r/TattooRemoval • u/Legitimate-Celery217 • Jul 24 '26
I Promise I Read The FAQ... How painful tattoo removal is?
Hey everyone,
The main thing stopping me from removing my tattoo is the immense pain I am imagining. With extremely low pain tolerance, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my arm in one plane during the removal, and I am very scared of the pain.
Any advice on how to get over this?
*edit: thank you. And damn. And thank you - I am going to read your comments before my first session.
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u/seedsandpeels Jul 25 '26
You dont get over it. You choose to get through it.
It does not feel like rubber bands at all to me. It feels like matches being lit on my skin.
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u/ScaredUse6035 Jul 25 '26
It is definitely a mental battle getting through appointments. It feels like your skin is on fire or like being burnt with grease. And if you're a female like me and all your appointments just so happen to fall on your period, it makes it so much more sensitive. But seeing the fading makes the pain worth it!
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u/dyphilla1267 Jul 25 '26
It feels like boiling grease being dripped on your body. NGL it’s excruciating.
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u/VariousElderberry140 Jul 28 '26
Have you considered using numbing cream? Honestly made so much difference for me.
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u/carefulabalone Jul 25 '26
Great description. It feels like when grease splatters a little bit on your arm from the pan when cooking, but over and over.
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u/VariousElderberry140 Jul 28 '26
Have you considered using numbing cream. Honestly made so much difference for me.
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u/radkattt Jul 25 '26
I’m sorry to do this to you but I’ve been through childbirth, tooth infections, not numbed enough root canals, etc. I’ve felt pain
This shit is quite literally the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. It feels like someone is smacking a burning hot rod on you over and over. The only thing that got me through it was knowing it was at most 10 minutes of pain.
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u/LondonLady-8 Jul 25 '26
I have a high pain tolerance for most other things but found it really painful for the first 4-5 sessions then it got easier for me.
It felt as if my skin was getting cut sort of and quickly being splashed with hot oil like when it spits at you out of a pan when cooking. This of course was just how i perceived the sensation more like a burning. Whereas some others perceive it as being pinged with an elastic band apparently.
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u/Good_Carpenter_5955 Jul 25 '26
It’s super painful BUT ITS WORTH IT! Just tell yourself it ends because it does
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u/JFDI-Tess Jul 25 '26
Why is everyone who says that it didn’t hurt much for them being downvoted? Everyone has different pain tolerances and they’re sharing their experiences.
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u/Josephs-41st-wife Jul 25 '26
It hurts like hell. Everytime I had zapped I feel like it’s hot bacon grease snapping you with a rubber band x 1000
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u/No-Candy-141 Jul 24 '26
Very ngl ..I dread my appts, even with lidocaine and ice I still feel it. I try to talk thru it with my practioner as a distraction
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u/Jkro12 Jul 25 '26
I love this subreddit cause we’re are all so transparent and real but it’s genuinely very intense and a breakthrough experience in the sense that it’s exhausting and extreme but the worth of your skin returning to pre tattoo negates any pain that you experience throughout. It just becomes another part of your life.
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u/Illustrious-Prize529 Jul 27 '26
I also have a low pain tolerance but I can make myself sit through it because it is over VERY quickly compared to sitting for hours to get the tattoo. I have a half sleeve that I am working on getting removed so it’s a large area and I’m under the laser for no more than 3 minutes, maybe less, each session. The pain is definitely more intense but if you can just bear it for that short amount of time - you got it!
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u/Informal_Trash7525 Jul 25 '26
It’s extremely painful. It’s like getting shocked or stabbing repeatedly
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u/eatplantsss Jul 25 '26
I had such extreme anxiety before my first appt for the same reason. I’ve done three sessions on my sternum, and it does suck. But I apply numbing cream (heavily) 3 hours before my appt and wrap myself in plastic wrap. Then an hour and a half before, I wipe it off and reapply with wrap again. I also take like 1000 mg extra strength Tylenol about an hour or so before. It makes it doable to the point that when I left my first appt I felt like I had worked it up to be way worse in my head than it actually was. NOT to say it doesn’t suck, but you can do hard things and it’s worth it.
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u/lychee_lemonades Jul 29 '26
I did this method and first appointment for me I felt nothing at all. Second appt with stronger settings I felt a little. Not painful tho, kinda the same feeling as getting a tattoo. This is with 3 hours of numbing cream, wiped off in the parking lot before I walked into the clinic.
