A note on scope: At I Am Beautiful by Mia I treat black and grey ink only, using a Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064 nm, the wavelength that is safe on every skin tone. Colored ink I refer out. This guide covers removal generally; your removal consultation is free.
How Laser Tattoo Removal Actually Works
A Q-switched laser sends short, high-energy pulses of light into the skin that shatter the tattoo ink into tiny particles. Your body's own immune and lymphatic system then clears those particles gradually over the weeks between sessions. The laser starts the process; your body finishes it. That's why removal takes time and can't be rushed into one visit.
This studio uses a Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064 nm, suited to black and grey ink and safe on every skin tone.
How Many Sessions It Really Takes
This is the honest part most places skip. It's always a series, spaced 8 to 12 weeks apart so your body can clear the shattered ink and your skin can heal between passes. How many depends on how densely the ink was packed, how old the tattoo is, where it sits on your body, and whether it was professional or homemade work.
- Old permanent makeup: usually 4 to 8 sessions. Some brows clear in 2 or 3; heavily tattooed ones can take 10.
- Black and grey body tattoos: usually 6 to 10 sessions. Professional work takes longer than homemade, because pros pack in more ink.
Treating sooner doesn't speed it up, it just adds trauma to skin that hasn't finished healing. Anyone quoting you one to three sessions is guessing or selling.
What a Session Feels Like, and Aftercare
Most people describe it as quick snaps of heat, uncomfortable but brief, and smaller tattoos are over fast. Right after, the area frosts white for about fifteen minutes, then settles into a little redness and mild swelling for a few days. It may scab.
Aftercare is simple but it matters: keep the area clean and dry, protect it from the sun and wear SPF, and never pick or scratch a scab. Let it shed on its own to avoid scarring, and skip swimming and saunas until it's healed.
Realistic Results, Honestly
Black and grey ink usually clears well over a full series, but I won't hand you a guarantee. Sometimes the honest goal is fading a tattoo enough for a clean cover-up rather than clearing it all the way, and that's worth planning from the start. Your consultation is where we set a realistic expectation for your specific tattoo.
Why black and grey only? My laser is built for it, and it's the one wavelength that stays safe on every skin tone. Colored ink needs wavelengths I don't offer, so I refer it out instead of selling you sessions that won't work.
It Also Removes Old Permanent Makeup
The same laser lightens or removes old black and grey brow work: microblading, powder brows, and black permanent eyeliner that healed too dark, ashy, or grey-blue. Old brows are often layered, with warmer pigment under the black that the laser can't reach, so I use saline removal for those layers. Doing both under one roof is the difference between an honest answer and the answer that fits the one machine in the room. Not sure whether you need removal or a brow color correction? We sort that out at the consult.
Black and Grey Removal — FAQ
How much does black and grey tattoo removal cost in Atlanta?
It's priced per session by size. Eyebrow and cosmetic removal is $250, and body tattoos run $150 to $500 depending on the area. The removal consultation is free, and the $50 patch test credits toward your first session.
Why do you only treat black and grey?
My laser is a Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064 nm, the wavelength that clears black and grey and stays safe on every skin tone. Colored ink needs wavelengths I don't offer, so I refer it out rather than sell you sessions that won't work.
How many sessions does it take?
Old permanent makeup is usually 4 to 8 sessions, and black and grey body tattoos usually 6 to 10, spaced 8 to 12 weeks apart. It depends on the ink density, the age of the tattoo, and where it sits on your body.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe it as quick snaps of heat, brief, and small tattoos are over fast. The area frosts white for about fifteen minutes afterward, then settles into redness and mild swelling for a few days. Numbing cream is available.
Can you remove old microblading or permanent makeup?
Yes, it's most of what I do. The laser handles the black and grey pigment, and saline removal handles the warm layers underneath that the laser can't reach. Most old brows need some of each.
Will my tattoo be fully gone?
Black and grey usually clears well over a full series, but I won't promise a guarantee. Sometimes the honest goal is fading enough for a clean cover-up. Your consultation sets a realistic expectation for your tattoo.
