Tattoo Removal: Stories

I have had 3 sessions so far and can see a difference. The red color is almost gone, but i am seeing difficulty with the black. Each session is $250, it is pricey, but hopefully worth it. My tattoo stretches across my chest. it's a quote and two roses. I don't get any anesthetic or numbing lotions and the process is the most painful thing I have ever experienced. The process only lasts a few minutes, but I hope it's over soon. I did it because I hate the tattoo and I am a college student soon to get my masters and realistically don't want to wear high neck shirts for the rest of my life.

I just had my fourth session today! It hurt much more than all of the other times, but she forgot to put an ice pack on it. Every session, except for the second session blistered A LOT.

Today was my fifth session and my tattoo looks to be making great progress. My doctors machine was broken so she had a loan machine that she said was much stronger. As always the left side of my body hurt much more than the right or the middle. The tattoo bled this time, which it has never done before.

Today was my 6th session (I think). She turned up the laser this time. It hurt less but I kept the ice pack on a little longer and pressed it into my skin. My chest is burning right now; it has never hurt this bad after a session. I will post another picture later once I get it from my sister. I can't wait for this process to be over! Although there is another tattoo that I want removed.

I haven't been able to get any more removal sessions due to school bills starting to pile up. I just can't wait to get this thing off of me. I did some research and found a new tattoo removal place. They're going to charge me 75$ cheaper and remove two tattoos instead of only one. which is awesome. I wish I would have found this place sooner because I would have saved over $500 and that could have been a few more sessions. I look forward to telling you guys about the new place once I can get the money to start up again. I really like the woman who did my removal, but it's just too expensive to keep going back to her.

I added another picture. I haven't been able to have a treatment in six months. It feels like so much longer! I can't believe I have been at this process for over a year. I purchased a groupon (I know I know) for a removal session at a new place; they received good reviews so I'm not too worried. The groupon is only valid towards the black ink, but that's okay. I can't afford a whole non discount treatment at this point in time so any type of progress is great. It's next saturday so I will update again after. I see some scarring on my chest, but I'm honestly not that worried about it. I would rather have a few miniscule scars than a big ugly tattoo.

I had my seventh session today at pittsburgh tattoo removal and permanent makeup. They were highly professional and the place was cozy and clean. I used deep numb numbing cream this time. Holy crap I wish I had always used this stuff. It was only $5 on ebay and it worked amazingly. I had never used numbing cream before and it was great. My laser technician was fully certified and really seemed to know what he was doing. He went a lot slower than my pervious place and I think it was a mixture of the numbing cream and his state of the art laser that made it a much better process. I will update my photo in a few weeks. I used a groupon so I only had to pay $59 which was amazing, but they quoted me the same price for every other session afterwards. I don't feel as blistered from this new machine used on me. I am not sore at all, but that could be from the numbing cream. I would tell everyone to go out and buy deep numb; it was super cheap and I didn't think it would work but it totally did. I rubbed it in the glopped it on about two hours before my appointment and then wrapped myself up in saran-wrap. then i washed it off about 30 minutes before my appointment.

I don't think the last session did anything so I will NOT be going back there. I spoke to another person who also went there and he said nothing happened to his tattoo either. Oh well at least it was really cheap. On to the next place!

Okay so I should have learned my lesson, but I bought another groupon for removal. It was 140 for the r20 method so I decided why not. It's 110 cheaper than a regular session anywhere else. Has anyone had good results with the r20? Also when I called he said its not very painful and I wouldn't need numbing. Does anyone else agree? I will update again after I actually go. I am hopeful.

I just got home from my 8th (I think) treatment at a medi-spa. I had a groupon for it so i paid $140 and it was for the r20 method. I called to schedule my appointment and asked if I should use my own numbing cream or if they had any for you. He told me he suggests that I don't use any at all and most people say it was just a mild discomfort. Obviously i didn't believe him so I went and used my own cream anyway AND I AM SO GLAD I DID. The woman doing my removal was very nice and laid back. Now the last place I went to must have had a low powered laser because with the cream i barely felt it, but the place i went to today, I definitely felt it even with the cream.
The woman also said she doesn't think my tattoo will ever be totally gone and that i should look into getting permanent makeup tattooed over it to match my skin tone. That really worries me and I probably won't go that route. No one has ever told me that they don't think it will ever go away 100%, but i knew that was a possibility going into it. She also said at another one of their locations they have a much higher powered laser so If i don't see much fading after this treatment they will send me up there. She didn't quote me a price for my next session and I did not make an appointment. She told me to call her back in two weeks and we can set it up then. I really liked that because the last place i used a groupon with had me make an appointment when I didn't want to so I just didn't go. I will another photo once it heals. I am optimistic about this place.

Oh also i'm not sure if it really was the r20 method. From what i've read online they go over it once, then you wait 20 minutes and repeat. My laser technician just went over my tattoo 3-4 times during the whole sitting.

I think i see some good results from the last treatment I have had. I am not sure how much they would charge without the groupon so I won't be going back for another treatment for a while.

Oh also, there is another groupon for the same place I went to last time. I wonder if they would know if I go to a different location that I have already had one. I think I am going to try it. I want to get another tattoo on my arm lightened to cover it up (I've read all the cover up horror stories on here) so I am unsure if I should do that first or continue to work on my chest. hmm.

I have set up my appointment for tattoo removal on my arm. I just want the tattoo faded enough to cover it up with something that looks MUCH better. My appointment is on the 10th and I am excited. I tried to make a separate post for this new removal but it will not let me =[. I guess I will update on here with photos and how how it's going.

I just went for treatment #1 on my arm today. It hurt a lot more than my chest surprisingly, that or I didn't leave the numbing cream on long enough this time. I bought another groupon for it so it cost me $150. They told me that every other session will be the same price and they will also charge me that for my chest! That makes me so happy. I will update the photo of my arm in a week or so. They have 11 locations and their most powerful machine is about 45 minutes away so she said when it stops working she will send me there. Also she told me she only knows 1 person with 100% results and he underwent laser removal and the glycolic acid tattoo removal after when the laser no longer worked. I have two more tattoos after these two that I want removed and if they will still give me this way cheaper price than I think I will work on all of them.

So after treatment #1 on my arm I am surprised to see all the breakup already! I'm hoping to only need 3-4 treatments before I can get it successfully covered up. I included a new photo of it.

So it's been about 3 weeks since my first arm treatment. Oh my god the itching is unbearable. I am also still scanned. My chest never itched this badly. What do you guys do to help this? Also the fading looks better than in the photos!