BODY Tattoo Removal Guide

Please disclose all prescription medications, recent medication changes and relevant supplements before treatment.

Some medications can increase photosensitivity, bruising, bleeding or healing complications and may require treatment to be modified or postponed.

If you are currently taking antibiotics or have recently completed a course, contact OPIA before your appointment. Different antibiotics have different effects, and treatment suitability should be assessed rather than assuming the same waiting period applies to every medication.

Current or recent isotretinoin/Accutane use must also be disclosed before treatment so your skin condition and circumstances can be assessed.

Never discontinue a prescribed medication or blood thinner in preparation for Laser Tattoo Removal unless the healthcare professional who prescribed it has specifically instructed you to do so.

If you’re taking medication and are uncertain whether Laser Tattoo Removal is appropriate, speak with your physician or pharmacist before treatment.

OPIA does not perform Laser Tattoo Removal during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Treatment can be scheduled once you are no longer pregnant or breastfeeding and there are no other contraindications present. The American Academy of Dermatology likewise lists pregnancy and breastfeeding among circumstances in which laser tattoo removal should not be performed.

Arrive with the treatment area clean and free from lotions, oils, sunscreen, makeup, self-tanner or other topical products.

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows your technician to easily access the entire tattoo and will not rub tightly against the area afterward.

Stay well hydrated before your appointment and eat normally beforehand.

If anything has changed since booking — including your medications, health, pregnancy status, recent sun exposure or condition of the skin — please let your technician know before treatment begins.

After approximately 6–12 hours, or once instructed to remove your dressing, wash your hands thoroughly and gently cleanse the treatment area with lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free cleanser.

Do not scrub.

Gently rinse away cleanser and pat the area dry with a clean disposable paper towel or allow it to air dry.

If the skin feels dry or tight, apply a very thin layer of the healing ointment provided by OPIA.

The goal is to keep the area clean, comfortable and protected without repeatedly touching or heavily coating it.

Gently cleanse the treatment area once daily, or as specifically instructed based on how your skin has responded.

After cleansing, pat dry and apply a thin layer of your provided healing ointment as needed for dryness, tightness or comfort.

Clinical reviews of tattoo-removal aftercare support gentle wound care and ointment-based emollients while the skin heals.

Avoid fragranced lotions, exfoliating products, acids, retinoids or other active skincare ingredients on the treated area until the skin has completely healed.

Blistering can occur after Laser Tattoo Removal and does not automatically mean something has gone wrong.Crusting, flaking and scabbing may also develop during healing.

Do not intentionally pop, peel, pick, scratch or remove blisters or scabs.

Allow the skin to heal naturally. Prematurely removing healing tissue can increase the risk of infection, scarring and pigmentation changes.

If a blister is unusually large, very painful, continues enlarging, appears infected or you’re unsure how to care for it, contact OPIA for guidance rather than attempting to drain it yourself.

Redness and swelling are expected immediately after treatment and commonly begin settling within hours to the following days.

Bruising may occur and can take 1–2 weeks to completely resolve.

Tenderness, itching and mild soreness can also occur while the area heals.

What matters is the overall direction: the area should gradually become calmer, not progressively more painful, hot, swollen or inflamed.

Avoid strenuous exercise and excessive sweating for at least 48 hours following treatment.

If the area remains blistered, open, significantly irritated or uncomfortable after 48 hours, wait longer before returning to activities that create friction, heavy sweating or contamination of the treatment area.

When you resume exercise, keep the area clean and avoid clothing or equipment that repeatedly rubs against healing skin.

Brief, lukewarm showers are fine once you begin cleansing the treatment area, but avoid prolonged hot water and steam.

For at least the first 48 hours, avoid:

• Hot baths and very hot showers
• Swimming pools
• Hot tubs
• Saunas
• Steam rooms

If the skin is still blistered, scabbed, open or actively healing after 48 hours, continue avoiding swimming, soaking, hot tubs and similar environments until the skin barrier has completely recovered.

Do not exfoliate, scrub or otherwise intentionally remove healing skin.

Avoid body scrubs, exfoliating acids, retinoids, dry brushing, loofahs, exfoliating gloves and other abrasive products directly over the treatment area until it has completely healed.

Do not wax over healing skin.

If shaving is necessary, wait until the area is completely closed, comfortable and free from blisters or scabs, and use a clean razor carefully.

During the initial healing period, choose clean, loose-fitting clothing over the treatment area whenever possible.

Avoid tight waistbands, bras, shoes, athletic equipment or other items that repeatedly rub, compress or trap sweat against the treated skin.

If a tattoo is located in a high-friction area, healing may take a little more care.