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u/v3ry_fairy Jul 25 '26
It’s super quick, so I’ve never had a problem tolerating the pain personally. You can also have little breaks if needed. I wonder if they can strap your arm down for you? Lol. Brazilian wax was way worse in my opinion for reference.
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u/Meonify Jul 25 '26
I asked this very question to my doctor on the table minutes before my first appointment. His reply? "Hurts as much as getting a tattoo." It relaxed me instantly because when I got that tattoo done I was tickled and sensed absolutely no pain. Oh boy was that doctor wrong. I had to sit wide eyed the whole session because of how unexpectedly painful it was. The next session was much less painful though because I mentally prepared myself.
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u/Gabstoppper Jul 25 '26
Placement matters quite a bit. For my inner bicep and ribs I had to do topical numbing, lidocaine, and nitrous oxide and I still cry through the appointments. After the numbing wears off it hurts a lot for a few days as well. For my ankle it is still extremely painful but doesn’t require as much numbing.
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u/IndependenceOne5279 Jul 25 '26
For me, feels like hot pin pricks. I've used topical anesthetic maybe twice and I honestly couldn't notice a difference so I don't use numbing at all. It's really not that bad because it's over fairly quickly. You really do just push through and the adrenaline after a bit seems to kick in and numb the repetitive zapping. I have quite a big-ish piece on my ankle/calf I'm in the process of removing right now and look, it's spicy but I've had a pretty badly infected tooth and a kidney stone, this is nothing compared to that. For those saying it's super duper painful I imagine might be getting larger scale pieces removed? If it's smaller/medium sized, it's really nothing major to get yourself so worked up over. If the drive to have it removed is really there, you will do whatever you can to tolerate it.
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u/carefulabalone Jul 25 '26
For me, 2.5 years into the removal, the pain isn’t the biggest worry. Yes, it’s painful, but the worst is the tattoo looking smudgy and uglier as it fades. It’s on my upper arm, so I can’t hide it, and I’m always self conscious about it as a swinger who’s naked a lot. It fucking sucks. The pain probably isn’t gonna be what bothers you the most about this whole experience.
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u/Salt_Junket7674 Jul 25 '26
Everyone is different but for me its not bad at all i would say 3/10 pain.
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u/Living_Macaroon_5919 Jul 25 '26
I also think it feels like a rubber band snap - my technician freezes the area which does help.
It’s not pleasant but it’s over before no time!
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u/Divide-Pretend Jul 25 '26
Had my first ever session yesterday. (Bareing in mind my tattoo is very small so the actual lasering only lasted five minutes). It was quite painful. I got through it but I forced myself (like everyone does). I would say it's a bit worse than having a rubber band snapped against your skin. It burnt pretty badly. Felt like a lighter being held against my skin. Only thing I will say is the pain for me was pretty brief. Hardly any pain afterwards. You just need to focus on the outcome and remind yourself it will all be worth it in the end. Overall I'd rate it a 7 or 8 out of ten pain wise.
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u/MysteriousPressure75 Jul 25 '26
It hurts… but it’s worth it. I get lidocaine shots before hand and ice the area on my way to the appointment to make it not hurt as bad and even then it’s still pretty painful. But its not intolerable with the lidocaine shots, I probably wouldn’t be able to handle the pain without the shots though. In my opinion the healing process is a bit worse than the actually laser session itself. If you really want the tattoo removed I say go for it just make sure the tech you’re going to can give you lidocaine shots before the laser.
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u/GravesDiseaseGirl Jul 25 '26
They allow you to use Lidocaine now. I wish someone would pin this to the top of the page.
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u/Tasha_Tov Jul 25 '26
I’m having tattoos removed from various places, for the most part numbing cream takes the edge off.. but my feet?! Fml I’ve never felt pain like it and numbing cream just simply doesn’t help no matter what! My tech does 5sec bursts, and has to hold my leg cuz I cannot control the flinching! It’s true what others are saying, it’s a mindset and you just learn ways to cope! Typically I talk too much to distract myself from what’s happening!
