What is the cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver?

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• Laser tattoo removal estimates must be unique to each case
• The cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver should also consider value for dollar
  • The best laser tattoo removal should use the best technology for the job
  • The best laser tattoo removal in Vancouver is with the most experienced treatment designers
• The cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver is about more than price points

Tattoo regret is not the only reason people get their ink removed. Sometimes, people want to re-do their tattoo, or change their tattoo design. Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt people want the latest, fastest technology to get rid of their old tattoos. These days, that technology comes with lasers. The only question left is: what is the cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver?

Laser tattoo removal is not going to be the same price for every person, nor at every clinic you visit in Vancouver. In this article, we’ll explain what you can expect to pay for this type of service in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley regions.

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Laser tattoo removal estimates must be unique to each case

Laser tattoo removal requirements are going to be very, very different for each case that comes into a laser tattoo removal clinic. Pricing will be based on factors such as:

• The size of the tattoo
• The age of the tattoo
• The colour of skin where the tattoo is being removed
• How deep the tattoo ink is in the skin
• The colours of the ink in the tattoo

And beyond that, there will be factors that no one can predict, such as the type of ink that was originally used to create the tattoo. Some inks last longer than others. And, there’s really no telling what is in all these inks. So it’s hard to say how skin will react to them, and whether that will add additional treatment needs to the laser sessions.

To be extremely general, you can expect the cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver to start at about $250 per session. It can go up from there, even to $1,000 or more per session, if talking about very large areas (like full sleeve tattoos, for instance). You will always need more than one session.

To find out your total cost, you need to know how many total sessions you will need. Only a qualified practitioner can give you this estimate, in an in-person consultation session.

But, the number of sessions you require brings up more than just price points…

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The cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver should also consider value for dollar

Not all laser tattoo removal treatments are the same. Therefore, when it comes to pricing laser tattoo removal in Vancouver, you as a consumer should be concerned about the value you’re getting for each dollar you spend on this service.

High quality laser tattoo removal comes down to two main factors:

1. The efficiency of the technology being used
2. The experience of the practitioner designing the treatments

We’ll explain these in more detail below.

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The best laser tattoo removal should use the best technology for the job

Lasers designed for tattoo removal have come a long way since they were first invented. You will want to make sure you are paying for a service that will work fast, at different depths in the skin, and – if applicable – on as many colours as possible. This way, you’ll get more thorough results. To achieve this requires using the latest technology available.

Q-switch lasers were the former, ‘gold standard’ that could break down tattoo ink in the skin. Each pulse lasted a nanosecond. It would deliver heat in this time frame, to break ink particles into smaller pieces. This was great because the high heat, in the short zap, would help prevent burns in the skin. Still, it was a lengthy process to undergo laser tattoo removal, sometimes requiring more than 20 sessions to fully remove a tattoo.

But after 2012, picosecond lasers were released. These lasers are able to deliver heat in a picosecond. That is a trillionth of a second. That’s 1000x shorter than a nanosecond!

Since picosecond lasers can heat up the ink particles so fast, they can also destroy them into smaller pieces on each pass. The smaller the pieces are, the more easily they are absorbed by the immune system, and disposed of by the body.

What used to take dozens of treatments to remove a black tattoo with a Q-switch laser can now be done in about 6 treatments with a picosecond laser (but again – it’s different for every case).

And, the results are even cleaner, removing nearly all signs of the tattoo. In the past, some remnants would commonly remain.

So, if someone is selling you on a starting rate of $250 per session for Q-switch laser tattoo removal, be aware that you could be getting multiple times the value with a picosecond laser, for the same price.

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The best laser tattoo removal in Vancouver is with the most experienced treatment designers

Now, even if a clinic has the best laser for removing tattoos, this doesn’t mean its technicians will know how to use it effectively. Plus, the other lasers and tools in their office can make a difference in the results you’ll get for what you pay.

Different tattoos can require different treatment paths (which will, of course, affect price). If someone has an all black tattoo on medium-toned skin, that will require different settings on a laser than a colourful tattoo on white skin, or an all-black tattoo on dark skin.

The goal is always to destroy the ink in the tattoo, without destroying the skin surrounding it. But of course, ink is closely bound to the skin in this context. So the most effective laser ‘zap’ needs to heat up the skin as hot as it can, without burning it. Burning it would cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (i.e. skin darkening). Some skin tones can be more prone to this side effect. Due to that, this service can’t be done haphazardly.

For example, we talk about the R20 protocol for removing tattoos on our blog. This protocol can be very effective, but it can’t be used in all cases, without causing further damage.

Then, there is the depth of the ink. Lasers can reach different levels in the skin, depending on their wavelength. Certain colours can also be attracted to these varying wavelengths of light, and absorb them better (so they heat up, and are destroyed).

Sometimes, a different picosecond laser can work better on different types of tattoos. Having more than one of these machines in a clinic can help remove a variety of tattoos, or multiple tattoo colours in one tattoo.

And finally, there are some lasers that are not necessarily designated for tattoo ink, but can work on some stages of laser tattoo removal. Having these on hand can also speed up tattoo removal results.

In short: you get more value by visiting a highly-experienced tattoo removal specialist, with multiple, modern tools in their arsenal.

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The cost of laser tattoo removal in Vancouver is about more than price points

As we’ve seen above, finding out a price for laser tattoo removal is not as easy as calling an expert and asking for a price over the phone. There are many variables that will determine the estimate for your tattoo removal, versus another’s. 

But, even when you do get a price, you will want to make sure that the provider you choose has the best technology to do the job efficiently. They should have plenty of experience when it comes to removing various types of tattoos, and on various skin tones. Ideally, they will also know how to ‘mix and match’ their tattoo removal tools, so as to use techniques that can provide you with faster, more comprehensive results.

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