Zapatat

My first time here and my experience was great. It is a very modern, clean and comfortable office to be at. Very lofty/​medical/​medspa type vibe. The customer service is excellent. They take at least 30 min to and hour to do a consultation with you prior to getting any treatments where they go over the various treatment options and their associates costs. They work to develop a customized treatment plan for your tattoo removal needs which is great.
I have been to other tattoo removal places in the past and it pales in comparison in both service and presentation. I also don’t know why, but the pain seemed a whole lot less at Zapatat, which is a very good thing.
Definitely ask about any current specials and check out the Unilocal deals when you check into the location.

I absolutely love this place. I’ve been here a total of 3 times and I’ve experienced stellar customer service every time! So they have two options: the first is the regular conventional tattoo removal treatment option and the second is the Accelerated Removal Technique aka ART treatment. I’ll explain more about the options and differences a little later. The cool thing to remember is that you can mix and match, you don’t have to stick to one treatment option throughout your treatment. Flexibility here is the key and I love it.
They provide a free consultation where you can ask them any questions you may have. They will also ask questions regarding your tattoo (s), how long have you’ve had the tattoo (s), where did you get it (professional shop or tattoo party), etc. The questions and being able to view your tattoos in person, will allow them to approximate the cost and length of your treatment based on how many «passes» you will need. «Passes» are the # of times you will have to have laser treatment for your tattoo removal. For my case the magic # is 11 passes.
So on to the different treatment options. This will vary depending on the size of your tattoo. Fortunately for me, I have a 2 inch tattoo and so the cost is less than someone with a 6 inch tattoo. The regular treatment option for me is $ 75 for one pass (one pass per treatment with the regular tattoo removal option). The length of the treatment time will depend on the size of your tattoo, in my case only 10 – 15 seconds per pass (phew!). Please keep in mind that these few seconds will be EXTREMELY painful. Think of frying bacon and having the oil splatter on your skin x15 in terms of pain level. With the regular treatment option, you will have to wait for 2 months before going back so your skin will have time to heal. This may actually prolong your treatment since you have to factor in the 2 month waiting periods.
Now on to the ART treatment. In one visit, you can get 4 passes done! Woot woot! Think of it in terms of the time you could save with getting the ART! The con to this is that you’re going to be in a lot of pain since you’re doing it 4x in a row and the cost is high for a one time visit. You can opt to do 2 passes first and another 2 passes at another time if you want though. I believe with the ART, they increase the laser intensity level (you can confirm with them the difference). With the ART you will also have to wait 2 months (however, you will have had more passes completed as compared to the regular).
I suggest arriving 30 minutes early, regardless of the treatment option that you choose, to get a numbing cream before your treatment. It takes 30 minutes to have the optimal numbing effect (still hurts but less…).
They are great and will walk you through the entire process, you will be more than fine. Just make sure to follow the aftercare instructions. I use Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment (can be found at any drug store) on the treatment site… which has helped with my healing (no blisters, scabbing, etc.!). I still have about 4 – 5 more passes to go until I complete my treatment. So far, my tattoo is definitely fading (I’ve had 7 passes so far (1 ART (4 passes), 1 regular (1 pass), ½ ART (2 passes).
Highly recommend people!

I’ve been here twice now and both visits have been pleasant the staff are always friendly, they’re ready to answer any questions I have. The treatments can be painful but tolerable. I like how they talk through the process, letting you know what’s coming next (my tattoo is on my back so, I can’t see what’s going on back there) they give you one test laser beam before they start treating the whole area, for me that one hurts more than them just treating whole area. On my second visit I told her just to go for it. I like how quickly they move the faster the better. The first time I did the ART, the second time around I did 3 treatments. I’m so excited for my second treatment my tattoo is almost gone!!!

