Back in the day, tattoos used to be forever. That's why we're still warned to think twice about getting tattoos today. But nowadays, tattoo removal exists, and experts say that removing standard black tattoos has up to 90% success rate. About 70-90% of colored tattoos are removed successfully, and the same goes for 95% of small tattoos.
Every bit of the removal journey can feel like a small win, and where better to share your progress than on a subreddit dedicated just for that? Whether it's a bad tattoo job, an ex's name, or something that brings back bad memories, tattoo removal experts have helped these folks to get rid of it.
We've gathered the most impressive and successful examples of tattoo removal and present them to you here. Turns out, sometimes you can erase your mistakes.
To know more about how the tattoo removal process works, Bored Panda reached out to a professional – Sydney-based tattoo removal specialist Jamie Tomlinson from Goodbye Tattoos. "Tattoo removal is like peeling back an onion skin," she tells us. Yet there's also so much more to it.
Read on to find out whether removing a tattoo is more painful than getting one, what the most annoying misconceptions about tattoo removal are, and why new technology is making it more and more effective!
More info: Goodbye Tattoos | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
#1 Successful Self Harm Tattoo Removal
To punish myself in a breakdown a few years ago I tattooed my face. With pico laser I got it removed it took about 4 sessions.. now I need to stay sober and try to remove the rest of the tattoos on my body and to preserve my original beauty I destroyed…
Image credits: No_Resolution9384
How many of our tatted Pandas thought before their first tattoo: "I'll just get it removed down the line if I don't like it"? Some 10 years ago, that would've been way harder than it is today. As tattoo removal specialist Jamie Tomlinson tells us, the process has come a long way in the past decade.
"Around 10–15 years ago, results were much less predictable and often left behind significant scarring," Jamie tells us. "The technology was limited, and lasers couldn't effectively treat all ink colours."
"Today, the advanced laser and light-based technologies use highly specific wavelengths to target different ink colours more precisely and break the ink down more safely without damaging the skin."
Today, removal specialists can help you get rid of green, blue, and red ink. With older technology, that was nearly impossible. "Today's treatments carry a much lower risk of scarring or skin damage compared to older approaches," Jamie mentions.
#2 Almost Gone!!! April 2025 Will Be 3 Years Since I’ve Started Removal. 2-3 Months Apart
Image credits: seanceforavampire
#3 8 Sessions Over A Three Year Period. Professional, Amateur, And Prison Made Ink. Nanosecond Laser
Image credits: johnnylaser007
Because the technology is relatively new, there's a lot of misconceptions about it. Most of them are about the length of the process: most people imagine that removing a tattoo is as easy as getting it done. But if you go deeper into this subreddit, you'll learn that people celebrate their removed tattoos after several years.
"The laser does the work of breaking the ink down in the skin but it's the body that flushes the ink out via the lymphatic system," Jamie explains. She breaks the process down to eight crucial factors:
- Tattoo color. A specialist can get rid of black ink the easiest. Red and warmer tones are easier too, but greens and blues are the hardest to get rid of.
- Skin tone. "Different skin types absorb laser energy differently, which affects both safety and how effectively the ink can be treated," Jamie says.
#4 5 Sessions In! Feeling Like I’m In The Home Stretch
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#5 Big A** Black Tattoo That’d Been Reworked Twice Before Biting The Removal Bullet. 2 Years And 10 Or So Sessions Later, She's Gone
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#6 Update On My Tattoo Removal
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- Layering of tattoos. Shrek taught us that ogres are like onions, but our skin is made of layers, too. Tattoo removal specialists can only target one layer at a time. "If someone has a tattoo on a tattoo, we have more layers to target," Jamie notes.
- Tattoo location. Tattoos fade faster in places where there's quicker circulation in our body. Those that are closer to the heart, for example. Tattoos on our limbs, like feet and hands, fade more slowly.
#7 Tattoo Removal
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#8 Mission Accomplished!
