Winter tends to be the best time to get most beauty and skin treatments. This includes laser tattoo removal.
And while it’s always best to start laser tattoo removal treatments sooner rather than later, winter is the easiest time of the year to recover from laser sessions. Here are a few reasons why.
An experienced medical laser technician will create a customized treatment regimen for your skin type, color, and sensitivity level, but it’s important to stay out of the sun for several weeks prior to treatments because tanned skin can alter your results. For example, having a tan or sunburn will make your skin more sensitive than usual, and you will likely experience extreme irritation during your laser session. Peeling and blistering during the healing process are also more likely to occur on tanned or burned skin and can ultimately lead to scarring.
You also risk hyperpigmentation, which is the permanent removal of skin pigment. It is most noticeable on those who have a tan or dark skin.
It’s also important to avoid the sun for several weeks after each treatment to give the skin time to heal. This is understandably much easier during the colder months because you aren’t spending as much time outdoors, and your skin is covered.
Although it’s superior to any other tattoo removal method, the laser tattoo removal process is not a one-and-done procedure. Treatments must be performed at 10-week intervals and the number of sessions required varies from person to person, depending on the quality and colors of ink used in the unwanted tattoo.
Throughout the process, your tattoo will fade gradually, so it won’t look so great. Consequently, many people prefer to undergo laser tattoo removal during the winter, so they can cover up their tattoo. This is particularly true for people who have ink on obvious areas of the body, such as their arms. Winter enables you to simply throw on a sweatshirt, a scarf, or pants to avoid constant questions from friends and family about what’s going on with your tattoo.
Warm months mean water skiing in the lake, surfing in the ocean, and swimming in the pool—all of which should be avoided after undergoing laser tattoo removal treatments. Even a covered treated tattoo can be susceptible to bacteria and irritants that can lead to infection and scars if the tattoo hasn’t finished healing.
In short, laser tattoo removal can get in the way of summer plans and vacations. That’s less likely to occur during the winter. Yes, you might need to avoid the hot tub at the ski lodge, but your results will make that small sacrifice worthwhile.
While the treated area of your skin is healing, it cannot be shaved, waxed, or even plucked because these hair removal methods can open up scabs and blisters. This might pose a problem if the tattoo is located in an area that you shave regularly, such as your legs or bikini line. In the winter, however, letting hair grow in a bit won’t be a big deal. You can keep your legs covered without people wondering why you’re wearing pants or tights, and you won’t likely be strutting around in a swimsuit for a while.
We tend to hibernate throughout the winter, but getting out every once in a while for laser tattoo removal sessions could give you bikini-ready skin by Memorial Day weekend. Regardless of how big or small your ink is, you’ll need to dedicate months to its removal, so why not start now? Ensure the process won’t get in the way of your vacation plans and tanning goals and start looking into laser tattoo removal treatments in the winter. Don’t you hate trying to look good in a dress or a tank top, but the regretful tattoo is throwing off your confidence? It looks even worse when you’re only halfway through laser tattoo removal treatments, and your tattoo has become unrecognizable.
People look into laser tattoo removal for numerous reasons, including faded ink. Over time, the body’s immune system attacks the ink because it sees it as a foreign object. The ink is then removed from the body through sweat glands and waste, resulting in a faded and sometimes distorted tattoo. This leaves people the option of having their tattoo touched up, covered up, or removed.
Laser tattoo removal is often a top choice because over the years people get tired of their ink and want a clean canvas. When you got the tattoo, the ink was injected into the dermis layer of the skin, which is the layer below the epidermis. During the tattoo removal treatments, lasers target the pigment of the ink without damaging the epidermis layer, accelerating the natural healing process the immune system has been performing. For this reason, your tattoo ink will continue to fade even after your treatments and can fade faster by exercising and not smoking.
Occasionally, those who look into laser tattoo removal treatments are concerned that the laser will be too painful, and they won’t be able to handle it. This is rarely the case. Many people say the pain is similar to getting the tattoo in the first place. However, if you’re still concerned about the pain, don’t fret. At Body Details, we use a cryogenic device to deliver cool air to the skin. This numbs the outer layer. Delivering cool air to the skin throughout your laser tattoo removal treatment will reduce much of the pain or discomfort you might otherwise feel. Some go so far as to opt for numbing creams, but these are usually unnecessary. If you’re still concerned about feeling pain during your laser session, this video should help calm your nerves: