I have a tattoo that was not finished and not going to be for many reasons and so I chose to have it removed. It went from just underneath my breast down my ribs and onto the top of my thigh. I did ALOT of research on different lasers and doctors. I ended up driving 2 hours each way for the one I chose. I used BLT (numbing cream) and ice which helped a lot. I wanted to also use the DeScribe patch, however, my tattoo was too large for it ???? My consultation and first session were done same day. They walked me through everything. Took pics. I felt very at ease when it started. The feeling itself was nowhere near what I expected. I may have a high pain tolerance there since the tattoo itself wasn't too awful for me either. But all in all I am very pleased so far. I am tender, red, and swollen but like I said I just had it done this morning. I will update over the following weeks tho. Updated on 16 Apr 2017: I will say so far I haven't experienced any pain. I have been extremely uncomfortable. I had a slight reaction from the tape I was using to secure my bandage. I was told my skin is probably just hyper sensitive due to the recent laser treatment so I am trying some paper tape and cloth tape now. I have gotten slightly more bruising and redness but no blistering. Overall, I feel it's better day by day. I am seeing some fading already as well. I go back for my next treatment on June 2. I will continue to post updated pics. Updated on 17 Apr 2017: After changing to paper tape I am feeling SO much better. My itching has subsided and my overall comfort level has increased. Except for the bandages on my side and thigh I don't even notice a difference at this point. Updated on 18 Apr 2017: Each day gets a little easier. Today I tried cloth tape instead of the paper tape. SO much better. It has a better hold yet it moves with my body. I think even without the negative reaction to the regular tape, this is a much better option IMO. Bruising is going away. I can definitely see fading and some spots where it seems the ink is completely gone. I still have not had any blistering or peeling. No scabbing I'm not sure exactly how long before that should appear so I'm not sure if I'm out of the woods for it to happen this time. Updated on 22 Apr 2017: I have stopped bandaging my tattoo. It is still itchy but a lot less so. The skin looks quite normal to me now. I have some fading and some spots where the ink is near completely gone. The tattoo itself is raised in most places. Overall I am happy with my results so far. I will update pictures weekly. Updated on 4 May 2017: My skin seems "normal" now. It has some fading still occurring. I am excited for my next treatment I just wish I could go sooner so it can be gone already. Updated on 2 Jun 2017: These are my final pics from my first session. I go tomorrow morning for session 2. I am hopeful that it will go better now that I am more aware of what to expect. I hope to see more fading this go round. I also uploaded a before and after of the thigh part bc I realize I never added it. Updated on 4 Jun 2017: Today is day 3 since my session. It was ALOT different and I was very unprepared. They used a different wavelength and it was EXCRUCIATING! I was near tears the entire time. It was honestly worse than childbirth except that it was over quickly. The different wavelength caused a pain that lasted awhile while the original black only wavelength went away almost instantly. I have some blood blisters and bruising that formed instantly also. I am very tender to touch but the after pain is nothing compared to the first session. So I guess there were trade offs lol. I go back for session 3 on August 11. I will post pics today and then update weekly. Updated on 8 Jun 2017: I am still bruised and tender to touch. My tattoo is super itchy. I stopped bandaging it. I will say the location of my tattoo has made it a little uncomfortable afterwards. I have had to find ways around wearing my bra this time. It's too sensitive to have anything tight on it. However, I think I am at the end of the healing process. Just waiting for the last of thenbruising to fade. Updated on 5 Jul 2017: It's been a month since my last session. I have seen quite a bit of orange fading and some more black ink fading. Not extremely noticeable to others yet. I was extremely itchy this time for a long time. As of today tho, my skin is normal feeling. Here are some updates pics. I go back for my next session in 1 month. Updated on 13 Aug 2017: I had this session on Friday. It’s now Sunday. It was ALOT more painful. I’ve decided to extend the time I let the numbing cream sit before she starts. I had a lot of bruising this time as well. I’ve been in bed basically since I got home. I will post some updated pics. I’m hoping to get a lot more ink dispersal this time around. Updated on 6 Oct 2017: Session 4 is today Updated on 6 Oct 2017: Today was better. I had a different person do my treatment today because Ms. George no longer works there. I did an hour of BLT cream. Found out I can do shots to numb (maybe next time). Then I did 30 minutes of ice. Start to finish the treatment took maybe 10-15 minutes. SO much better compared to the previous of 30-45 minutes. The combo of the BLT for longer and the ice prior really made a difference. I had a few spots that were tender but overall it was a MUCH better experience this time around. Also, she did a second pass on it this time which I didn’t know was doable. I am excited to see how it turns out after this session. I am a little sore but not bad at all. I will update pics in a couple days. Updated on 8 Oct 2017: Today hasn’t been the best. I’ve been in bed most the day. My tattoo area is extremely sensitive, itchy, sore, bruised and the blisters are difficult. I keep having random spasm like pains that shoot thru the area. It is putting off a lot of heat. The bandage is irritating but going bandage-less is also uncomfortable. Nothing is good today. I’m not sure why it’s so different but hopefully tomorrow will be better. Updated on 15 Oct 2017: This last week was difficult to say the least. I had the most