I’ve gone to a couple other places in the area, the first had a decent result at first visit then not much fade so I tried a second place which was kind of far and they really zapped it like crazy so it bled and took a while to heal, but not much fade in result — so I decided to try Zapatat, and I’m so glad I did! Now I regret not going there first, but at least I found them now. Dani was awesome, very professional. The treatment went by so fast I couldn’t believe she was already done and I barely felt it — healing was quick, slight swelling and pink for a day or two — no big deal, and I’ve had more fading from the one treatment than all the others I had combined. Plus, lots of parking around and a good location. I can’t wait for my next treatment, this tat should be gone soon at this rate! Big thumbs up!

I could not be happier with my results from zapatat. I have had 7 conventional treatments so far and my tattoo has faded a great deal. I usually wait a little longer between treatments than 8 weeks because you can’t be exposed to the sun for a few weeks before or after treatment. This means the whole summer is out. According to them the tattoo still keeps fading a little bit so it is a little more economical to wait a bit longer if you are patient about getting results. My 7^th treatment this past week was the first time I got blisters, but they are healing just fine. They use different settings and intensities for different colors each visit, so I think this new setting caused the blisters. Since my tattoo is small I can handle the pain of the treatment because it is only a few seconds. If you have a large tattoo I would suggest numbing beforehand. The price is also great compared to other places around. They are really knowledgeable about the whole process and always walk you through everything they are doing during the treatment. They are always very nice and answer any questions you have.

Getting a tattoo removed would seem like the expensive inconvenient kind of thing that you’d have to get done in a sketchy basement but at Zap a Tat the experience was both professional and easy. The interior looks like a salon (so it’s not intimidating) with the cleanliness of a doctors office. The staff is amazing (especially Dani!) and always accommodated me even when I came in late. Once I came on completely the wrong day and get still saw me with a smile. There seems to always be a buy 2 get 1 free sale and they have a very generous military discount. The owner is very friendly and makes you feel like he genuinely cares. There is no doubt in my mind that they want your treatment to work as far as possible. Anyone that has anything bad to say about this place just wants to complain. I hope they open a store in Philly so I don’t have to keep driving down to by my treatments ;) haha

I did a ton of research before going into my consultation. I chose ZapTat because of it’s location and its specialty in just tattoo removal. I was ready to do my first session when I booked my consolation. Unfortunately, the consolation went horribly. It was quite awkward actually. When I asked how many sessions for my 15 year old, faded, 1.5inch by 1.5inch tattoo? She said 14 (corrected from original comment) sessions over 2 years at $ 75 a pop. Since there was green in the tattoo she couldn’t guarantee any results. Thank god my intuition kicked in and I chose to walk out. I did two more consultations the same day and they all thought that 15 sessions was ridiculous as well after looking at my tattoo. I am so happy with who I ended up choosing and I did my first session yesterday. I hope I will have great results. Giving their 5 star rating on Unilocal and the no bull shit consultation I feel good about my decision.

I wanted to update that even though the owner said he would contact me almost two months ago, he never did. I even sent him a message but didn’t receive a response.

I’ve been coming here for over a year after going to 3 different places for consults, I couldn’t be happier with my decision! The staff is friendly and caring and my tattoo is almost completely gone after 8 sessions! It was hands down the cleanest place I’ve been to, and I can recognize a proper sterile environment as I am a healthcare professional myself. The aftercare instructions and knowledge of the staff is commendable, they are true professionals, and masters of tattoo removal and laser treatment skin care. I have not had an issue once, and they have been more than accommodating to my schedule and concerns. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants their tattoo removed, and only wishes for the best possible service and experience! Thank you zap-​a-​tat its been an absolute pleasure!

