A large black tattoo on the upper arm, forearm reached complete removal after 10 sessions at Removery over 4 years. Total cost: $3,400.
Before (session 0) and after (session 10) at Removery.
The tattoo
A large black tattoo on the upper arm, forearm on Type I skin (very fair, always burns), less than 1 year old when treatment began.
Fitzpatrick Type I allows the highest laser energy settings with the lowest risk of pigmentation changes.
The forearm drains adequately but sits further from the major lymph nodes of the torso.
Fresh tattoos start at full ink density with no prior fading, so the laser encounters them at their heaviest point.
Timeline
10 sessions over 4 years.
Sessions were spaced 8 weeks apart.
Cost
Removery: $3,400 across 10 sessions works out to $340 per session.
The average per-session rate in Portland runs $133 to $399, so $340 sits within the local range.
The laser
Removery treated this case with the Picoway, a picosecond platform.
For black ink, it operates at 1064 nm with a pulse duration of 240 - 450 ps.
Mike from GO describes PicoWay as a monster on black ink, and it is his personal choice for black ink removal.
Bottom line
"I wore long sleeves straight for 4 years"
Similar cases in the gallery: Black Tattoo: 25% Fading After 9 Sessions — Small Black Tattoo on the Forearm After 4 Sessions: Minimal Visible Change So Far (50% Fading)