Your Tattoo Is 24 Hours Old. The Laser Can Wait.

New tattoo regret? Please don’t panic. And definitely don’t book the laser for tomorrow.

I’ve recently had a few messages and enquiries that have made me do a little double take.

“Can you remove my tattoo?”

Absolutely.

“I had it done yesterday.”

…Yesterday?

As in, 24 hours ago yesterday?

I’ve even been contacted by people who have had a tattoo done less than a week.

And while I completely understand the panic, regret or sudden realisation of “What on earth have I done?”, there is one thing I will always say:

Stay away from the laser. Your skin needs a minute.

At Goodphoria, I recommend waiting at least six months after a new tattoo before considering laser tattoo removal.

And there is a (or a few) very good reasons for that.

Your new tattoo is not just ink. It’s healing skin.

When you get a tattoo, needles repeatedly puncture the skin to deposit pigment into the dermis.

So even though you might be admiring your beautiful new artwork a few hours later, underneath it your skin is basically saying:

“Excuse me? What just happened?”

Redness, swelling, soreness, oozing, itching, flaking and scabbing can all be part of the normal healing process after getting tattooed. Acute inflammation can last for a couple of weeks.

That means a brand-new tattoo is not the same thing as completely settled, healthy skin.

And the last thing I want to do is introduce another intense treatment while your skin is still busy repairing itself.

So why six months?

Six months isn't a magic number where your tattoo suddenly receives a little certificate saying:

“Congratulations. I am now officially ready for laser.”

It's a deliberately conservative timeframe I use at Goodphoria.

The initial healing of a tattoo happens much sooner than six months, but giving the area considerably more time allows the skin to settle and gives me a much better opportunity to assess what I'm actually treating.

There are several things I want to consider before putting a laser anywhere near your tattoo:

• How well has the skin healed?
• Is there any remaining redness, irritation or sensitivity?
• How dense is the ink?
• What colours have been used?
• How deeply has the pigment been placed?
• Is there any existing scarring or unusual skin reaction?
• How does the tattoo actually look once the initial healing has completely settled?

These are all relevant because tattoo-removal treatment isn't simply a case of pointing a laser at something you don't like anymore and pressing a button.

“But I already know I hate it!”

I get it.

Sometimes you know almost immediately.

Maybe the tattoo looked completely different in your head.

Maybe the artist interpreted the design differently from what you imagined.

Maybe you woke up the next morning and thought:

“Well. That was an interesting life choice.”

Or perhaps you simply changed your mind.

And that's okay.

You don't need to justify tattoo regret to me.

There is no judgement here.

But there is a difference between deciding you want it removed and being ready to have it removed.

Those are two very different things.

Please don't try to remove it yourself either

This is one of those situations where desperation can make people search the internet for some wonderfully questionable solutions.

Salt.

Creams.

Acids.

DIY tattoo-removal kits.

Please don't.

Dermatologists warm that tattoo-removal creams and DIY kits can cause burns, rashes and permanent scarring, and there isn't good evidence that these products actually remove tattoos effectively.

Your tattoo may be unwanted.

Your skin isn't.

What happens if you contact me the day after your tattoo?

I won't tell you off.

I won't laugh.

And I certainly won't tell you that you've ruined your life because you got a tattoo you don't like.

I'll simply explain that we need to wait.

If you're worried about how the tattoo is healing, that's a different conversation. A new tattoo can have normal redness and swelling, but significant or worsening symptoms can indicate a reaction or infection and should be assessed appropriately.

If you're simply experiencing tattoo regret?

Take a breath.

Let it heal.

Keep looking after it.

And give yourself some time.

The laser isn't going anywhere

One of the biggest misconceptions about tattoo removal is that everything has to happen immediately.

It doesn't.

In fact, tattoo removal is very much a slow and steady relationship.

The laser breaks tattoo pigment into much smaller particles, but your body then has to deal with those particles. That's one reason treatments are spaced apart rather than performed one after another.

So if you've just had your tattoo done and you're already thinking about removal, don't panic.

You haven't missed your chance.

You don't need to remove it tomorrow.

You don't need to attack it with something you found on TikTok.

And you definitely don't need to make another impulsive decision because you're annoyed with the first one.

Give your skin time.

Give yourself time.

Then we'll make a sensible plan.

Six months later…

Once your tattoo has had plenty of time to settle, that's when I'd much rather see you.

We can look at the tattoo properly, assess the ink, your skin and what you're hoping to achieve, and talk honestly about what laser removal can realistically do.

And that last part is important.

Sometimes the goal isn't complete removal.

You might want to fade it for a cover-up.

You might want to remove one particular element.

Or you might genuinely want the whole thing gone.

Whatever your reason, there's no judgement attached.

Just a sensible approach.

Because while I absolutely love helping people say goodbye to unwanted ink…

I don't want to rush your skin just because you're in a hurry to say goodbye to the tattoo.

The tattoo can wait.

Your skin comes first.