$4,430 and 8 Treatments Later: Large Black Ink 75% Faded on the Upper Arm
$4,430 and 8 treatments later, a large black tattoo on the upper arm at Removery has 75% faded. Treatment is ongoing.
Before treatment and after 8 treatments at Removery.
What the tattoo was
Large black tattoo on the upper arm, on Type V skin. For darker skin types, longer intervals between sessions are often appropriate to allow full recovery and reduce the risk of pigmentation changes.
What the numbers show
$4,430 across 8 sessions works out to $554 per session. Reputable removal providers charge roughly $350 to $700 per treatment. Over 4 years, with 4-6 months between treatments.
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.
What you take from this
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. For darker skin types, longer intervals between sessions are often appropriate to allow full recovery and reduce the risk of pigmentation changes.