Tattoo Removal Cost Calculator
Laser tattoo removal usually costs $200 to $500 per session, and most tattoos need 6 to 12 sessions. Enter your tattoo's details to estimate your sessions and total cost.
Ink Colors Present
Removal Timeline
Initial Phase
1-3 sessions
Duration
First 3-4 months
Changes
- Initial fading of black and dark inks
- Minimal changes in colored inks
- Surface ink begins breaking down
Healing Time
6-8 weeks between sessions
Expected Results
Early fading
Progressive Phase
4-8 sessions
Duration
Months 4-13
Changes
- Significant fading of dark inks
- Color inks begin showing changes
- Deeper ink layers start breaking down
Healing Time
6-8 weeks between sessions
Expected Results
Clear fading
Final Phase
8+ sessions
Duration
12+ months
Changes
- Complete removal of some ink areas
- Resistant colors require targeted treatment
- Final touch-ups for remaining ink
Healing Time
8-12 weeks between sessions
Expected Results
Clear or nearly clear
How much does laser tattoo removal cost?
Laser tattoo removal usually costs $200 to $500 per session in the US, and most tattoos need 6 to 12 sessions. That puts the total tattoo removal cost for most tattoos at about $1,200 to $6,000. A small 1-inch tattoo costs $90 to $221 per session at the clinics in the table below.
Removery, a US removal chain, gives the $200 to $500 range for single sessions. Cleveland Clinic gives the range of 6 to 12 sessions. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) lists an average fee of $697 for laser skin treatments such as tattoo removal. The ASPS figure covers the surgeon's fee only, not facility or other costs.
Tattoo removal cost by size
Most clinics set the price of each session by the tattoo's area in square inches. The table shows published prices from two US clinics and the total for 6 to 12 sessions.
| Tattoo Size | Price per session | Total for 6 to 12 sessions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch (1 × 1 in) | $90 – $221 | $540 – $2,652 |
| Small (up to 4 sq in) | $120 – $328 | $720 – $3,936 |
| Medium (up to 9 sq in) | $360 – $428 | $2,160 – $5,136 |
| Large (up to 16 sq in) | $550 | $3,300 – $6,600 |
| Extra large (17 to 25 sq in) | $650 | $3,900 – $7,800 |
| Very large (25 to 88 sq in) | $743 | $4,458 – $8,916 |
Clinic examples: Think Again Tattoo Removal (Austin, Los Angeles, and Costa Mesa; price list dated February 2026) charges $90 for 1 sq in, $120 for 2 sq in, $160 for 3 sq in, $270 for 4 sq in, and $360 for 6 sq in, and quotes larger tattoos on request. Removery (US price list, 2026) charges $221 under 1 sq in, $328 under 4 sq in, $428 under 9 sq in, $550 under 16 sq in, $650 for 17 to 25 sq in, and $743 for 25 to 88 sq in. Prices in your city can be higher or lower.
How much does a small tattoo removal cost?
A small tattoo of about 1 inch costs $90 to $221 per session at the clinics above. At 6 to 12 sessions, the total is about $540 to $2,652. Remove Tattoo MD in Glen Burnie, Maryland, charges $149 per session for any tattoo smaller than a credit card. Amateur tattoos and black ink usually clear in fewer sessions than professional color tattoos.
How many sessions does tattoo removal take?
Most tattoos need 6 to 12 laser sessions, according to Cleveland Clinic. A 2015 clinical review reports an average of 7 to 10 treatments. In a study of 100 patients, the average was 10 sessions, with a range of 3 to 20.
Sessions are usually 6 to 8 weeks apart, because the skin must heal and the body must clear the broken-up ink between treatments. At that spacing, 10 sessions take about 12 to 17 months.
What changes the price of tattoo removal?
Size sets the price of each session. The other factors change how many sessions you need, so they change the total. Clinicians use the Kirby-Desai scale to estimate sessions from most of these factors.
- Ink colors: Black ink is the easiest to remove. Green, yellow, and orange are harder. One laser cannot remove all colors, so a color tattoo can need more than one laser.
- Ink amount and density: Professional tattoos sit deeper in the skin and have denser ink than amateur tattoos, so they usually need more sessions.
- Layering: A cover-up tattoo is larger and darker than the original, so it needs more sessions.
- Placement: The head and neck have the best blood and lymph supply and clear ink fastest. Hands, feet, and other areas far from the center of the body clear more slowly. The clinics above price by size, not by body area.
- Skin type and scarring: The Kirby-Desai scale adds sessions for darker skin types and for scar tissue in the tattoo.
- Laser type: Newer lasers can remove ink in fewer treatments and treat colors that were once hard to remove, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. A 2026 systematic review found that picosecond lasers may clear tattoos in fewer sessions, but they did not consistently do better than older Q-switched lasers.
Why is tattoo removal so expensive?
You pay for many sessions, not one. Each session uses a medical laser, and the result depends almost entirely on the skill of the person who does it. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a board-certified dermatologist, because side effects are more common when the provider has no medical training.
How this calculator estimates your cost
The calculator sets a price per session by size, from $100 for under 2 sq in to $750 for over 10 sq in. It starts at 8 sessions and adds sessions for more than one ink color, multiple ink layers, and significant scarring, up to 16 sessions. The result is a planning range. The final price comes from a clinic quote for your tattoo.
How to lower your tattoo removal cost
- Measure your tattoo and get quotes from more than one clinic.
- Ask about packages. Removery says 10 single sessions for a medium tattoo cost about $4,200, and that its package for that size can save $1,000 or more. Think Again sells unlimited-session packages from $720.
- Follow your provider's aftercare instructions between sessions.
Sources
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, How much does tattoo removal cost?
- American Academy of Dermatology, Tattoo removal: Lasers outshine other methods (updated 2023)
- Cleveland Clinic, Tattoo Removal (2022)
- Ho and Goh, Laser tattoo removal: a clinical update, Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (2015)
- Kirby et al., The Kirby-Desai Scale, Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (2009)
- Wong et al., Efficacy of Nd:YAG Lasers for Tattoo Removal: Systematic Review, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2026)
- Removery, Tattoo Removal Cost Per Session (clinic price list, 2026)
- Think Again Tattoo Removal, Pricing (clinic price list, February 2026)
- Remove Tattoo MD, Tattoo Removal Cost and Pricing (clinic price list)