Amateur tattoos (homemade, often with India ink) are usually shallower and easier to remove. Professional tattoos (deep, dense, colourful) take more sessions. The tattoo removal market research study shows that professional tattoos are the largest segment, but cosmetic tattoos (permanent makeup) are the fastest‑growing. Why? Because eyebrow tattoos go out of fashion, and eyeliner tattoos can blur over time.
What colours are hardest to remove? Yellow, white, and light blue — they reflect laser light. Black and dark blue are easiest. The tattoo removal market trends highlight that the fastest‑growing technology is picosecond laser, which works better on stubborn colours than older Q‑switched lasers.
But even with picosecond, some colours may never fully disappear. And scarring is possible, especially if you have a history of keloids.
The bottom line: if you have a professional tattoo, expect 5‑10 sessions. If it's amateur, maybe 3‑5. And if it's cosmetic, ask about the ink type — some are harder to remove than others.