There are two main methods to remove tattoos today: laser removal and intense pulsed light therapy

There are many reasons why a person may want to remove a tattoo - no longer agreeing with its message being the most prominent reason. Removing a tattoo can become quite expensive, and with the laser procedure it’s also very painful.

 



Laser tattoo removal is the most common method in use today. This technique uses a laser to break the tattoo pigment into tiny fragments underneath the skin layer. Then, the body’s immune system removes them naturally. This cannot be done at one time, and may require up to 10 sessions to rid of the tattoo completely.

However, more treatments cause more blistering and scabs and increase the risk of scarring. It’s worth noting that laser tattoo removal is extremely painful. There is a newer procedure on the market for removing tattoos, called intense pulsed light therapy.

In this procedure, intense light is used instead of a laser to break up the pigment of the tattoo. A gel is applied to the tattoo area, and a medical rod emits the intense light pulse onto the area being treated. Surgeons claim this method is much less painful and more effective than the laser method. Therefore, intense pulse light therapy requires less treatment sessions.



The cost of one session of laser tattoo removal can cost anywhere between $250 to $850. One patient requires 1 to 10 sessions, so the numbers can add up. On average, the procedure costs around $4400. Although the intense pulsed light therapy requires less treatment sessions, it costs around $10 per pulse. So the treatment can be more expensive overall.



There are some companies selling no-surgery tattoo removal kits. However, it’s important to be skeptical about these, especially if you have dark and large tattoos. Moreover, they are not exactly, costing about $150 for a one month treatment. Laser tattoo removal has been proved the most cost-effective surgery for more people.