The first concern most people have when looking into laser tattoo removal is whether or not the treatments are going to hurt. Unfortunately, the procedure has obtained the reputation of being extremely painful, encouraging some to keep their unwanted ink for years in search of alternative solutions.
However, if done properly, the fact is that laser tattoo removal isn’t much more painful than so many other things we do on a regular basis. Whether it be part of our beauty regimen or something we enjoy doing in our spare time, we’ve found some things you’ve likely done and continue to do on a regular basis that are far more painful than laser tattoo removal. Don’t walk around with a tattoo you hate! Hopefully these comparisons will help ease your mind and encourage you to get rid of your unwanted ink.
1. Getting the Tattoo
Most people consider the pain of getting a tattoo to be far worse than anything they’ve experienced during their laser tattoo removal treatments. The outline of a tattoo is especially painful, and can be hard to endure for most of those who’ve gotten ink. Tattoo work can take hours depending on the size of your piece, creating long periods of time where you were in excessive discomfort and pain. Often the skin will get tight and swollen during the tattoo process, but the combination of adrenaline and excitement over your new artwork might have lessened this sensation. Although laser tattoo removal does require several sessions to completely eliminate your ink, each treatment will only take a few minutes. Even the largest tattoos rarely take more than 30 minutes to treat. This is a significantly shorter amount of time than when you had the tattoo done in the first place.
2. Waxing Your Legs
If you’ve ever had your legs waxed, or pretty much any other part of your body, then you’ve experienced pain far worse than anything you will experience during laser tattoo removal. Even if you’re lucky enough not to be burned by the hot wax, the sensation caused by thousands of tiny hairs being pulled out by the root—all at the same time—is not only excruciating but will leave your skin red and irritated for hours—sometimes even days. Since laser tattoo removal focuses on one small area at a time, the discomfort felt is far less overwhelming.
3. Plucking Nose Hairs
There’s nothing worse than plucking nose hairs, as it is not only extremely painful but also causes intense irritation. Between burning sensation and uncontrollable tears that never fail to appear during this process, most people give up after one or two hairs. Not only is laser tattoo removal far less uncomfortable, clients rarely can’t finish their session. Bonus: laser treatments won’t cause your eyes to tear!
4. Sunburn
Many people compare the feeling left on the skin after laser tattoo removal to a sunburn, since the skin will be warm and sensitive to the touch. Laser tattoo removal is like having the mildest sunburn of all time that only sticks around for a few hours. If you have sensitive skin, this might be comparable to how your skin reacts after laying in a tanning bed. A sunburn is far worse and will last much longer.
5. Getting Hit by a Paintball
If you’re the adventurous type, then perhaps you’ve played paintball in your spare time, and if you haven’t, then you should. It’s loads of fun, but getting hit by a paintball hurts, to say the least. You’ll have a pretty nasty bruise in the best case scenario, but paintballs often result in painful welts that stick around for weeks. So if this is something you’ve been known to handle, even if it was once, then you can expect to be able to handle laser tattoo removal as well.
6. Hitting the Gym after Taking Some Time Off
Whether you were busy and couldn’t find any spare time to hit the gym, or you were taking time off to enjoy your ten-day cruise, we’ve all taken time off from the gym at one point or another. While it’s nice to take a break from including a workout in our routine, getting back your healthy habits can be extremely painful. The degree of pain is often in relationship with the amount of time taken off, but can certainly be considered to be more painful than laser tattoo removal. Getting back to the gym means your muscles will ache, and your body will be sore. Maybe you have a hard time sitting at your desk at work or walking around the office. Your experience likely goes from intense pain to an annoying inconvenience after a day or so, while you’ll hardly feel any different from your laser tattoo treatment after a few hours. Unless you go straight from your treatment back to work, you shouldn’t have any problem sitting or walking around the office.
7. A Visit to the Dentist
If you haven’t made a visit to the dentist lately, rest assured, it’s still extremely painful. Dentists still can’t clean your teeth without making your gums bleed or develop appropriately sized mouthpieces, and that’s just if you’re having a routine cleaning done. Unlike dentists, medical laser technicians are trained so that clients feel less pain and discomfort, making your laser treatment an appointment most people would prefer to keep.
If you still aren’t convinced that laser tattoo removal is far less painful than you thought, there are several options your laser clinic might offer to numb the skin around the treated area. Many medical laser technicians are able to apply cold air to your body using a cryogenic cooling device. This will significantly reduce any discomfort or feeling you might experience during your treatment. There are other options, such as numbing creams, so it’s best to contact a trained professional at your local laser clinic to learn more about the science behind laser tattoo removal and what they provide for clients who are nervous about pain.
If you’re in the South Florida area, feel free to contact one of our trained medical technicians at Body Details Laser Hair and Tattoo Removal with any of your concerns regarding your comfort during sessions. Aside from taking extra steps to decrease client pain during laser treatments, we also provide clients a free laser hair removal lifetime guarantee. You can reach us now and schedule your free consultation or by phone at 866-708-8645.