What To Expect After Your First Laser Tattoo Removal Session

Laser tattoo removal isn’t just about what happens in the studio. The real magic—and the real fading—happens in the weeks after your appointment. How you take care of the treated area directly affects your results, how quickly you heal, and how many sessions you’ll ultimately need.

Think of the laser as step one. Step two is what you do at home.

Expect Redness and Swelling

This is normal. Your skin just absorbed a ton of light energy and needs some recovery time.

Typical reactions for the first 24–72 hours:

• Redness

• Swelling

• Warmth

• Itchiness

• Occasional blistering (rare but normal, to some degree. If it happens, we want to know about it.)

Use a Cool Compress

This is your first line of defense. We want to control your skin's healing response and keeping it cool is the best way to do that. Apply it for 10–15 minutes at a time for the first 24-48 hours, a few times throughout the day. It takes the heat out of the skin and reduces swelling.

Keep the Area Elevated (If Possible)

For tattoos on arms, legs, hands, or feet: Prop the area up when you’re relaxing. Even a small elevation helps reduce swelling.

Avoid Anything Hot

Heat expands blood vessels and increases inflammation. Skip for 24–48 hours:

• Hot showers

• Heating pads

• Saunas

• Heavy workouts

Warmth = more swelling. Cool = less.

Don’t Cover with Heavy Bandages Unless We Tell You

Trapping heat makes the skin angrier and prolongs redness. A breathable dressing is fine if needed, but avoid:

• Plastic wrap

• Heavy balms

• Ointments that seal the skin too tightly

Moisturize… but Keep It Simple

After day one, you can apply a fragrance-free moisturizer to the area.

Avoid heavy balms, oils, or anything marketed as “healing cream.” Those often trap heat or irritate fresh skin. Less is more. If the area gets itchy, you can use a < 1% hydrocortisone cream.

Sun is Not Your Friend

UV exposure is the fastest way to slow down removal and increase risks.

Keep the treated area:

• Out of direct sun

• Covered with clothing when possible

• Protected with SPF 50+

We Check In With You at 48 Hours

After your first treatment, we don’t just send you home and hope for the best. We always check in at the 48-hour mark, usually by text, to make sure your skin is reacting the way it should. This is when early swelling, heat, or redness should be settling down, and it gives us a chance to catch anything unusual long before it becomes a problem. You can send a quick photo if you want, and we’ll let you know if healing looks normal or if you should adjust anything in your aftercare.

Note: If anything feels off before we reach out at 48 hours—you're unsure about redness, swelling, or anything else—don’t wait. You can always message us sooner and we’ll take a look.