Healthy circulation, immune function and wound healing all contribute to the tattoo-removal process.

Smoking can impair normal wound healing, so reducing or avoiding smoking during recovery is beneficial for your skin.

Stay normally well hydrated before and after treatment. There’s no need to force excessive amounts of water — simply maintain good everyday hydration.

Moderate alcohol intake appropriately and avoid heavy alcohol consumption around your treatment, particularly while the skin is actively healing.

OPIA uses picosecond laser technology for tattoo removal. Picosecond lasers deliver energy in extremely short pulses, creating a strong photoacoustic effect that helps fragment tattoo pigment while limiting unnecessary thermal exposure to the surrounding tissue.

Our laser operates at two wavelengths — 1064 nm and 532 nm — allowing us to target different pigment colours.

1064 nm is primarily used for darker pigments such as black and grey, while 532 nm is used for warmer pigments such as red, orange and pink.

Not every tattoo colour responds to these wavelengths, which is why the colours present in your tattoo must be assessed before treatment.

OPIA specializes in tattoo colours that can be effectively targeted by our 1064 nm and 532 nm picosecond wavelengths.

This primarily includes:

• Black and grey
• Red, orange and pink
• Permanent Makeup eyebrows containing treatable pigments
• Black Permanent Makeup eyeliner, when appropriate for treatment

Colours such as green, blue, turquoise, yellow, white and certain mixed pigments may not respond adequately to the wavelengths available at OPIA and may require a different laser technology or removal approach.

Tattoo inks are not all made the same, and colour alone cannot guarantee how a tattoo will respond. Pigment composition, depth, density and previous treatments all influence the removal process.

There is no reliable way to determine or guarantee the exact number of sessions required before seeing how your tattoo responds to treatment.

The removal process can be affected by:

• Tattoo size and location
• Amount, depth and density of pigment
• Professional versus amateur application
• Number of times the area has been tattooed
• Colours and composition of the ink
• Scar tissue within the tattoo
• Previous removal treatments
• Your individual immune response and healing
• Aftercare and sun exposure
• Your desired end result — significant lightening versus maximum possible removal

Some tattoos respond relatively quickly, while others require many treatments over an extended period of time.

Your tattoo will be reassessed as treatment progresses rather than promising a predetermined number of sessions.

For complete instructions, please review the Body Tattoo Removal Aftercare Guide.

Complete removal is possible for some tattoos, but it can never be guaranteed.

Tattoo inks vary enormously in their composition, colour, depth and density, and some pigments respond much more readily to laser than others. Even tattoos that respond very well may leave behind small amounts of residual pigment, colour changes or evidence that a tattoo was previously present.

Pre-existing scar tissue from the original tattoo may also become more noticeable as the pigment covering it disappears.

The goal of treatment may therefore be maximum possible removal or sufficient lightening for another purpose, depending on your tattoo and expectations.

For complete instructions, please review the Body Tattoo Removal Aftercare Guide.

Ideally, laser treatment removes or significantly reduces the tattoo pigment without substantially changing the surrounding skin.

However, the final appearance depends on several factors, including the original tattooing technique, pre-existing scar tissue, your skin's response to treatment and how the area heals throughout the removal process.

Sometimes scarring or texture that was created when the tattoo was originally applied becomes more visible as the ink disappears. This doesn't necessarily mean the laser created the scar — the pigment may simply have been concealing it.

Changes in pigmentation or skin texture are also possible complications of laser tattoo removal.

Once removal is complete and the skin has fully healed, treatments such as microneedling or other appropriate skin treatments may be considered if residual texture or scarring remains.

For complete instructions, please review the Body Tattoo Removal Aftercare Guide.

Immediately following Laser Tattoo Removal, it's normal for the treated area to look quite different.

Temporary reactions may include redness, swelling, warmth, tenderness, pinpoint bleeding, bruising or a raised appearance.

You may also notice “frosting” — a temporary white or chalky appearance over the tattoo immediately after the laser passes over it. This occurs because of a rapid reaction within the treated tissue and typically resolves relatively quickly.

Once the immediate reaction settles, the tattoo may initially look quite similar to how it did before treatment.

This does not mean the treatment didn't work.

Tattoo removal happens gradually. The fragmented pigment continues to be processed by the body over the following weeks, so progress should be evaluated over time rather than immediately after your appointment.

I would remove “sensitivity to light” from your old answer. That's not a typical immediate tattoo-removal symptom in the way redness/swelling/frosting are.

Yes. OPIA provides topical numbing before Laser Tattoo Removal to make treatment as comfortable as possible.

At your first appointment, the topical anesthetic is applied and allowed to sit for approximately 30 minutes before treatment begins.