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#9 7 Sessions. 16-20 Weeks Apart. Q Switch Nanosecond Laser
Image credits: johnnylaser007
- Personal health and lifestyle. Tattoos fade quicker for those who lead healthy lifestyles. "If someone smokes or drinks alcohol every day, the body won't have the detox capacity to get rid [of] the ink. Slower process!" Jamie warns.
- Amount of ink and depth of ink. If your tattoo is lighter or shaded, it might not require as many sessions as thick and dense tattoos.
- How old the tattoo is. Our bodies flush tattoo ink naturally over time. So, older tattoos are more faded as they are. "Have you noticed how a 20-year-old tattoo might look more faded than, say, a 6-month-old tattoo?" Jamie points out. "The body knows there is something foreign in it, so it does try, but it still needs the help of a laser to break the ink down further."
#10 6 Session Progress
Image credits: Fragrant-Dust-4598
#11 Bringing You Guys Hope
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#12 Finally Done After 2 Years & 8 Sessions
The after pic was taken 6/25/2025.
Two things I did religiously that I think helped were using the massage gun on it a few times a week, and covering it sports tape any time it was going to be exposed to the sun. Yes, it did look a bit silly when I was wearing a dress or in a bathing suit but it helps to keep it covered.
Laser :Picoway Price : $1,700
Image credits: Necessary-Object1243
Another common misconception about tattoo removal is the pain. Many people may be wary of getting rid of their tattoos because they think it'll hurt way more than getting the tattoo did. Jamie says that it's hard to say, since every person's pain threshold is different. "Some people can handle it better. It's uncomfortable, but bearable," she says. Jamie's clients have told her that it feels like a rubber band snap or hot oil splattering on your skin when cooking.
#13 All Gone (:
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#14 One Single Session. Five Years Ago Yesterday . Second Session Today. When You Wonder Why You Aren’t Seeing Progress After Your Third / Fifth / Ninth Session, Its Because You Aren’t Giving Yourself Enough Time Between Sessions
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#15 6 Treatments In
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"Depending on the size of the tattoo, the treatment is over very quickly," Jamie also points out.' "Certain parts of the body might hurt more. Tattoo removal may feel more painful over bony areas because there's less cushioning from fat or muscle, so the laser sensation is sharper compared to fleshier parts of the body."
If you don't have a high pain tolerance, there's good news – specialists do offer pain management treatments:
- Skin cooling machine. It's a device that blows cold air (-22°F). "I use it before, during, and after a treatment," Jamie says. "The clients love it. It almost numbs the area but not just that, it helps with cooling the skin tissues down, which helps with the overall healing."
- Numbing creams. People can generally get those at their local pharmacy and apply themselves. Those who have larger tattoos tend to use it more often.
- Stress balls. "These actually do help," Jamie affirms. Perhaps "Think away the pain" can be true for some people.
#16 | 10 Months | 4 Sessions | Q Switch Ndyag |
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#17 Five Sessions Over A 4 Year Period. Q Switch Nanosecond Laser. Not Picoway. Not Removery
Image credits: johnnylaser007
#18 3 Sessions. First Two Sessions Six Months Apart In 2018. Third Session Done June 2020. After Photo Taken Today January 2025. Q Switch Nanosecond Laser. Not Removery. Not Picoway
Image credits: johnnylaser007
The last misconception that Jamie often has to deal with as a tattoo removal specialist is that the procedure leaves scars. "When performed by trained professionals using the right technology and a good machine, scarring is extremely rare," she says.
'"It's important to know that sometimes scarring occurs during the tattooing process itself – if the artist goes too deep with the needle or overworks the skin, it can cause scarring which is often covered by ink and when we work to get rid of the ink, the scar might be more visible," the tattoo removal specialist explains.
#19 Ok Guys Please Don’t Judge🤦🏻♀️ I Just Wanted To Show You The Benefits Of Leaving A Huge Gap In Between Sessions, So This Is Only 4 Sessions Of Removal With Pico Laser, 1 Each 12 Months, It Just Kept Continuing To Fade On It’s Own , Stoked With The Results !!!
