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.

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

• Underarm laser hair removal: how many sessions does it take? A realistic session breakdown

• For those considering tattoo removal in Hongdae and Hapjeong, Dr. Wi Young-jin answers

• Tattoo removal 30,000 won per session? "If you calculate the total cost, you'll feel cheated"