How painful is laser tattoo removal?

Hi Ye Xu,

It is unfortunately quite painful. Pain is of course, very subjective so it depends very much on the pain threshold of every person as well as the location of the tattoo.

The parts of our skin, which have more nerve endings, will have a stronger sensation. Areas such as the face, neck and fingers are more sensitive. These are areas where you might feel more pain as compared to the shoulder or forearm.

I take steps to ensure that the procedure is as comfortable as possible for all my patients. This involve the generous use of numbing cream and the use of a chilled air blower. I do have patients requesting treatment without numbing cream. These are few and far between.

Overall, the treatment has been tolerable for almost all of my patients.

Hi Ye Xu,

This is a common question that I get asked a lot.

I tell my patients that the discomfort of laser tattoo removal is roughly similar to getting a tattoo.

Depending on the location of the tattoo, certain areas might feel more painful than others.

I use a combination of techniques to minimise discomfort:

Iceing

Cooler during laser treatment

Local anesthesia - numbing injections.

Generally, most patients find that the discomfort for Laser tattoo removal is tolerable.

For more information on tattoo removals, check out this Guide to Tattoo Removals in Singapore.

Warmest regards,

Dr Justin Boey

Hi Ye Xu,

Yes I believe laser tattoo may be quite painful. There are many ways to help reduce the pain including numbing cream, ice, painkillers, and even local anaesthesia.

Pain can be subjective and we will do our best to reduce it as much as possible.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Tattoo Removal in Singpapore