Image credits: shyladream
#20 Before And After Progress
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#21 This Is Where We’re At Now
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There's really no wrong reason to get a tattoo removed – if you simply don't want it anymore, that's fine. But Jamie shares the most common reasons people come to her to get their tats undone:
- Breakups and life changes. "Names of ex-partners are probably the number one request," she admits. "I have had some clients that got a tattoo with a best friend years ago... and now they aren't friends anymore."
#22 Almost Done With Removal 2+ Years
Image credits: Outrageous-Steak5018
#23 2.5 Years Of Blackout Removal Progress
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#24 Low Density 3 Sessions 🦾
Image credits: No-Awareness3288
- Career and lifestyle. Some workplaces might have no-tattoo policies. Other professionals just may want a cleaner look.
- Poor-quality tattoos. Think old-fashioned, faded designs, and "No ragrets"-type misspellings. "Sometimes people call me the next day after getting a tattoo because it didn't turn out the way they wanted," Jamie says.
- Drunken mistake/Holiday tattoo. Some things, evidently, don't stay in Vegas.
#25 One I’ve Been Working On A Few Years -
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#26 16 Sessions Over Five Years. Nanosecond Laser
Image credits: johnnylaser007
#27 Two Years Of Progress
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- Changing tastes. "What felt meaningful at 18 may not resonate at 35," Jamie explains simply.
- Cosmetic eyebrow tattoo removal. Jamie also does eyebrow tattoo removal. Some, she says, just might want a different look. But if they want new brows, it's necessary to get rid of the old ink.
- Scalp Micropigmentation tattoo removal (SMP tattoo removal). "A lot of men get this on their heads to give them the shaven head look," Jamie explains. "But again, some men want a more natural look. I literally just had a client get SMP removal."
#28 I've Had Six Treatments In Two Years. I'm Very Happy With The Progress!
Image credits: rickyspanish9000
#29 4/5 Treatments In
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#30 Update On Large, Dark Tattoo Removal. 7 Sessions Over 5 Years
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Jamie says that removing tattoos isn't just physical: "[It] isn’t just about erasing ink – it's about giving people a fresh start. For some, it's closure after a breakup; for others, it's confidence in a new career, or simply feeling more like themselves again."
"It's one of the most rewarding parts of what I do and why I started the business," she admits. "I am so passionate about helping people. And when we see the results and I can see how much tattoo removal is helping, it makes it all worth it for me."
#31 Update; 7 Months After Session Nr. 3
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#32 Guys!! Don't Lose Hope
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#33 7 Sesions, 1 Year And A Half In A Cover Up
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#34 10 Sessions Over 3.5 Years
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#35 Full Removal. 8 Sessions Over 11 Months. May 2021-April 2022. Picosure
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#36 Nine Sessions Over 3 Years. Nanosecond Laser
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#37 Seven Sessions First Session January 2019. Q Switch Nanosecond Laser
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#38 6 Sessions In 9 Months With Cutera Enlighten
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#39 I Treated This Tattoo 6 Times On One Of My Pico Laser
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#40 6th Session Snake Tattoo Update 🐍
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#41 It’s Possible!
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#42 Removal Update. 12 Sessions And Over 2 Years Later I’m Finally Done And Ready To Commit To A Coverup
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#43 That’s A Wrap
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#44 Before And After: 3 Picosure Sessions Over 18-24 Months
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#45 Almost Gone….(Please Be Nice)
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#46 8 Sessions In 4 Years, Dark Skin Tattoo Removal
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#47 Four Years Later On Jet-Black Tattoo.. I Feel So Much Happier And Lighter. It’s Unbelievable
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#48 Completed Tattoo Removal - 6 Years/~18 Sessions
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#49 I’m Gonna Call This A W
Started in Dec 2020, I’ve had 10+ sessions, stopped keeping track so it’s probably more! My last session was over 6 months ago. Might get one more for good measure but I’m fine with just letting time do it’s thing :)
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#50 Just Wanted To Share This With You Guys ... After 2 Years It Finnaly Happened
Image credits: FryingDan
