Tattoo removal: retouch vs single ink depth
Tattoo removal: retouch vs single ink depth
Tattoo removal: retouch vs single ink depth
Tattoo removal often runs long because of retouches—it’s like stacking another cake layer on top.
Number of Tattoo Removal Sessions,
Comparing Ink Depth in Retouched vs Single-Session Tattoos
Last Wednesday, in the clinic, on a right wrist
with a black lettering tattoo
a 28-year-old office worker came in.
"I had six sessions elsewhere, but it's still not coming off.
Does it usually take this long?"
they asked.
Looking at the wrist, the ink was faded in spots,
and they said they had a retouch once three years ago.
![[팩트체크] 피코 레이저 vs Q-스위치, 겹겹이 쌓인 문신 잉크를 잡는 최적의 선택은?](https://framerusercontent.com/images/0lNNdbpvNJeyhlqFUm42XJIFVGo.jpg)
Even if it looks like the same tattoo,
a retouched tattoo is a different game
Tattoo removal uses lasers to break down the ink particles embedded in the dermis
into tiny pieces
so immune cells can clear them away.
Unlike regular pigment treatments, tattoo ink
is embedded deep in the dermis, and at uneven depths,
so it doesn't all come out at once.
Even if they look identical on the surface, a 'single-session tattoo' and
a 'retouched tattoo'
are completely different in how hard they are to remove.
If you look at a cross-section inside the skin,
it's because the layers where the ink has accumulated are different.
Why the number of sessions really changes
where the tattoo was retouched
Dr. Wi Young-jin's
Key Insight
A retouched tattoo
has 2–3 layers of ink piled up in the same spot,
so compared with a regular tattoo,
it needs about 30% more sessions.
It's like stacking another
layer of cake on top of a cake.
Let's compare tattoo ink embedded in the skin
to baking.
If a normal tattoo is one whole cake,
a retouched tattoo is
a cake with another layer added on top.
When a tattoo artist does a retouch,
they don't scrape out the existing ink and put in new ink.
They inject new ink again
on top of or beside the original ink.
So a retouched tattoo has
2–3 layers of ink stacked in the same area.
Each time the laser fires, it can break only the ink
at a certain depth; even if the upper layer breaks and falls away,
the lower layer remains intact.
A single-session tattoo
typically clears in 8–10 sessions,
a retouched tattoo needs about 11–13 sessions.
In other words, it takes about 30% longer.
Dr. Wi Young-jin's Key Takeaway
Retouched tattoos have layers of ink stacked on top of one another.
Because the laser breaks it down one layer at a time,
they require more sessions than a single tattoo.
Before starting treatment, you need to check the retouch history
so you can set realistic expectations for the number of sessions and the cost.
![[비용 절감] 문신제거 총비용 줄이는 법 — 처음부터 리터치 잉크 깊이를 계산하세요](https://framerusercontent.com/images/361Jkq5SszlUTHm6L2vpXKr9C4.jpg)
Check what kind of tattoo yours is first
first
Depending on the ink color,
the wavelength absorbed by the laser differs.
1064nm works well for black, and 532nm for red.
If slightly different tones of ink are mixed in during a retouch,
one wavelength alone
is often not enough to treat it effectively.
Type | Estimated Sessions | Recommended Laser |
Single-session (black) | 8–10 sessions | Pico 1064nm |
1 retouch (black) | 11–13 sessions | Pico 1064nm |
2+ retouches + mixed colors | 14+ sessions | Pico multi-wavelength |
Amateur tattoo | 6–8 sessions | Pico or Q-switch |
A 43-year-old client who came in last month to remove a color tattoo
had two retouches, so
we advised a treatment period of one year.
Rather than recommending treatment blindly, being honest
about the limits
is the best path for the client, I believe.
Three things clients really ask a lot about
I'll answer honestly
Q1. I don't remember whether I had a retouch.
How can I tell?
A. In the clinic, we use dermoscopy
to examine the ink layers closely.
If the distribution of ink particles differs by layer
or there are signs that the edges were traced twice,
it's a retouch.
Q2. So does a retouched tattoo also cost
30% more?
A. The per-session price isn't necessarily higher,
but the total cost goes up because there are more sessions.
So during consultation, your retouch history
should be explained accurately
because it's important for planning your budget.
Q3. If I get many sessions, won't I get scars?
A. More than the number of sessions itself,
the 'intervals' and 'energy settings' are the key.
You need to give the skin enough time to recover.
