In general, smaller tattoos are easier to erase than bigger ones. A numbing lotion is used throughout the procedure. Hence, anaesthesia is not required. The tattooed area of skin is where the laser is aimed. The average length of a session is 30 minutes. High-intensity light from the laser beams breaks up the pigments in the solid ink particles. It is simple to erase black ink from the skin since it is able to soak up the light from any laser. Only a few laser pulses are needed to erase small tattoos entirely. A longer course of treatment is needed for bigger tattoos. The tattoo colours lighten and eventually disappear after each therapy session.

It's normal for the tattooed region to look white, red, and puffy after each session, as the skin absorbs the particles. Within a few weeks of finishing a course of therapy, swelling and redness should subside, and within six to twelve months, the skin should be back to normal.