I’ve been going to this place for about a year now, and I could not be happier with my results. I usually wait to write reviews so I can talk about my entire experience. The staff is extremely friendly and professional. They went through all the information on the process and warned me about all the consequences if I did not follow the aftercare instructions properly. I did end up with a small scar, because I had a blister that popped while I was asleep. It’s not their fault, because they warned me about what would happen. They also told me that I could go to them so that they could drain my blisters. I feel like they try to cover every aspect of this uncomfortable process. They gave me realistic expectations and told me this would not be a one shot type of thing. Everyone is so different, so we will all have different results.
Dani is one of the techs that usually treats me there and she is wonderful! She repeats herself constantly stressing the importance of aftercare, and like she always say– they can’t go home with us to take care of our blisters. So for the people on Unilocal who complain about their incompetence and laziness of not taking care of themselves after their treatment, that’s on them.
This place is clean, professional and the cost is affordable. If you read the few bad reviews they have, its almost comical that some people give reviews about a typo. I always recommend going to check out the place for yourself. I recommended this place to a few friends too, which got me 3 free treatments so far. Can’t wait till my tattoo is gone!

The consultation was decent. I don’t understand why I should come here over other places that use the mini yag laser though. The staff was friendly. The aftercare sheet they gave me had whiteout and a typo on the bottom which didn’t give me a wonderful first impression.

I wanted to update this review, since I’ve now gone through a bunch of sessions with Zapatat. I stopped going for about a year and a half because I moved out of the country, but I’ve since resumed my treatment with appointments every 6 – 8 weeks. I have to say that this place is the best and has exceeded my expectations. The people are super friendly, caring, knowledgeable, and helpful. I’ve been getting treatments mostly from Dani and she’s such a warm person to be around! She always makes me feel comfortable and clearly explains which lasers she’s using, tells me what the effects will be, assures me I can take a break at any time, and reminds me of the after-​care procedure. I highly recommend Zapatat!

I have a purple lotus tattoo on my wrist that never quite took. I had it touched up a number of times but it just never looked quite right. I’d been thinking about getting it removed for some time and after all the great reviews about Zapatat I decided to make an appointment. I’ve had four appointments so far and I am thrilled with the results.
Dani is a fantastic technician and is wonderful to work with. She always talks me through each step of the process and makes sure that I leave with aftercare instructions and ice packs. I have seen significant improvement after each visit and there are already spots that are completely clear. This is impressive given the dark purple ink and black shading that is in the tattoo. Realistically, this is going to be a long-​term process because tattoos with a lot of color need more treatments, but I’m really happy with my experience.
I encourage anyone thinking about tattoo removal to do their research and keep in mind that each tattoo and person’s reactions will be different due to skin type and ink used in the tattoo. The most important thing is to find a place you feel comfortable with, and for me Zapatat has been really great. My only regret is that I didn’t start the process sooner.

I decided 2 years ago to begin the process of laser tattoo removal on my inner leg tattoo. I began with Zapatat in Arlington and had a great experience with Gretchen. After 2 sessions, the black had faded and I needed my green ink to be addressed. At the time, Zapatat had not yet purchased a Picosure laser so I looked elsewhere. I found someone who did a few successful sessions on the green, but unfortunately, my pink was not responding to Picosure and it was time to move on yet again so I decided to come back to Zapatat now that they have a few new lasers. BIG MISTAKE.
I went in, I explained that my pink wasn’t responding to Pico or to Yag so the girl mentioned she would try their newest laser (don’t remember the name) and I suggested trying a test spot. THANK GOD I did this… The technician was definitely NOT a nurse or anything close to someone I should have let touch my skin with a laser. From the minute she started it hurt significantly worse than any of my other 4 sessions up to this point and afterwards, she just put a piece of gauze on… No cold pack, no vaseline, no nothing. Within 5 minutes of getting into my car and driving away, my entire leg felt like it was on fire. In my 4 other sessions I have never experienced this, it always gets better, not worse. By the time I got home that night, it was an enourmous blister which I have also never seen happen in my experience thus far. As such, I kept it clean and covered as it should be protected and not popped. It took 2 weeks before it went down and popped on its own. Now, it is a scar… My tattoo looks worse and is darker and awful. So very thankful that I only let her do a test spot. This girl did not have the proper amount of experience, she burned and damaged my skin and didn’t follow the correct after care…
After this experience, I will only allow an RN or above, with a real knowledge of care and proper experience touch me with a laser. This was a very unfortunate experience and I will never go back to Zapatat again. Please consider my advice to only seek out medical professionals for this type of procedure.

