How soon can one remove a new tattoo? (photo)

Hi Jie Sheng,

Your skin needs time to heal. Attempting to remove a tattoo whilst it is still healing only increases your chance of scarring. I advise all my patients to wait at least 4 weeks before going for treatment.

In my experience, tattoos that are less than a year old are much harder to remove when compared with a tattoo that has been there 10 years. Your body tries to get rid of the ink as soon as you get it.

Older tattoos means that your body has had more time to remove when compared to a fresh tattoo. This usually translates to fewer sessions required for older tattoos when compared to newer tattoos.

First, you must wait at least two weeks before removing your tattoo. Tattoos damage your skin and you need time to heal. The good news is that black ink is the easiest to remove, particularly with the highly effective PicoWay laser.

The less-good news is that tattoo-removal is a lengthy process. Count on multiple sessions with a month or two between each one. Consulting with a board-certified dermatologist will get you a better idea of how much time it’ll take.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Tattoo Removal in Singapore