difficulty yet with keeping it bandaged. I had blistering and bruising. I now have scans and what feels and looks like scales. It’s kinda weird and gross. I have included some updated pictures. Updated on 22 Oct 2017: The bruising is still slightly visible but no soreness. I do have some scanning still. I have noticed a tremendous increase in the amount of ink dispersal. The itchiness is gone. I’m wearing normal clothes again. Countdown to December 1 (session #5) Updated on 4 Dec 2017: I had a good amount of fading with session 4. Unfortunately I don’t have any updated pics prior to session 5. I did have a longer than usual healing time this go round. I was extremely itchy and the area was hyper sensitive for about 4-5 weeks after treatment. Updated on 4 Dec 2017: Session 5 was more aggressive. I numbed with the BLT again for an hour. I didn’t find it to be much help this time. I was numb but the intensity of the laser was so much that it was felt regardless of the cream. I had this session on Friday Dec 1. So today is day 3 post treatment. I am bruised and sore and itchy. However, I am not keeping it bandaged. I have found that after the initial day or two the bandage irritates my skin more than it helps. If you’ve read my previous posts then you will know I had a reaction to the regular 3m tape that was used and tried cloth and paper tape. I settled with paper tape but even that is almost too much for my skin after the laser. I have used the tape when my skin was fine and found that I don’t have the reaction so it is just due to my skins hypersensitivity after treatment. I would say do what your doctor advises obviously, that just doesn’t work for me and my skin type. I do have some pics from immediately after the treatment as well as from today. In the pics, around the flower I will note that the red is blood that has come to the surface of the skin. It is not the ink. I anticipate that I will have blistering but it has yet to appear. Updated on 8 Dec 2017: I haven’t been as itchy as the last session but some still remains. The blood around the flower is still there but it’s healing. I stopped bandaging it again after a couple days. I find the bandage to be more irritating. I have had excessive heat in the area. I’ve added updated pics. Updated on 9 Mar 2018: I am uploading current pics of my tattoo. Currently I am in the room numbing for my 6th session. I bought another package and have updated the pricing to reflect my current total costs for what will be 10 sessions. Updated on 23 Mar 2018: I have been super busy the last couple weeks but I will post it all here. Overall this session was a lot better. I had VERY minimal down time. I only bandaged for about 36 hours. I found it more comfortable to not be bandaged. I wear a very loose bralette that has a thick band that comes down on my ribs to help protect it from rubbing and high waisted leggings. I wasn’t really itchy but was and still am kind of bruised. I have a lot of pics from the first week that I will post. I hope the next session is just as good. ???? Updated on 23 Mar 2018: It only let me upload 10 pics on the last update so here is more. I will upload more in a couple weeks at the one month mark. Updated on 19 Apr 2018: I am just going to add some updated photos of my progress. Updated on 18 May 2018: Session 7 is tomorrow morning. I can’t say how ready I am for this to be over. Updated on 19 May 2018: FEMALES **NEVER EVER GO NEAR OR DURING YOUR CYCLE** I can tell you that was 100% the worst pain I have EVER felt! It was 20 times worse. I almost couldn’t keep going. Idk how I did. She wanted to stop multiple times. I made her continue. It was excruciating. I have been done for near 20 minutes and still can’t stop crying. I am trying a new bandage this time around. It’s a liquid bandage and is supposed to be a lot better so I will let you guys know how it goes. Here’s some right after session pics. Updated on 19 May 2018: Here is the info for the liquid bandage. It is called Stratacel. My place sells it for $69 plus tax. Updated on 21 May 2018: I have been more tired after this session, which may be due to the pain level I had. I feel very sore and bruised but I don’t look it. I am not sure about this liquid bandage. It’s hard to know if it’s on. They said to use a small amount but I have a very large area being treated and I use a good amount. It doesn’t seem to dry quickly. I guess I will have to just wait and see. Updated on 27 May 2018: I think I like the liquid bandage. I feel I healed faster. I wasn’t itchy at all. It was an adjustment bc it didn’t feel as protective. Here are some updates pics. I’ll post again in a few weeks. Updated on 8 Jul 2018: So I go Friday the 13th (yes I know, why would I pick that day to cause myself pain, lol). I’m a little anxious about this session mainly bc the last was pretty horrific for me. I am however trying to keep in mind that it was due to my cycle. ???????? I will add some final photos from this session. Im not sure how happy I am with the process so far. I’m ready for it to be done and I wish I was further along than I am but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Updated on 15 Jul 2018: I went 2 days ago for this session. They tried a new BLT with a different base. It was like an ointment instead of a cream. Hands down...NOT FOR ME! I definitely prefer the cream. Overall the session was good tho. I had Dr. Lezaic actually perform this session. She was good. She seemed to be more thorough, not the other ladies were bad at all. I did have a couple moments where I wanted her to stop but she pushed through. I survived tho. Now healing for the next session. Updated on 5 Apr 2019: I went out of the country right when I was due for a new session and haven’t had a chance to get back down there to get it done. I will update as soon as I do because I am planning to continue. Here are a few current pics after 8 sessions and some natural fading over time. Updated on 5 Apr 2019: The one in the purple shirt was about a week after the last session. The others I’m not sure the age but between the session and now. Updated on 30 May 2019:
