We have been removing tattoos at Laserase since the 1990s, using the Q-Switched Ruby laser. Whether you want a tattoo gone completely or faded enough for a cover up, a consultation will tell you exactly what is possible.
- Q-Switched Ruby, the laser of choice for tattoos
- Removal or fading for a cover up
- Twenty five years of experience
- Short sessions, most under twenty minutes
- Honest assessment of your tattoo
- From £50 per session
The laser we use
The Q-Switched Ruby laser produces extremely short pulses of high energy red light. Each pulse lasts around twenty five billionths of a second, fast enough to shatter the ink without heating the skin around it. The ink breaks into particles small enough for your immune system to carry away over the following weeks, which is why sessions are spaced out rather than stacked together.
What a session is like
Most tattoos take between five and twenty minutes on the laser, depending on size. People often compare the sensation to an elastic band flicked against the skin, and bony areas such as ribs and ankles tend to be sharper than fleshy ones. The area is dressed before you leave and you go home with written aftercare instructions. Some blistering or crusting in the first week is normal and settles on its own.
Planning your course
Sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart to give your immune system time to clear the shattered pigment, and rushing this does not speed up the result. Keep the area covered or protected with factor 30 or higher while it heals, which usually takes four to six weeks. Most people notice visible fading after the first two or three sessions.
Cost
Sessions start from £50, and the price for your tattoo depends on its size, its colours and how deep the ink sits. You will get a clear estimate of both the per session price and the likely overall investment at consultation. Consultations with Dr Patel are £25, paid when you book. NHS staff receive 20% off a first treatment and 10% off treatments thereafter.
Treatments carried out
Years established in Bolton
Years combined experience
Frequently asked questions
Only very rarely, and usually only with faint amateur ink. Anything professional is a course.
Laser removal targets pigment rather than skin, so scarring is uncommon when aftercare is followed. Where a tattoo has already scarred from the original work, that scarring stays once the ink lifts.
Black and dark blue respond best. Greens are the most resistant and may not clear fully with any laser, and bright modern inks can take longer. We will give you a realistic assessment at consultation.
Yes, once the skin has fully healed. Your artist will advise on timing.
Most people notice visible fading after the first two or three sessions, with the biggest changes usually in the early part of a course.