Are Tattoos Affected by Laser Hair Removal?

When a laser hair removal treatment is performed, it uses a laser beam charged with light energy and targets hair follicles one by one. The heat used does not overwhelm skin cells, meaning that the procedure is practically painless. You may be wondering, however, do tattoos have an effect on laser hair removal? Our team at Beauty Fairy will explain.

Where Tattoo Ink And Hair Follicles Are Located

When someone gets a tattoo, they are having pigment injected into their skin at a depth somewhere between 1.5 and 2mm. This has to be done in order to penetrate the deeper layer of the skin, past the outer layer, so the tattoo does not fade/peel off like the outer layer of skin normally does. Hair follicles also happen to be located inside the dermis, but are much more deep rooted than tattoos. 

What Is The Problem?

The issue is that the light energy used in laser hair removal has to go through all of the layers on top of the hair follicles, meaning that it will come into contact with the layer of tattoo ink as well. 

If you use a hair removal laser over tattooed skin, it will rapid heat the tattooed area. There is a chance of the tattoo fading and losing its colour, but there is an even bigger chance of the laser causing skin damage and blisters (this is because the tattoo layer will hold a high amount of light energy). 

This is why any doctor with a reliable practice would decline performing laser hair removal on a tattooed area. This doesn’t mean the entire body is out of the question for this procedure, however. Lasers can still be used on the areas of the body where tattoos are not present, and can even be used in the areas around tattoos, as long as there is a template to keep the tattooed parts away from the laser.

How We Can Help

If you are looking for effective laser hair removal in Richmond Hill, then you have come to the right place. Our team at Beauty Fairy is highly experienced and ready to take on all of your beauty needs in the best way possible. We will work closely with you to come up with a treatment that works best for you, so don’t wait to book an appointment and call us at (647) 990-4679 today! We look forward to hearing from you.