Recent Tattoo, Black Only, Upper Arm, Seeking Complete Removal

Yeah, I updated mainly thinking of the few persons like you who started that journey about the same time I did. My tattoo is mostly raised in places, but the tattoo artist believed when doing the inking that some places might be scared because of the texture of my skin. So there may be scarring that isn't due to the removal, but the tattoo itself. But the doctor also think it may be partly due to inflammation and that the "swelling" over these areas might in great part go away with time. There *is* some ghosting (skin is whiter where there used to be lots of ink), but this is temporary and is melanin is supposed to come back in time, after the treatments stop.

There remains some lines that are dark enough to be visible if I wear a t-shirt, but it should be mostly possible to wear one this summer. Can't wait. Maybe next year something sleeveless... One can hope!

I also have some raised lines from the tattoo needle and not the laser. I originally had no idea that the tattoo needle could actually scar my skin! Ugh. But it does make me feel better that your doctor says that might be a side effect that goes away. Let's hope!

I'm really for both of our results. We're over halfway through this. Props to you on making it this far and being determined enough to keep it going!

Definitely not gone, but going... ;)

I would definitely say that the tattoo is more raised after treatments, but it doesn't get worse the more treatments I have. After each treatment, the tattoo gets raised, but the evacuation of the ink creates inflammation, so that's "normal". It can take months for the process to take place, so that it's hard to tell for now if the swelling would disappear completely as I have treatments every 6-8 weeks or so.

Lost count. Over twenty, and in real life, the results are not as stunning and I will need more yet.

Do you know the reason why it was fading so slowly?

Low blood pressure, lots of ink, personal variation, unknown factors, your bet!

I don't understand how you've had 14 sessions on black ink and only have these results thus far.. My friend has removed his entire hand tat (dense black ink and a little green) and its totally gone. Can't even tell he had a tat there.. Took him just over a year for full removal. I'm going to post pics of his hand real soon.

To mtenter: The hair lines are almost totally gone. Some parts have almost disappeared, but the darkest and largest lines remain very present. I guess your own situation may be different in that respect. The lines were very intense and crazy full of ink in places in my case, so it's long before they start showing improvements.

@ mpq
Thanks for responding! Some of my lines are crazy dense and some are hair lines or even thinner. I have a mixed bag because the tattoo was only half done. I just sort of feel like we're somewhat similar when it comes to our tattoos and if you would've been done 5 sessions ago I would be discouraged that there was something wrong with me or my laser, you know? That kind of sounds bad because I'm sure you wish you were done 5 sessions ago, haha!

And it also encourages me to keep going because you're still going. :-)

Keep pushing forwards!

By the way which laser are you using? Q switched is slower... find someone with the picoway machine.

This kind of comment is totally annoying, BTW. I already mentionned above that I am using Q switch, and Pico is out of price and too far anyway. And for black only, reviews are mitigated.

Pick your poison. My friends tat was super dense and dark but was removed just over a year with like 7 treatments. Don't take it personally, just thought your laser technician might have been playing you.

Maybe, maybe not. I've seen lots of reviews with not much more progress than mine too. And several persons told me that this laser was a good choice for all black. Nobody has the same opinion on the internet, and I trust my doctor who is a specialist in skin and esthetical interventions. Picosure would be 2,5x the price, and I doubt it would be 2,5 times more efficient, and also, it's 6 hours to make the round trip to that place. People just comment without knowing your situation, and that is very annoying.

In fact, it'd be more like 3 to 4 times the price to go with Picosure because of the fuel and time involved. I have very sensitive skin and very low pressure in general. These are factors than aren't helpful one bit.

Picosure is not the best option for black. But picoway would be better, you could always try a session and see what happens.

I've been studying the reviews with really, really good progress and their tattoos are usually older. mpq's tattoo and my tattoo were much newer when we started and thusly, it takes longer. If I were convinced that Picoway was better and worth the money, I would switch in a heartbeat. But there's no real strong evidence to justify spending that much money when Q-Switch has the same 1064 nm wavelength but just uses a different "method".

And also, like mpq said, their doctor is all about aesthetics. Meaning they probably slowly turn up the laser. That could definitely make it take a little longer, but then mpq may have better skin than all of us in the end, haha! :-)

When I was getting laser treatments, I started with picosure for an all black tattoo because it was supposedly "the best". When my tattoo didn't budge after 3 sessions, the clinic advised me to try a session with the q-switched, and the technician was singing it's praises the entire time. Didn't end up continuing with laser removal, but if I had I would have stuck with q switch. Just my two cents. Listen to your gut feeling. :)

I've seen no Picoway near last time I checked. Eh. And I have scarring from the tattoo itself, which also slows the process. My blood pressure is the kind of low that makes doctors who take it ask me if I faint often. Really, people, you don't know everything about a person's case and history. I know it's a long way, but every treatment I received, I had pin point bleeding, frosting, and in the last 3 treatments, relatively big blisters and severe pinpoint bleeding. My doctor is trying not to worsen the scars, and I see small improvement every time. Damn, it's clear from the pics above that the tattoo is greyish whereas it was pitch black and brand new when I started. Lines are large at places, and raised by scar, those won't budge easily. But I'm patient.

I was thinking the same thing!