I'm a tattoo removal expert and here's how long it would really take to laser off Post Malone's facial ink

A tattoo removal company to the stars has revealed how long it would really take to give Post Malone a tattoo-free visage after his inkless cameo in Taylor Swift's new his music video.

The two superstars joined forces for their internet-breaking release 'Fortnight' featuring Malone without his 14 facial tattoos with Swift donning them instead.

This was quite the feat for Malone who has previously mentioned how his facial tattoos give him a confidence boost after being 'insecure' about his looks. 

While the video gives a glimpse of what singer might look without his famous tattoos, his instant makeover was for the cameras only. 

A real removal would mean Malone would have to undergo hours of treatments over several months.

Celebrity laster tattoo removal company, NAAMA, shared exactly how long it would take to make Post Malone and many other A-listers ink-free.

Post Malone

Around 225 million people have at least one tattoo across the globe, according to Gitnux.

And plenty of them seemingly regret it with the global tattoo removal market estimated to be worth an eye-watering £1.5 billion, Straits Research reports.

So-CEO of London-based NAAMA studios, Emma Margetts, has treated a wide-range of A-list clients who weren't so happy with their body art.

'One of the most common questions we get asked before a client commits to a tattoo removal is how long it is likely to take,' she said.

The answer to this is not so simple. It is different for everybody.

'The time it takes to remove a tattoo depends on the specific qualities of the tattoo itself, like ink colour, density, and location on the body, plus the speed of the laser used, and the health of the client's immune system.'

They predict it would take a between eight to 10 sessions to remove, over the course of a year to rid Post Malone of his face tattoos.

'Head, face and neck tattoos remove well but can be more painful as the skin is thinner and more sensitive on your face,' Emma added.

Machine Gun Kelly

At the beginning of Apirl, Machine Gun Kelly revealed it took seven gruelling sessions to blackout his upper body. 

The Emo Girl rapper, 33 - who was previously slammed by fans for the ink - initially unveiled the tattoo in February and explained that it had been done for 'spiritual purposes only.' 

According to the laser removal experts at NAAMA, removing the rapper's elaborate tattoo would be an even lengthier process.  

They revealed that a large black out tattoo over a cover-up would take between 20 to 30 treatments over the course of two to three years.

'This would be a huge and lengthy job for the rock star to go through because the ink is so dense and the black-out is covering older tattoos,' Emma said:

'There is a lot of pigment to break down.'

Ed Sheeran

It would take between 10 and 12 sessions over the course of 12 to 13 months to rid Ed Sheeran of his famous tattoos but full removal of non-pure colours may not be achievable.

Emma said: 'We would expect the reds, blues and greens to remove easily. Pure colours respond really well to treatment but when colours are mixed the ink can oxidise and change colour.

'Yellows are notoriously difficult to remove because of how much white is in the ink. At NAAMA we use our one-of-a-kind laser which is superior at removing blues and greens '

Harry Styles

Harry Styles has numerous inkings dotted all over his body, from a naked mermaid to tributes to family members.

Altogether it is estimated the former One Direction member has an eye-watering 55 tattoos.

To rid the crooner of all of his elaborate tattoos, the laser company estimate they could erase them within 10 to 12 sessions over about 10 months.

Emma said: 'Chest tattoos tend to remove quicker as there is good circulation which helps the lymphatic system remove the ink.'

Megan Fox

In February, Megan debuted her expanded tattoo collection, revealing an entire sleeve on her left arm.

Whilst at the Grammy's, the Hollywood bombshell revealed the detail black and gray tattoo of a phoenix in flight with blooming flowers drawn in red ink.

The top shaded part of Megan's tattoo would remove quickly in approximately eight to 10 sessions, over about eight to 10 months, according to NAAMA.

'This is a recent tattoo for Megan, new tattoos can be removed but we wait until the skin is fully healed before treatment, around 6 weeks after the tattoo is done,' Emma said

'Black and red ink responds well to removal treatment using a combination of different wavelengths.'

Travis Barker

The Blink-182 drummer is showered in tattoos from head-to-toe.

Most recently, the heavily-tatted musician got a cherub or angel holding a cross inked on the back of his shaved head, near his right ear.

Travis was tattooed by tattoo artist Chuey Quintanar, who also shared several snaps of the tattoo session. 

It's estimated that around 20 sessions in the space of two years to remove Barker's tattoos.

Emma said: 'We would expect to see his face tattoos lift first but a lot of his tattoos have dense ink which takes longer to break down.'

David Beckham

David Beckham is well known for his body art, with several illustrations etched into his body.

More recently, the world-famous footballer added another tattoo to his collection.

In September 2023, the ex-England captain went to Mark Mahoneys World Famous Shamrock Social Club.

Sitting in the studio chair, Beckham showed his followers that he was getting a stick and poke from the a-list tattoo artist. 

However if he were one day to decide to go tattoo-free, NAAMA believe he would need at least 10 to 12 sessions over the course of 18 months.

'The shading of Beckhams tattoos would remove nicely and he would see great results after 6 sessions. A healthy immune system removes ink faster too,' Emma said.