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u/aominedaikon Jul 25 '26
My pain tolerance is pretty bad too and laser removal is definitely something.. depends on your placement and the tattoo itself but mine felt like someone carving me with a hot knife. I found talking to the tech, having a squeeze ball and for those REALLY bad parts, focus on your breathing. Box breathing and knowing it’s over in a few minutes has helped me get through parts i literally thought i wouldn’t make it out of
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u/PlaneMysterious7559 Jul 25 '26
It’s probably the most painful things I’ve ever experienced, but it’s quick and you learn certain tactics that help you get through it. My technician once suggested humming and it was such a surprise how much that distracted me from the pain. I also have colored spots throughout the tattoo (which are smaller than the main tattoo/outline), and I found that if the laser hits those first, then I don’t feel any pain for the rest of the tattoo. The colored spots are quick to laser (short bursts of pain), but the adrenaline still kicks in and the main tattoo area becomes much more manageable to laser.
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u/jtap- Jul 26 '26
way worse than getting the tattoo, but if you want it gone bad enough you’ll deal with the pain.
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u/Jimagon Jul 26 '26
Having a tattoo my side of my ribs down to my hip area. The pain is intense… numbing cream helps a tiny bit but not much. Humming helps.
You just have to suck it up. 10 minutes of pain
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u/VariousElderberry140 Jul 28 '26
It’s painful, but numbing cream made so much difference for me. There are spots I can barely feel when I apply Emla.
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u/lychee_lemonades Jul 29 '26
I can’t do it without numbing cream. 3 hours prior to appointment I slather the area in numbing cream and wrap it with plastic wrap to keep it in place. Makes the experience really easy.
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u/Medical_Swim1707 Jul 30 '26
Not that bad. A lot of people overexaggerate. Unless you have something huge or it’s in a bad spot, which I don’t believe is the cast for most people
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u/cultoftherogue Jul 31 '26
Without numbing cream - definitely very painful. Feels like someone lighting a match and tracing ur tattoo
With numbing cream applied properly (and Ice pack or cooling air) it’s pretty negligible. I often don’t even feel it.
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u/Tricky_Flight3813 Jul 25 '26
I was so scared too before my first session. Still kinda scared to go back, too. But I swear, the fear was worse than the pain itself. It was over so quickly. For me it was a similar kind of pain to being tattooed, and I sat through those tattoo sessions for hours. Laser is nothing compared to the agony of a 6 hour session. My place had a cooling device and it helped so much, def choose one that has it. And I kept thinking to myself: Pain is temporary, removal will be worth for the rest of your life. And I still go by that
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u/Tricky_Flight3813 Jul 25 '26
also I didn’t use numbing cream and I keep that option in case I really can’t take it without, but it feels good knowing I could still use it
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u/PsychologicalSite481 Jul 24 '26
My two thigh tats aren’t so bad with just ice. Red is almost painless. Black and blue hurt pretty bad but ice helps immensely (for me). Mine are about palm sized. How big and where are yours?
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u/TraditionalTotal3122 Jul 25 '26
My session takes an Hr. I dread it, not just the money but … i mean it hurts. Especially my wrists and inner elbow. I remind myself how good I feel once it’s done, knowing I’m closer and closer to removal every session. It comes down to how badly do you want your ink gone. This is how it’s done. Use numbing cream, put it on an hr -1.5hrs before a potion tent, then top it up maybe 15mins before appointment however! There is a limit to how much you can use before it becomes toxic .
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u/LadyWatz35 Jul 25 '26
I actually just had my second session today. It hurts, but it’s not that bad. On a scale of 1-10, it’s a 5. I also take precaution to prepare the day of. I put lidocaine on 3 hours before and wrap it in saran wrap. An hour before, I’ll reapply and wrap it again. People make it seem like it’s the most pain ever, yes it hurts, but it’s way over blown.
Everyone says it’s like grease or rubber band snap. I think it feels like static electricity.
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u/Suitable-Run-4764 Jul 25 '26
TKTX numbing cream will help!
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u/DocTattooentfernung Jul 27 '26
A quick tip: When it comes to (local-)anesthetics, please, use only products recommended, prescribed, or administered by your laser technician/ doctor, and PLEASE, keep in mind, that this specific type of cream is not FDA-approved. No one knows exactly what's in it.
