For a typical appointment, you can ice the area for a few minutes before treatment or apply numbing cream about 30 minutes in advance. Because the ink is actually below the surface of the skin, numbing isn't 100 percent effective, but it does help. The removal is more painful than getting the tattoo, but it is over quickly: my tattoo is a little larger than one square inch, and each session lasts under 30 seconds. After the appointment, it's important to ice the area and let the tattoo breathe, because covering or wrapping the tattoo can trap the heat from the laser and lead to scarring. It is also important to protect the area from the sun and any physical trauma for a few days after each treatment.
