Tattoo Removal: Stories

Write a Review

When Two Tribals Go - United Kingdom, GB

  • posted 3 months ago
  • updated 3 days ago
  • Worth It
  • Cost: $300
  • SG3 (United Kingdom, GB)

Wanted to get rid of the ankle tribal tat, which...

  • 28 Feb 2013

Wanted to get rid of the ankle tribal tat, which was a cover up (should have gone for laser at that point!), and also decided the one on my back could take a hike too.
Session 1 Jan 2013. Painful but can cope with it. Redness on first night and some itching. Felt it 'stop working' about a week prior to 2nd treatment.
Session 2, Jan 2013 (end of). Again managed to deal with the pain, area reddened and swollen. Back tat stopped itching after 2 weeks, ankle has itched all the time. Managed to not to scratch.
Session 3, Feb 2013 (end of). Both tats have faded, but not as fast as pratitioner would like them to have. Perhaps the size and depth of ink could be a problem - and i may need to drink more (water). The laser on the ankle was heavenly, scratching an itch for me. Back was ok. Quite a lot of localised swelling. Itching kept me a wake overnight. i will seek some antihistamines.

3 weeks after Treatment #5

  • 17 May 2013
It's all going ok. Still slow and stead but I am seeing results. The Tattoo is dull, colours less vibrant. There's so much ink in my tattoos it will take a good while.
Posotove this time, the laser at session 5 was up to 850hertz, there was a lot less itching to deal with.
Next session is on Thurs 24th May.
Great review?

My Doctor: SG3

My rating:

Doctor's Bedside Manner
Answered My Questions
After Care Follow-Up
Time Spent With Me
Phone or Email Responsiveness
Staff Professionalism & Courtesy
Payment Process
Wait Times

google search

Comments (14)

Sort by
kahelelani (RealFriend) 17 May 2013
aloha JannV, your fading looks amazing!  The photos show such a dramatic difference, it gives me hope for myself and at the same time I'm so happy for you.  Slow and steady is good...the tortoise won the race that way...and with us it'll mean scar-free results.  Being patient is hard but the end goal is worth it.  Good luck next week with your next session.  Thanks for the update.  aloha...k
Tena G (RealFriend) 19 Apr 2013
I have never heard someone call this process heavenly! I am having a huge problem with itching on my arm, not so much on my chest though. 
JannV 20 Apr 2013
Try not to scratch. Once you start it's almost impossible to stop. The antihistamine tablet really helped break the cycle.
JannV 10 Apr 2013
Also discovering that putting nothing on the skin is better. Last time I applied some thick clear grease to keep the skin moisturised. This time I've left it alone. Tried to get some fresh air to the areas too -but that's tricky as it is still cold in the UK & need to keep warm clothes on. Less itching overall. And it is fading.
Sam06 24 Apr 2013
Hi there? Who is the doctor that is removing your tattoo?
JannV 24 Apr 2013
Hi Sam06, the person is not a doctor, she is a practitioner trained in the use of the machine to remove tattoos.
kahelelani (RealFriend) 9 Apr 2013
aloha JannV, so glad you are posting here.  I hope your fading is coming along.  I too am tempted to peel away the peeling skin and scabs...but no!! must be strong.  Can you see your original tattoo?  Mine is also a coverup and I'm seeing a hint of the older tattoo, so amazing to see that the laser is working.  Just need to be patient.  Good luck with your fading!  aloha...k
JannV 31 Mar 2013
I've not scratched at all since last treatment. Soooo tempting to pick the scabby dry skin. But told that leaving this alone will help. No hydrocortisone needed so far this time. :)
JannV 30 Mar 2013
Session 4. Tuesday 26 March. After a month of itching, steroid cream as needed and a dose of antihistamine I went for my 4th session. Overall the ink is fading but it is a slow process. The laser this time seemed to help with the itching. Came out and spent the day with foot elevated as much as I could. The one on my back is not irritating me much. 4 days in & no overwhelming urge to scratch. They are both a bit itchy. I'm not putting any creams or gels on them. Trying to stop clothes rubbing on them and also now the UK weather is improving, there's a chance I can get them exposed to natural light and fresh air. So far so good. Just need to work out how to get photos on here!
JannV 9 Mar 2013
The itching isn't as bad this time. I applied some topical steroid cream and that took the bad itching away after 2 days. It's still itchy, but in a good way (like its working). I also noticed a lot of skin flaking (think like after sunburn) so I've been rubbing this away. The overall tattoo is fading, becoming duller in colour but I'm not getting any patches. Guessing this is an ok response.
blackberry11 (RealFriend) 9 Mar 2013
Yep, overall dulling in the color is what I see too, and now I now on session 5 I am seeing  more patches/lines going. For me, it will be many more sessions before I see real results, I just have so much ink. I asked for only light shading, instead the artist decided to do his own thing....oh well, I just hope he has not done this to many other people, it's not a nice thing to do. He has no care in the world about what his actions caused, he was too arrogant and thought he knew best...I had a feeling about him, but thought that based on his portfolio and the knowledge of tattoo/art he had, I felt confident in his ability...now I know that before (if I ever get another one) I get another tattoo....I know what signs to watch for, and if something doesn't feel right, it's not. I hope the best for your removal, don't worry, in time it will be gone.
Megan P (Community Manager) 6 Mar 2013

Sorry to hear the itching has been keeping you up. Losing sleep like that can make the next day so tough. Are you sleeping better now that a little more time has passed?

blackberry11 (RealFriend) 6 Mar 2013
Best of luck, this is a long painful process. I am also in the process of a large removal, feels like it will take forever but  I am hanging in there.    
JannV 2 Mar 2013
2 days post (3rd) treatment, Resorted to topical steroid cream to get rid of the itch. Brilliant! For price, it's showing $60, it's actually £60 per session.

More Tattoo Removal Reviews

I Got a Bad Cover Up and I'm Looking for the Best Way to Remove It - Scottsdale, AZ 1 day ago

About two weeks ago I had a very large colorful cover up tattoo done on my stomach. I had...

Lasering for a Coverup. I Just Want my Piece of Mind Back. - Kentucky, KY 2 days ago

I've been struggling with BDD and anorexia nervosa since I was 12 years old, and this 2...

Metal Poisoning~Laser Tattoo Removal - Philadelphia, PA 2 days ago

Hey Guys, Again I am new here to this website. I just wanted to share w/ everyone out there...

View more Tattoo Removal reviews

Welcome Back

Sign in with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account? Create one now.

Join RealSelf

Join with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Please enter a valid email address
 Did you mean ?

By creating an account, you are indicating that you have read and accept the RealSelf Terms of Use.

Already a member? Sign In.

Retrieve your password

Enter your username or email address and we will send you a link to login.

Check your email

Check your email. We've sent you a link to reset your password.

Ok