I went here for about 8 sessions of laser tattoo removal, almost all of which they went over the area four times per session. After all of that, the tattoo looked the exact same, no difference in before and after photos whatsoever. Yet they still kept encouraging me to go back saying they’ll use a higher setting, go over it extra, etc.
Finally I went to a small business laser tattoo removal place and after only TWO sessions at this new place my tattoo is half gone, even though both places use the same laser. Either Zapatat doesn’t know what their doing or they’re just trying to get as much money as possible out of their customers. Regardless, avoid this place.

Went back today for a single laser (did R20 the first two times) and did fine without numbing cream… it hurt some, but for a quick pass, it’s better to squeeze the little stress ball to death and move on. I’ve posted photos on here (butterfly tattoo on the foot). I had a different technician today who was wonderful like the other two I’ve had and I’m still satisfied with the price, service and results!

I’ve visited the Arlington location for 4 treatments. My initial fear was my skin complexion. Being African American I thought it would cause scabbing that would look worse and appear darker than the tattoo I was removing but actually it turned out very well. The most damage was some swelling.
I love them! They recommended 10 sessions and after the 4^th it’s nearly gone. Moreover, the price is beyond competitive.

After only two visits I have remained impressed, 1. because the staff is very friendly and makes you feel really comfortable 2. because the owner personally came over to talk with me and introduce himself. He asked if everything was going ok with my treatment which I was happy to report it was. We ended up talking for over a half hour about life. Lol Very nice place!
~Oh and my two cents regarding those who have posted that their tattoo was not completely erased after one treatment, sorry you are delusional. Nowhere in the fine print does it say that they will be able to eliminate the tattoo after only one treatment. Not sure that exists anywhere in the world. They give you an estimated treatment time and if it takes longer, they will cover the difference at no extra charge.

I’ve had one treatment at Zapatat, then — like an idiot — thought I’d save some money by purchasing a Groupon to another tattoo removal place nearer to my home. Their service did not even come close to that of Zapatat. I will never, ever go anywhere else but here for the work on my tattoo removal. So I am now sitting in the chair numbing for my 2^nd Zapatat treatment (fourth treatment on my tattoo overall).
The staff is super professional and friendly; they really make you feel at ease and comfortable. They explain everything to you so that you know what you’re getting into, they’re super attentive, and they’re more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. When I left, they asked if I would need a phone call the next day to see how I was doing, etc.
As far as the treatment goes, it’s pretty great and effective. They offer numbing cream before the treatment. It’s not absolutely necessary but I opt for it because why not. It does help a little bit. The treatment is quick, although while it’s happening it feels like it’s never ending. The feeling is like rubber bands snapping you over and over. It’s annoying, but the price I pay for getting a stupid tattoo on my chest, yanno? They give you a stress ball to squeeze on which does help.
The tattoo will look darker within the first few days-​week. That’s just because the ink is coming to the surface, but it will scab and fall off. I saw results within the first 2 weeks after my treatment, then it gradually got lighter and lighter in the coming weeks. I was very happy and very impressed with this!
I was told during my consultation that I would need about 5 – 6 treatments, so I’m hoping this treatment is enough that I’ll be able to stop wearing high-​collar shirts/​scarves/​etc because it’s been a long 5 years of doing that and I’m ready to show some cleavage, lol.
I’ll update/​make another review with regards to the progress of this treatment!

Well after no blistering or scabbing… actually nothing even happened to my tattoo.
Don’t think the laser did anything or wasn’t used correctly.
A disappointment in the end. I got this first time as a Groupon so I was willing to come back after the experience at the establishment was so nice & cool. The aftermath has given me a second thought.
*sigh*