I usually recommend intervals of 8–10 weeks.
Because immune cells need time to
clear away the ink.
If you take away just one thing today
— the number of tattoo removal sessions depends not on the ink color
but on 'how many layers of ink are stacked.'
In the next article,
we'll cover 'for retouched tattoos, between Pico and Q-switch,
which should you choose.'
This was Wi Young-jin.
Read more
Number of Tattoo Removal Sessions,
Comparing Ink Depth in Retouched vs Single-Session Tattoos
Last Wednesday, in the clinic, on a right wrist
with a black lettering tattoo
a 28-year-old office worker came in.
"I had six sessions elsewhere, but it's still not coming off.
Does it usually take this long?"
they asked.
Looking at the wrist, the ink was faded in spots,
and they said they had a retouch once three years ago.
Even if it looks like the same tattoo,
a retouched tattoo is a different game
Tattoo removal uses lasers to break down the ink particles embedded in the dermis
into tiny pieces
so immune cells can clear them away.
Unlike regular pigment treatments, tattoo ink
is embedded deep in the dermis, and at uneven depths,
so it doesn't all come out at once.
Even if they look identical on the surface, a 'single-session tattoo' and
a 'retouched tattoo'
are completely different in how hard they are to remove.
If you look at a cross-section inside the skin,
it's because the layers where the ink has accumulated are different.
Why the number of sessions really changes
where the tattoo was retouched
Dr. Wi Young-jin's
Key Insight
A retouched tattoo
has 2–3 layers of ink piled up in the same spot,
so compared with a regular tattoo,
it needs about 30% more sessions.
It's like stacking another
layer of cake on top of a cake.
Let's compare tattoo ink embedded in the skin
to baking.
If a normal tattoo is one whole cake,
a retouched tattoo is
a cake with another layer added on top.
When a tattoo artist does a retouch,
they don't scrape out the existing ink and put in new ink.
They inject new ink again
on top of or beside the original ink.
So a retouched tattoo has
2–3 layers of ink stacked in the same area.
Each time the laser fires, it can break only the ink
at a certain depth; even if the upper layer breaks and falls away,
the lower layer remains intact.
A single-session tattoo
typically clears in 8–10 sessions,
a retouched tattoo needs about 11–13 sessions.
In other words, it takes about 30% longer.
Dr. Wi Young-jin's Key Takeaway
Retouched tattoos have layers of ink stacked on top of one another.
Because the laser breaks it down one layer at a time,
they require more sessions than a single tattoo.
Before starting treatment, you need to check the retouch history
so you can set realistic expectations for the number of sessions and the cost.
Check what kind of tattoo yours is first
first
Depending on the ink color,
the wavelength absorbed by the laser differs.
1064nm works well for black, and 532nm for red.
If slightly different tones of ink are mixed in during a retouch,
one wavelength alone
is often not enough to treat it effectively.
Type | Estimated Sessions | Recommended Laser |
Single-session (black) | 8–10 sessions | Pico 1064nm |
1 retouch (black) | 11–13 sessions | Pico 1064nm |
2+ retouches + mixed colors | 14+ sessions | Pico multi-wavelength |
Amateur tattoo | 6–8 sessions | Pico or Q-switch |
A 43-year-old client who came in last month to remove a color tattoo
had two retouches, so
we advised a treatment period of one year.
Rather than recommending treatment blindly, being honest
about the limits
is the best path for the client, I believe.
Three things clients really ask a lot about
I'll answer honestly
Q1. I don't remember whether I had a retouch.
How can I tell?
A. In the clinic, we use dermoscopy
to examine the ink layers closely.
If the distribution of ink particles differs by layer
or there are signs that the edges were traced twice,
it's a retouch.
Q2. So does a retouched tattoo also cost
30% more?
A. The per-session price isn't necessarily higher,
but the total cost goes up because there are more sessions.
So during consultation, your retouch history
should be explained accurately
because it's important for planning your budget.
Q3. If I get many sessions, won't I get scars?
A. More than the number of sessions itself,
the 'intervals' and 'energy settings' are the key.
You need to give the skin enough time to recover.
I usually recommend intervals of 8–10 weeks.
Because immune cells need time to
clear away the ink.
If you take away just one thing today
— the number of tattoo removal sessions depends not on the ink color
but on 'how many layers of ink are stacked.'
In the next article,
we'll cover 'for retouched tattoos, between Pico and Q-switch,
which should you choose.'
This was Wi Young-jin.
Read more
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