!
So after your body art has outstayed its welcome and you’re considering laser tattoo removal, you might be wondering if that part hurts, too. At LaserHQ, we’re nothing but honest, so we do have to let you know that there can be a degree of discomfort, but there are plenty of ways of managing and minimising it. In this article, we’ll look at the subject with transparency, so you know what you can expect from the treatment.
Not everyone is affected the same
The first thing to note is that there’s no single feeling that everyone undergoing laser tattoo removal experiences. Just like with tattooing itself, some people will feel minor discomfort, while others report feeling it more sharply. In both cases, the sensation only lasts a few seconds.
People who opt for tattoo removal have already decided that they no longer want this particular piece of artwork on their body, and are prepared to go through some level of discomfort to get there. However, there’s no shame in changing your mind if you’re one of the unlucky ones. And for most people, the pain is not unbearable.
The good news is that whatever you’re feeling, we can stop at any moment. The removal is being done by a professional therapist – they will be able to take things at a pace that you feel comfortable with, or indeed stop the treatment altogether at any moment. You just have to say the word.
The pain doesn’t last long
An important thing to note is that the laser is delivering intense heat to your skin, but it is for a length of time that’s measured in billionths or trillionths of a second. Just as you could quickly grab something out of a fire or a bowl of piping hot soup, any pain you feel passes in a few moments because it hasn’t had time to conduct widely or deeply.
It’s also worth remembering that the session takes a fraction of the time it takes to get tattooed. It can take many hours to have a complex tattoo done, but a single session of removal can take ten minutes (although you do need multiple sessions, two or three months apart).
There can be a bit of discomfort afterwards, too, which is often compared to mild sunburn (although it is not the same as sunburn). It’s not unusual for the skin to be quite sensitive straight afterwards, and possibly for a few days or so. As the skin heals, this sensitivity will start to diminish.
What does it feel like?
In terms of pain, there are a few everyday things that laser tattoo removal can be compared to. A common comparison is like being flicked with an elastic band – a kind of quick sting that passes quickly. Some people say it feels like when you’re frying something in a frying pan, and splashes of fat or water fly out of the pan onto your skin. Again, you certainly feel it, but it goes away quickly.
Something that everyone undergoing laser removal can identify with is having the tattoo done in the first place. Some people compare it to that, saying it’s about the same intensity, while others claim it hurts less or more than that. However, it’s probably in that ball park.
When we invite you in for your consultation, we will perform a patch test on your tattoo. For that, we use the exact same equipment and technique as the real thing, so you’ll find out how it affects you. The only difference is the duration, and if the area being treated covers different types of skin.
What factors influence how much it hurts?
When it comes to painfulness, people report a range of different experiences after having laser tattoo removal. Some will say it was just minor irritation, while a small number have short-lived but more noticeable levels of discomfort. What might cause such a discrepancy? There are quite a few factors at play here. Let’s take a look at them.
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Location of the treatment: If the tattoo is on a fleshy part of the skin, or where there’s more fat (e.g. thighs, buttocks, upper arms), it can hurt significantly less, compared to areas with more nerve endings or bone (e.g. fingers, hands, ribs, spine, ankles, face or neck). As a rule of thumb, the sensitivity will be in line with the original tattooing.
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Presence or absence of pain relief: There are a few ways that you and your therapist can really turn the discomfort down, such as creams, air blowers and relaxation – we’ll cover it in more detail below.
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Type of tattoo: Coloured tattoos tend to need a more intense beam than black ones, so they can hurt a bit more.
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Size of tattoo: Simply put, the larger it is, the more treatment it will need, so any pain will be multiplied over time. You can choose more sessions that are shorter if this is a problem.
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Skin tone: People with particularly dark or light skin sometimes feel it more. Lighter skin tends to be more sensitive, and darker skin absorbs more heat from the laser. These are not hard and fast rules though, just general observations.
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Individual pain tolerance: We all have our own definitions of what “pain” is, and some of us can tolerate a lot more than others.
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Which session it is: The first session is often the worst, and subsequent treatments are usually less painful.
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Fatigue: Just a general level of fatigue from lack of sleep, a hard day at work, childcare or working out can make you more susceptible to pain in general. If it’s possible to time it so you’re well rested before treatment, that can help.
Pain relief options
It has been widely observed that being relaxed and calm is a great first step to relieving pain. So if possible, try to arrange your sessions so you’ve had time to rest and recharge beforehand. If you’re into meditation, we’d certainly encourage it.
A common assistance is to use topical creams or sprays, which numb the area, rather like the treatments you can get for mouth ulcers. These need to be applied about half an hour before the start of the session, and can help enormously.
We have superb air blowers that cool the skin and quickly take away the heat of the laser, both of which have a positive effect. For many of our clients, this alone is enough to keep the discomfort to a minimum.
We’ll talk about pain relief during your consultation, and your patch test will provide a great indication. You can choose none, or take everything on offer – it’s up to you. Remember, we’re always committed to making your visit as comfortable as possible, even if we can’t quite call it enjoyable!