How Much Does Laser Tattoo Removal Cost?

Laser tattoo removal can be very costly, but the good news is that the price is decreasing as the demand for tattoo removal increases and the technology becomes less expensive. Each laser removal center will have its own way of pricing tattoo removal. Most places base their cost on the size of the tattoo and the number of colors used in the tattoo. As you can imagine, larger tattoos with lots of colors cost the most to remove.

Some doctors charge a flat fee for tattoo removal which includes all of the follow-up sessions. However, it’s more common practice for doctors to charge for each office visit. They do that because the length of each session could vary; some sessions could take much longer to complete whereas others (especially the later sessions) may only take a few minutes. Ideally you want to only pay for the doctor or technician’s time.

There are pros and cons to paying a flat fee vs. paying per session. If a doctor charges a flat fee this may save you money in the long term if it takes many sessions to remove the design. For example, let’s say the doctor usually charges $200 per session but tells you that he can remove the tattoo for a flat fee of $1,000. If it takes more than 5 treatments to remove your tattoo you’ve actually saved money.

However, there’s a downside to paying a flat fee. If you decide you want to stop the treatments (because you want to change doctors or because you’re moving) you may be required to pay the remaining balance for the work. As a matter of fact, many of the flat fee clinics require you to pay the fee up front. This may cause a problem if you decide early on to switch doctors. If the clinic requires that you pay a flat fee up front you should ask them what your options are if you decide to stop the treatments before the tattoo has been successfully removed. Ask them if they’d be willing to refund the remaining balance to you, even if they have to charge something like a processing fee, or only refund a certain percentage of the balance.

Although rare, there have been instances when the doctor himself decides to change locations, move into a new practice, retire, or go out of business. In those instances reputable doctors will usually refund all of the balance or refer you to another physician that can complete the work. These events are uncommon but could occur if you’re trying to remove a very large tattoo because they can take many months and sometimes years to remove.

Most doctors however charge a “per session” fee for removing tattoos. This entails the patient paying either a set fee or a fee based on the duration of each session. This type of pricing gives the patient the ability to change doctors if they’re displeased with the service they’re receiving. For example, since technological advances in medicine occur rather frequently you may discover that your physician doesn’t have the latest lasers for tattoo removal. If you’re paying per session you can easily switch to a doctor that’s using more advanced laser technology. This pricing structure also lends itself well to someone that may relocate during the course of the sessions.

Each individual tattoo removal session can cost as low as $100 and go up to $1,000, depending on the size of the tattoo, the number of colors used, and the location of the design on your body. The number of sessions required vary according to the patient’s skin tone, the ink colors used, the size of the tattoo, and how fast the patient’s skin heals. If the tattoo is small or performed by an amateur it may take 2-5 sessions for the design to be completely removed. However, larger tattoos administered by professionals may require more than 10 treatments.

It’s important to shop around before deciding on one particular doctor. Set up consultative appointments with at least 2 different doctors, show them the tattoo(s) you want removed and let them estimate how many sessions will be needed. They can also give you an idea of how much each session (or their flat fee) will cost. Once you decide on a doctor it’s important to do some research on him/her if you’ve never received services from them before. Go online and see if there are any outstanding lawsuits against the doctor. There are physician referral sites online that will give you that information. Ask friends and family members if they know anything about the doctor. This is easier to accomplish in small rural areas and more difficult in large urban areas but it doesn’t hurt to ask nonetheless.

Once you engage a physician and begin treatment you should commit to completing the process. There will be times when the tattoo area looks worse than it did before the treatments began however you must be willing to continue the treatments until the tattoo is completely removed.

For more information see: Laser Tattoo Removals

Preparing for Laser Tattoo Removal