Laser Tattoo Removal; Small Dense Black Chest Tattoo; Asian Skin

Hi everyone!

I got this small tattoo on my chest on December 27 2013. I was extremely disappointed in my artist's shoddy work and wanted someone else to fix it up. I then went and had a touch-up from a different artist on January 16 2014. He did a much better job, but it still was not to my satisfaction, and I spoke with him about it again, after which he offered a free touch-up. I had my second touch-up on February 6 2014. It was even better, but still wonky. I guess it really is difficult to fix something so small when initially it was a horrible piece of work. Attached below are photos of each of the tattoos, captioned "Tattoo 1"; "Tattoo 2"; "Tattoo 3".

I am now going to have this tattoo removed. I have done a lot of research into different tattoo removal methods, including Skinial and Tatt2Away, but I have settled on laser. I feel that currently, laser is the safest way to remove this tattoo without damaging my skin any further than the tattoo has already done.

I am desperate for an efficient removal method; I feel I just want to get rid of this tattoo and stop thinking about it, investing all my time, my energy and my worry into it. I am inclined towards the Picosure laser, as much of my personal internet research has heralded it as a new development in laser technology that promises to remove tattoos in much few treatments than Q-Switched lasers currently do. I understand that Picosure lasers are expensive and rare (especially in Australia) so my hopes are not too high that I will be able to get this treatment. In that case, I place a lot of hope on the R20 method of tattoo removal, which also promises to remove the tattoo in less time.

My main concern is with the overall time the removal process takes; I want the process to be as efficient as it can be and as safe as it can be and at this moment I am not too concerned about the cost of treatments. The complications regarding quick removal of the tattoo stem from the fact that it is extremely new, and has been gone over twice, so it is very dense with three layers of ink inside. Furthermore, the touch-ups were at intervals of three weeks apart, which may not have been the best for my skin. Not to mention the fact that I believe that the first artist scarred my skin during the first tattoo session, because the first tattoo is visibly whiter and stands out even after the two touch-ups have gone and covered the first tattoo. Also, I'm (although relatively fair-skinned) Asian, and Asians have different skin and scarring characteristics to Caucasians, which does not help my case.

Thus, I am very pessimistic about my chances for successful tattoo removal without unsightly scars or pigmentary changes. Nonetheless, this tattoo has given me so much stress; I think about it all day and it keeps me up at night worrying. It must go, and I am determined to see it through, although I'd rather it be sooner rather than later.

My previous post (which was written a mere few minutes ago and is yet to be approved by Realself) described my tattoo and explained why I wanted laser tattoo removal. It was extremely long, and I didn't say what I really wanted to say, so this post will do that job. It will likely be the one that I will be updating, instead of the other one. I only make this post now because the last one was really long and I fear that nobody will read it, which is what I don't want.

Alas, I'm making this one too long also... sorry!

Anyway, my name is Eric and I'm 19. I'm from Sydney, Australia and like many people in the world, I have a tattoo that I regret. I am now looking to get it removed by laser.

I joined realself.com with one sole intention - to provide a comprehensive review of my experiences to anybody who is in a similar position to me and has tattoo regret. I understand that most of the people who visit and post on this website reside in the USA, the UK and various European countries. Therefore, my focus will not be on reviewing the clinics and doctors I may visit; rather, it will simply be a comprehensive review that (I hope to) provide anyone wishing to have their tattoo removed with further insight as to whether it works or not. Obviously, everybody and every tattoo is different, so what might or might not work for me will be different to the next person, so to anyone looking for this procedure: don't stop at me, do more research!

The details surrounding my specific tattoos along with photos are in the previous post I submitted a few minutes ago, which is waiting to be approved by the realself.com staff. If I remember correctly, it is entitled "Laser Tattoo Removal; Black Dense Chest Tattoo; Asian Skin" or something like that. If it is not approved for some reason, I will make another post to provide specific details of my tattoos and photos.

I promise to update regularly and if you wish to speak to me about my experience, please feel free to do so. I will respond as promptly as I can, although inboxing me here on this site will be the best way to communicate with me. As I go through this journey, I encourage people to read my posts to inform themselves and ask me any questions should they need to. I genuinely want to help; that's why I joined this site.


Eric.

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow (Thursday March 6 2014) will be four weeks since my last tattoo touch-up, and I think I am ready to start the laser tattoo removal process.

I will soon be booking appointments at various clinics around my area (Sydney, Australia) for laser tattoo removal.

As I have posted earlier, I am interested in the R20 method and/or the Picosure laser.

I will update this post as soon as I have made my appointments to share with you guys where and with whom I am consulting about this process.

Cheers!