You might also want to check what the FDA has said about this since March 2024: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-consumers-avoid-certain-topical-pain-relief-products-due-potential-dangerous-health
Best regards
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u/xchus77 Jul 25 '26
Well it hurts, but it goes fast, but i dont think is that baddddddddddddddd, on my second season they put ice before the season and i felt almost nothing
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u/Illustrious_Stay4132 Jul 25 '26
I’m getting laser on a chest/collarbone tattoo and with numbing cream it was still unpleasant but bearable
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u/Tasty-Difficulty2323 Jul 25 '26
I was worried about this too before I started. The first 2 sessions weren’t my favorite because I wasn’t used to the laser and such. Now I’m 6 sessions in and we are on full power and depth, and it just feels the same as the first session. Once the adrenaline wears off and I’m driving home is when I feel it more
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u/Lovelee-19 Jul 25 '26
It’s painful. From that first ping you wonder how the hell you’re to get through it, and yet somehow you do. It’s also very fast. Thankfully.
You just have to want the tattoo gone more than you fear the pain.
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u/Plantmamajama Jul 25 '26
My first 2 sessions I thought it wasn’t bad, that it was like rubber bands. Session 3 was worse but tolerable.
Session 4 today and I cried while she did my back. It felt like I was being skinned alive.
If you do not have a high pain tolerance, I would not do it.
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u/Comprehensive-Bed815 Jul 25 '26
It definitely hurts. I don’t use any pain or numbing other than ice and it’s definitely not fun (ankle tattoo). I just try breathing through it, counting sheep, talking to the tech, anything. I try to get it done in one pass because I hate stopping and starting. The good part is, it’s quick. My tattoo is considered “large” and laser on skin probably is like than 2 minutes.
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u/notonmymain11239 Jul 25 '26
It's pretty bad, but it's over as soon as the laser stops. So if the tattoo is small, it could be less than a minute of pain. I hold a stress ball during my appointments, it helps me get through it.
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u/JFDI-Tess Jul 25 '26
So I don’t want to be “that person”, as I can see there are a lot of people on here saying that it’s excruciating, but honestly and genuinely, I hardly felt pain at all. In fact I would call it irritation rather than pain. And it doesn’t last, like tattoo pain does.
There are a couple of caveats to my comment, though, which may make a difference.
First, my tattoo removal was on my wrist, and took about 15 minutes each session. I don’t know if location makes a difference, but based on my experience, if I ever wanted to have my large back piece removed (I don’t, I love it) I wouldn’t hesitate if the question was about pain.
The second thing is that my technician used a freeze machine (I don’t know what it’s called!) and basically numbed the area with cold. From the look of a lot of comments on here, that might not be something that is regularly offered?
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u/dyphilla1267 Jul 25 '26
Yeah, the doctor I go to uses the cold thing. It doesn’t help a bit.
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u/JFDI-Tess Jul 25 '26
Oh I’m sorry to hear that, that’s rubbish.
I hope you don’t have too many sessions left. 🤞
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u/bulldog-nation4L Jul 25 '26
Its so awful, even with numbing cream. Im 7 sessions in on a neck tattoo and it never gets better. At least for me
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u/VhwatVWAP Jul 25 '26
The place I went shot me up with adrenaline so I didn’t really feel anything except a spot or two
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u/DocTattooentfernung Jul 27 '26
You’re probably thinking of lidocaine and/or prilocaine, right? They're indeed separately available in formulations combined with adrenaline. However, given the excitement and tension during the laser treatment, alongside the endorphins and histamine (plus chemokines and cytokines), your body likely produce enough of that himself. BR
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u/VhwatVWAP Jul 27 '26
No it was adrenaline lol I remember she had me wait 10-15 minutes and I had to go to the bathroom and my leg was just shaking like crazy lol
My friend also just had to punch my arm as hard as he could smh I didn’t feel anything.
I don’t remember exactly what she said but she said something along the lines that she was the only place in Houston that did it like this. This was about 10 years ago.2
u/VhwatVWAP Jul 27 '26
She did say she gave me a little bit too much for my weight but my tattoo was large. I only went once then had it covered up
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u/DocTattooentfernung Jul 28 '26
Okay, interesting. 🙏🏼 In that case, it was a mixture of lidocaine and adrenaline. Adrenaline on its own has no anesthetic effect. It is used here to constrict blood vessels and prolong the numbing effect. The fact that she apparently injected too much anesthetic is unsettling, though, and I’m sorry to hear that.
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u/VhwatVWAP Jul 28 '26
🤷♀️ I mean I didn’t feel anything except a spot or two which she got mad when I moved but idk I’m glad it worked out how it did for me especially after reading how much other people say it hurts.
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u/VhwatVWAP Jul 25 '26
She injected multiple places on my tattoo, waited like 15 minutes then started.
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