How many sessions will I need?

Your doctor estimates the number from your tattoo’s size, colours, depth, density, location and age. Dense or layered ink takes more, and an older tattoo may fade sooner.

Is Laser Tattoo Removal painful?

Many people compare it with an elastic band snapping against the skin. Numbing cream can go on 20 to 30 minutes beforehand to take the edge off.

Can you lighten my tattoo for a cover-up?

We can. Full removal is not the aim, so fewer sessions may lighten the ink enough for your tattoo artist’s new design.

Can cosmetic tattoos be treated?

Some can, after careful assessment. White, flesh-coloured and some cosmetic inks can darken under the laser, so please mention them. A test spot may come first.

Can I go back to work afterwards?

Most people can, the same day. Any redness tends to fade within a few hours, and the area is seldom swollen.

Laser Tattoo Removal

Time in clinic: About 45 minutes, plus numbing
Sessions: At least 6 to 8 weeks apart
Downtime: Usually minimal
Results: Gradual, over several weeks

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At our Legian clinic only.

The laser handpiece over a tattoo on a guest’s hand, a gloved hand holding it steady

At a glance

Pulses of laser energy break tattoo ink into tiny particles that the body gradually clears. Whether you want to fade an old design or remove it completely, your doctor will explain what to expect. Several sessions are usually needed, spaced at least six to eight weeks apart for the best results.

Consultation: Complimentary
Available at: Legian

Ideal for

Fading a tattoo, or lightening it for a cover-up

Please note

If you have a recent tan, sunburn, broken skin, an infection or inflammation over the tattoo, we will ask you to wait. Please allow time for several sessions, and keep the area out of the sun.

To prepare

No tanning or fake tan beforehand, or the appointment is postponed.
Tell your doctor about medication and anything that makes your skin sensitive to light.
Arrive with clean skin and nothing on the area, not even lotion.
Please mention allergies, earlier tattoo removal, scarring or pigment changes.

Our Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, made by Quanta in Italy, works at two wavelengths, 1064 nm and 532 nm. It sends short, high-energy pulses into the ink deep in your skin.

The pulses are so brief that the ink shatters, a photo-acoustic effect, into particles small enough for your immune system to clear over the following weeks. Your skin’s own pigment, melanin, absorbs them too.

Black and dark-blue ink respond most readily, and red and orange can respond too. Green, yellow and some lighter shades resist more, and a multicoloured tattoo may need different settings or another technology.

On the day

In the Legian laser room, you put on protective eyewear and the pulses pass over your tattoo. If it is small, this takes a few minutes.

Each pulse feels like a warm snap. The ink can briefly frost white, and we cover it with a dressing before you leave.

Cocoon's tattoo removal film. YouTube's player loads only when you press play, and the film stays on this page.

Arms and shoulders
Hands and fingers
Chest and back
Abdomen
Legs and thighs
Ankles and feet

The Cocoon Legian lounge: cream tub chairs and warm floor lamps beside a dark spiral staircase

Aftercare

DowntimeUsually minimal

Until it settles

For 24 to 48 hours, no hot baths, saunas, steam rooms or hard exercise.
Use lukewarm water and gentle products until the skin settles.
Do not pick at any crusting or dry skin.
Keep out of direct sun and wear sunscreen every day.
Contact us if anything unexpected develops afterwards.
Follow the dressing instructions, leave any blisters alone, and skip swimming until healed.

The ink goes on fading for several weeks after each session, and what has gone does not return.

Any redness, tenderness, swelling, small blisters or pigment changes usually settle as your skin heals.

Complete removal is not always possible, and a faint outline, some colour or a change in texture may remain. Results vary, and your doctor will tell you what to expect for your tattoo.