10 Common Tattoo Removal Mistakes

While getting a tattoo is exciting, sometimes you just don’t want to keep it forever. Thanks to the new technology available these days, it’s possible to engage in tattoo removal. All kinds of methods can be used for professional removal. Whether it’s a laser treatment, chemical peels or anything similar, they might help. That being said, even DIY removal can be an option.

But it’s important to take medical advice and work with a professional over a consultation. That way, you can avoid a long recovery time, while also making sure you have less side effects and good pain management. Plus, you can avoid many of the challenging tattoo removal mistakes. If you end up with any mistakes, those can be dangerous for both your health and well-being. Thankfully, the process is not as challenging as you might think if you know what mistakes to avoid.

Choosing an Unqualified Practitioner

Obviously, you always want to make sure that you are working with a qualified professional. Working with a person that has lots of experience and a great track record is important. It’s possible that whenever a tattoo removal has gone wrong, it has to do with the practitioner not being qualified or experienced.

That’s the reason why you want to perform your due diligence. Check the reviews of that practitioner too. Learning more about the person you are working with and the devices they use helps a lot. That way, you can have a very good understanding of the expectations, challenges that can arise, and how you can solve those issues as quickly as you can without any worries.

If you work with a company that has lots of knowledge, great expertise and extensive training, then the entire process will be a whole lot better in the end.

Ignoring Aftercare Instructions

A lot of people think that once they are out of the tattoo removal session, they can do anything without limitations. That’s an issue, because tattoo removal aftercare is extremely important, and you really want to focus on it properly. With that in mind, here are some of the crucial aftercare instructions to consider:

• Always make sure that your treatment area is clean and also dry. If the area where you’re removing your tattoo gets wet or full of dirt for example, that’s a problem. It will lead to infections and many other issues that you want to avoid.
• Another important thing to do is to avoid heat, especially hot water for 48 hours after the treatment.
• Exercising for 24 hours is also not recommended, since it can lead to sweat. And as we said, the area needs to be kept dry, otherwise, you will face various issues and it’s better to avoid those entirely.
• Sun exposure is also something you want to avoid for a few days. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin, and that will make it much harder to remove the tattoo properly.
• As always, you don’t want to scratch, poke or pick that area. Take good care of it, and you will not have any problem. But if you continue poking at that area again and again, that will lead to problems down the line.

Expecting Immediate Results

One of the most common tattoo removal mistakes is that people are not patient. They don’t wait for the process to complete, and this is where it can be a problem. Don’t expect instant gratification from this because most of the time, there won’t be any. Instead, you always want to make sure that you understand the tattoo removal schedule. Once you do that, it becomes a much easier task to handle everything and you don’t need to deal with constant issues or challenges, either.

That’s why you have to avoid rushing the process or the practitioner. Making sure you understand how much it takes and respecting this process is what sets the experience apart. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do, but the outcome as a whole is extremely impressive.

Underestimating the Number of Sessions Needed

This goes hand in hand with what we said earlier. Many times, people don’t realize that you need a lot of sessions in order to remove a tattoo. And the truth is that you don’t really know these things until you truly get into the process. The main focus here is to always talk with the tattoo removal practitioner. They will know what tattoo removal machine to use, how much time it takes, and how many sessions might be required.

Smaller tattoos can take 3-7 sessions, but a larger tattoo with hard ink will sometimes take up to 20 sessions. The size of your tattoo, but also its intricacies and complexity can add to the number of sessions. So yes, tattoo removal is not a one and done thing. It will take a while until everything is done properly. It’s a time investment and a commitment, but it will eventually work very well.

Not Considering Skin Type and Health Conditions

Skin issues can affect tattoo removal as well, even if you might think that’s not going to be the case. The reality here is that Psoriasis, eczema, keloid and other skin problems will make the tattoo removal process a lot more complex and challenging. The best thing you can do is to talk with the practitioner and see what type of tattoo removal will help deliver good results and value here.

The same thing is valid when it comes to skin type. Darker skin makes it harder to remove tattoos, so that alone is also going to be challenging. That’s why you want to go for professional removal. Otherwise, you will encounter scarring, infections and a much longer healing process. But if it’s all done right, then the experience will be a much better one in the end.

Opting for Cheap Treatments

There’s a saying, “you get what you pay for” and that’s always the truth. Realistically, you will notice that a cheap treatment will always end up having a lower quality result. If a service like this is cheap, usually there’s a reason. They either use a very inexpensive laser or equipment, they try to rush the process, etc.

While that might not seem like an issue, it’s possible that a cheap treatment will come with various oversight. And when that happens, you will end up dealing with problems. The best approach is to assess what you are getting for the money and see if the service is worth it. Most of the time it is, but there will be times when it’s not. So it’s crucial to know what you are getting into, and then you will be much happier with the outcome.

Using DIY or Over-the-Counter Products

That’s the problem, you always want to go with professional solutions. A high quality tattoo removal machine from a reputable manufacturer will always be a lot better. You want to choose that instead of those over the counter products or DIY items. Yes, it will be a challenge to deal with DIY products, but if you manage them appropriately, it will lead to a much better experience every time.

And at the same time, you also want to check reviews and as many details as possible for all the products you are using. The more info you have, the easier it will be to determine the right products here. What really matters is the type of value for money you get and whether the products you use will help. If not, you can always find other options.

Not Preparing for the Procedure

You can’t just go in and expect the tattoo to be removed in a single session. Aside from the need to have multiple sessions, tattoo removal also requires you to prepare for the procedure. The way you prepare will vary however. But in general, you want to clean and shave the area as a starting point. Then you also want to hydrate properly, another issue that can sometimes be very problematic. And then we have other things, like not smoking for a while, and taking Tylenol or anything similar to prevent discomfort. Avoiding perfume and lotion will also be a must here.

Neglecting Sun Protection

Does sun exposure matter? Of course it does, if you are exposed to the sun, that can become an issue because US rays damage your skin. That means your tattoo removal process will become a lot more challenging to deal with. The practitioner will need to avoid certain skin areas because they are damaged. And while that might not seem a major issue, it certainly becomes one later on. It’s a crucial aspect to think about, and at the end of the day, you always want to be fully prepared for this.

Take all the precautions you can to avoid UV ray damage. Wearing a hat, protecting the area you have tattoo removal going on with a longer sleeve, all these things will help. You should also listen to the tattoo removal practitioner and what kind of guidelines/tips they provide. It always helps if you focus on these things and stay safe, which is something you have to consider as much as possible.

Ignoring Potential Side Effects

Is it possible to encounter some side effects during or after tattoo removal? Absolutely, and these can range in difficulty or importance. For example, frosting and blisters are very common. But you can also deal with a few other things like scarring, hyper or hypopigmentation, pain, itching and even crusting.

If you encounter any of these, the best thing that you can do is to talk with a medical expert. He will be able to offer you all the necessary guidance and help. Avoiding any of those issues will always help, and it will eliminate many of the problems that can arise at times. Make sure that you stay safe as much as possible, and also protect yourself from any problems that arise. Usually, you want to talk with a dermatologist and the tattoo removal practitioner, they can offer guidance on how to prevent tattoo removal mistakes.

Final Thoughts

It’s imperative to always perform your due diligence and ensure that you only go for professional treatments On top of that, you also want to talk with a dermatologist or industry expert before and after the process. That way, you can identify any potential issues or side effects and prepare accordingly. Make sure that you always use high quality products too, as that’s what helps the most. And of course, stick with a good aftercare skin routine!