A large black tattoo on the upper arm reached 75% fading after 8 sessions at Removery over 3 years. Total cost: $4,430.
Before (session 0) and after (session 8) at Removery.
The tattoo
A large black tattoo on the upper arm on Type V skin (brown, rarely burns).
Fitzpatrick Type V requires conservative energy settings; the gap between effective treatment and permanent pigmentation change is narrower than on lighter skin.
The upper arm is close to the axillary lymph nodes, which supports efficient clearance between sessions.
Timeline
8 sessions at 4-6 months intervals accounts for roughly 126 weeks of active treatment.
The total reported duration was 3 years, which means roughly 28 weeks of gaps between sessions.
That spacing sits at the longer end of the accepted range, giving the lymphatic system more time to clear fragmented particles between passes.
Cost
Removery: $4,430 across 8 sessions works out to $554 per session.
Reputable providers typically charge $350 to $700 per session; $554 falls within that 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.
This platform is rated safe for Type V skin, which is relevant given the tighter margin between effective treatment and permanent pigmentation change on darker skin types.
Bottom line
"Yeah, I usually wear long sleeves in the summer"
Type V skin requires longer recovery between sessions and conservative energy settings to avoid permanent pigmentation changes. That makes provider selection especially important.
The last 5 to 10 percent of clearance is consistently the hardest phase: residual ink sits deepest, immune response slows, and the composition of what remains is unknown.
Similar cases in the gallery: Black Forearm Half Sleeve on Type IV Skin: 75% Fading After 9 Sessions at Removery — Black Tattoo: 25% Fading After 9 Sessions