For subsequent appointments, you may be provided with numbing product and instructions for applying it before arriving so the area has adequate time to numb before your treatment.

Even with numbing, you may still feel some of the laser pulses, but treatment itself is generally very quick, while a cool-air machine sooths the area we are working on.

Laser Tattoo Removal can be uncomfortable, but the actual laser treatment is generally very quick.

Clients commonly describe the sensation as something similar to a hot elastic band snapping against the skin. A freezing-air machine will be use to soothe the area as we work. 

At OPIA, topical anesthetic is used before treatment to improve comfort. Individual sensitivity varies depending on the tattoo's location, size, pigment density and your personal pain tolerance.

Many clients find the procedure manageable because each treatment pass is over relatively quickly.

If a dressing is applied after your treatment, leave the area protected for approximately 6–12 hours, unless your artist instructs you otherwise.

Once the dressing is removed:

• Gently cleanse the area with a mild cleanser and pat dry.
• Apply healing ointment as instructed and as needed for comfort during the initial healing period.
• Keep the area clean and protected, but avoid unnecessary touching.
• Do not pick, scratch or remove blisters, flakes or scabs that develop.
• Avoid strenuous exercise and excessive sweating for at least 48 hours.
• Avoid hot baths/showers, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs and swimming for at least 48 hours, or longer if the skin has not returned to normal.
• Protect the treated area from sun and UV exposure for at least 30 days, using clothing or physical protection while actively healing and SPF once appropriate.

Redness and swelling generally settle relatively quickly, while bruising, itching, flaking, blistering or scabbing may take longer to resolve.

Your tattoo will continue changing after the surface of your skin appears healed, as pigment clearance occurs gradually over the following weeks.

For complete instructions, please review the Body Tattoo Removal Aftercare Guide.

Proper preparation helps ensure your skin is in an appropriate condition for treatment.

Before your appointment:

• Avoid tanning, sunburn and significant UV exposure. Laser cannot be performed on sunburned or significantly tanned skin.
• Arrive with healthy, intact skin free from wounds, irritation or active skin conditions in the treatment area.
• Stay well hydrated before and after your appointment.
• Disclose all medications and supplements during your intake process, particularly anything that may cause photosensitivity, affect healing or increase bleeding.
• Do not discontinue prescribed blood-thinning medication for a cosmetic laser appointment unless specifically instructed by the healthcare professional who prescribed it.
• For body tattoos, shave the treatment area shortly before your appointment if instructed, taking care not to irritate or cut the skin.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows the tattoo to be easily accessed and won't rub tightly against the treated area afterward.

If you are taking antibiotics or another new medication, contact OPIA before your appointment so it can be assessed before treatment.

For complete instructions, please review the Body Tattoo Removal Aftercare Guide.

Laser Tattoo Removal may not be appropriate for everyone. Treatment may need to be postponed or declined if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have sunburned, significantly tanned, broken or irritated skin in the treatment area
• Have an active infection or skin condition affecting the treatment area
• Are taking medications that cause significant photosensitivity or affect healing
• Are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or active cancer treatment
• Have certain implanted medical devices, surgical hardware or other medical considerations in or near the treatment area
• Have a medical condition that significantly affects healing, immune function or your response to laser
• Have recently undergone another treatment that has compromised the skin in the area

Current or recent isotretinoin/Accutane use should also be disclosed so your individual circumstances and skin condition can be assessed before treatment.

This is not a complete list of contraindications. OPIA's booking system will take you through a detailed health and contraindication questionnaire. Please disclose all relevant medications, medical conditions, recent treatments and changes to your health before every laser appointment.

Laser Tattoo Removal is generally well tolerated when appropriately performed, but side effects and complications are possible.

Expected temporary reactions may include:

• Redness and swelling
• Tenderness, warmth or soreness
• Itching
• Pinpoint bleeding
• Bruising
• Blistering
• Flaking, crusting or scabbing

Less common risks include:

• Hyperpigmentation — darkening of the treated skin
• Hypopigmentation — lightening of the treated skin
• Infection during healing
• Prolonged irritation
• Changes in skin texture
• Scarring
• Incomplete or uneven pigment removal
• Unexpected changes in tattoo colour
• Allergic or hypersensitivity reactions to fragmented tattoo pigment

Pain, temporary redness/swelling, blistering and pigmentary changes are all documented adverse effects of laser tattoo removal.

Because the exact composition of tattoo ink is often unknown, no technician can guarantee exactly how a particular tattoo or pigment will respond to laser treatment.

Following all pre-care and aftercare instructions and allowing adequate healing between treatments helps reduce avoidable risks.