Large Black tattoo on the upper arm, forearm: 75% Fading in 5 Sessions ($4,230)
A large black tattoo on the upper arm, forearm, faded 75% over 5 sessions, at Removery. Total cost: $4,230.
Before (session 0) and after (5 sessions) at Removery.
The tattoo
Large black tattoo on the upper arm, forearm, on Type V skin, approximately < 1 yr old at the start of treatment. For darker skin types, longer intervals between sessions are often appropriate to allow full recovery and reduce the risk of pigmentation changes.
The laser
Candela Picoway is a picosecond laser. For black ink, it operates at 1064nm with a pulse duration of 240 to 450 ps. A specialist with more than 10,000 treatments describes PicoWay as outstanding on black ink. PicoWay is noted as a safer option for darker skin types due to its larger spot sizes, which allow deeper penetration at lower peak energy per pulse.
The timeline
5 sessions at intervals of 3-4 months. Total treatment time: 4 years. The last 5 to 10 percent of clearance is the hardest: the remaining ink tends to be deepest, and the combination of unknown ink composition, depth, scar tissue, and immune response slows progress.
The cost
$4,230 across 5 sessions works out to $846 per session. The typical range from clinics in this area is $181 to $671 per session in MD.
For darker skin types, longer intervals between sessions are often appropriate to allow full recovery and reduce the risk of pigmentation changes.