Are Newer Tattoos Easier to Remove?

The short answer to “are newer tattoos easier to remove” is “no”. Newer tattoos aren’t easier to remove via laser technology than older tattoos.

But, many factors come into play as to how easy or difficult a new tattoo may be to remove, alongside its age. 

If you have a fresh tattoo that you’re already regretting, we’ll discuss the steps you should take before getting it removed and the other factors to consider that will influence how easy it will be to remove.

How Laser Tattoo Removal Treatment Works 

When receiving a tattoo, ink particles are injected into the skin. For the next 8-16 weeks, your body tries to eliminate these foreign objects. 

White blood cells are able to pick up small fragments of tattoo ink particles and escort them out of the body through excretion. The majority of the tattoo particles are too large for the white blood cells to pick up, so they remain and become permanent. 

Laser technology pulses light energy into the tattooed skin during the tattoo removal procedure, which shatters those tattoo pigment particles. Again, small enough fragments are escorted out by the white blood cells. 

The larger the ink particles are, the more laser treatment sessions you’ll need to break them down.

What Happens as Tattoos Age?

Even after the first three months of getting a new tattoo, your white blood cells continue to recognise the tattoo ink pigments as foreign objects. They continuously try to break them down to get rid of them. 

This is known as body rejection.

Years and years of natural attacking can wear down the ink. Your body is far from removing the entire tattoo efficiently by itself, but compromising the tattoo’s makeup makes it more vulnerable and susceptible to laser tattoo removal treatment. 

Another factor is sun exposure. 

Older tattoos tend to be more faded because of direct exposure to sunlight. The sun breaks down the ink particles slowly over many years. This also makes unwanted tattoos easier to remove in fewer laser sessions. 

Removing a Brand New Tattoo

Brand new tattoos have neither undergone years of body rejection nor sun exposure. 

So, they’ll take longer to break down using laser tattoo removal. 

But, that doesn’t mean that removing a new tattoo is impossible - it’ll take longer to remove, but certainly not impossible.

If you’re unhappy with your new tattoo and want it removed as soon as possible, you need to allow your body adequate time to recover from the trauma and be completely healed before undergoing laser therapy. 

Remember that getting a tattoo is a very invasive affair for the body.

For the best laser removal results, don’t neglect your after tattoo care procedures. A successful healing process of a tattoo on healthy skin makes for an easier and quicker laser tattoo removal.

There are various side-effects associated with removing a new tattoo too soon, such as hyper- and hypo-pigmentation. The skin pigment around the treated area darkens (hyper-) or lightens (hypo-) as the melanin production increases or decreases. This can eventually fade with time as the skin goes back to normal.

What Makes Laser Tattoo Removal Easier?

We have already touched on tattoo aftercare: the better the skin has healed, the easier it will be for complete tattoo removal. 

If you’re very hasty to remove a tattoo, a few other things make laser treatment on unwanted tattoos easier. 

Unfortunately, some of them might be out of your control.

1. Lighter Skin Tones

Low-frequency wavelengths are most effective to remove tattoos. 

People with a lighter skin tone don’t need as high of a wavelength to remove their unwanted tattoo as people with darker skin tones.

Unfortunately, low-frequency wavelengths used on darker skin tones for tattoo removal can cause scarring or hyper- and hypo-pigmentation. 

Therefore, high-frequency wavelengths are used on darker skin tones, and complete tattoo removal takes a bit longer.

2. Tattoo Location

The closer to your heart a tattoo is, the easier it will be to remove, as it has quick and easy access to fresh blood supply. 

Tattoos on hands and feet take longer to remove, as it takes longer for blood to reach your extremities. 

Additionally, tattoos in areas that are exposed to a lot of sunlight are more likely to fade. 

Tattoos in areas constantly undergoing friction are also likely to fade. We already know that faded tattoos are quicker to remove using laser therapy than brand new tattoos. 

3. Small, Simple Tattoos 

Smaller tattoos will be quicker and easier to remove than large, intricate ones.

It might seem like the opposite should be true, but a black tattoo is the easiest to remove via laser treatments. Different colour inks require different laser wavelengths. 

A good rule of thumb is that the more contrast there is between the colour of the tattoo and your skin tone, the better the result will be. 

4. A Healthy Immune System 

Your immune system is essentially the most important factor in laser tattoo removal. Your immune system sends white blood cells to the treatment site to collect the small ink fragments and get rid of them.

A compromised immune system means that this process will be less efficient. 

Before and during your laser tattoo removal treatments: 

• eat a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables; 
• drink sufficient water; and 
• maintain an active lifestyle. 

Another thing to note is that smokers often don’t have good circulation and immune systems as non-smokers, so healing between laser removal sessions could take longer. 

The Best Tattoo Removal Technology 

At the Tattoo Removal Institute, we are highly recommended for our superior equipment. 

Feel free to read more about our Tri-wavelength Laser System and Koolio Optimal Air Cooling System.

Our new technology is faster and more powerful than the regular, outdated laser systems found elsewhere. 

What’s more, our machines are chosen with a strict focus on minimising any pain or discomfort the client might experience during treatment sessions. 

Key Takeaways

Some tattoos are easier to remove than others. 

Unfortunately, a new tattoo will need some time to heal before you can begin laser therapy to have that tattoo removed. So, are newer tattoos easier to remove? Older tattoos that are more faded are easier to remove than fresh tattoos.

Factors that make a tattoo easier to remove include:

• lighter skin tones;
• tattoo location;
• small, simple tattoos,
• a healthy immune system; and
• the best tattoo removal technology. 

While some of those things are out of your control, one thing you can do is choose the best institution to do your procedure. We offer a free consultation with our specialists to put your mind at ease and answer any questions you might have.

Begin your journey to having that unwanted tattoo removed by contacting us today.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Please check with a physician if you have health questions or concerns about interactions or go to the TGA for a comprehensive list of TGA warnings. Although we attempt to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee is made to that effect.