Peeing out your tattoo: What really happens in your body when you have body art removed
Laser-based treatments heat the tattoo pigment, causing ink particles to break apart. Evgeniy Kalinovskiy – stock.adobe.com
What happens when you decide that your tattoo isn’t forever after all?
Tattoo removal usually involves a series of laser treatments, typically ranging from four to 10 sessions. These lasers heat the ink in your skin to temperatures as high as 572 degrees Fahrenheit, causing the pigment particles to break apart.
It’s a common misconception that laser treatments simply make ink fade. In reality, the process is more like shattering glass. According to the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, when the laser hits the tattoo, “the energy that is absorbed by the pigment is converted to heat,” which breaks the chemical bonds in the pigment into smaller fragments.
So “tattoo removal” isn’t exactly removal. The laser breaks the ink down into tiny particles that your body can naturally absorb or expel. The laser also creates an inflamed wound, prompting your immune system to send specialized white blood cells called macrophages to engulf the ink fragments. Meanwhile, your lymphatic system treats any remaining pigment as waste, eventually eliminating it through sweat, urine, or feces.
That means your body could be literally flushing out your tattoo. Exactly how depends on the ink’s composition.
“Basically, how your body gets rid of the ink is going to depend on what color it is,” cosmetic surgeon Dr. Hooman Khorasani told BuzzFeed News in 2017. “After that, it’s more complex, but the ink is metabolized through your sweat glands, kidneys, or liver, which means you’re literally sweating, peeing, or pooping out the tattoo’s ink particles.”
Tattoo inks get their colors from different metals or minerals. Black ink usually contains iron, yellow ink cadmium, and other colors vary. This also determines which lasers can target them effectively. “It’s not uncommon for multi-colored tattoos to respond differently,” Khorasani explained. “Some colors will break down well, while others barely respond.”
Generally, black, brown, and blue inks are easier to remove. The location of the tattoo also matters—areas with better blood circulation respond more effectively to treatment, while fingers and toes are more stubborn.
Despite what you might imagine, you won’t notice your ink leaving your body. Even though certain foods like beets or kale can temporarily change the color of urine or stool, tattoo pigments are not concentrated enough to have a visible effect.
In the end, removing a tattoo is less about making it vanish instantly and more about letting your body quietly process and expel what no longer belongs.
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