I've been contemplating a laser tattoo removal for my huge , obnoxious chest piece for some time now so when the picosure became available, I decided to give it a try. I got this tattoo at 18 and added the spiderweb along w cherry blossoms at 19. Needless to say, 8 years later I fell out of love with it and am sick and tired of looking at it in the mirror everyday. The end result along w the artwork honestly never satisfied my expectations but I had to live with it. Now I am praying to get this entirely off. The first tx was uneasy due to the pain. It's been years since I got tatted so my pain threshold was on the lower end. I won't lie, it's quite painful but manageable. It was rough for me due to placement but I bet people with better placed ink will probably think the laser treatment is a walk in the park. The area was red, swollen and raised immediately after the first tx. I kept the dressing on for 10 hrs and maintained the area by keeping it clean and applying aquaphor ointment. The redness went down the same day and I was quite disappointed not to see better results. I see other pp have had bad oozing blisters and I had none of that. The setting was on 5.0 Hz, 2.83 J/cm2 and 3.0 mm. For paying loads of cash I really expected better results. I'm getting a little depressed about the results, hopefully the fading will take place throughout the next 4 weeks. Day 2 and three showed some dissemination of the green and black ink on the cherry blossoms as well as the shaded area on the spiderweb and teeny weeny bit of the shading on the letters came off, but maybe I'm just becoming obsessive and seeing things at this point lol. The biggest let down is the fact that the lettering looks brand spanking new, as if i just got the tattoo few days ago :^((((( My chest is still sore and a lil painful 3 days after the procedure, but it doesn't stop me from having a good night's sleep, even while I'm on my belly. (Yay!!! Beauty sleep lol) I am going for second tx by the end of Sept and will ask the doc to crank it up high bc I can't afford tens of treatments!!! The only reason why I jumped on the picosure train is bc the docs have been selling it as a god send for black ink and colors with 3 treatments delivering clear skin and my chest piece looks untouched after the first, expensive treatment :{ Im so glad to have found realself.com, its such a great, positive and empowering community. Hopefully I can help others that are going through, or planning to go through this ordeal. Any comments and advice are welcome! !! Xoxox Updated on 2 Sep 2014: So far I see the smallest flower breaking apart and fading away thanks to my skin doing all the work of expelling the ink from my body. Yay! Now hopefully the rest of the tattoo will follow in its footsteps. Haven't changed my diet or lifestyle, but keep in mind I workout weekly and drink green tea like a maniac on daily basis. The spiderweb shows significant amount of shading that got blasted by the laser, but it's not consistent throughout. That leaves some parts untouched, while other parts show fading and especially some web lines that are breaking up nicely in specific areas. The density and depth of the black ink in the script piece is the most worrysome for me. The inside of the letters which was diff shades of gray did disappear for most part. The thickness of the outline script stayed pretty much the same for now. Will have to wait patiently until I see more fading in the upcoming months so when its time to crank up the pico, my doc can hopefully blast more ink away with better results ;^) pew pew pew *puts the laser in a holster* lol Updated on 12 Oct 2014: It def hurt more and the doc went over the red with revlite laser. She increased the pico setting to 3.20 J/cm. I cried on my way home. It sucked. My skin does not blister thank god. It's sore and red for a day or two and then goes back to looking entirely normal. The doc only goes over it once tho, and its minimally working. Do u guys have ur docs go over the tattoo twice in one session? Updated on 21 Oct 2014: I'm just posting pix, including some comparison photos and will let u guys b the judge!! Updated on 4 Nov 2014: Hi all, Saw a news article about the new dual wavelength laser (picosecond n yag) shown to clear the tattoos of 85% of clinical trial patients by 50% in 3 treatments. It is now cleared by the FDA and will be soon appearing in dermatologist and plastic surgery clinics in the states. U can just google picoway n click on news. It's finally happening! ! Cant wait to try it Updated on 26 Nov 2014: Yesterday was my third pico treatment w a different doc at the same practice. She told me she will provide a more aggressive treatment and boy did she! Lol pain wise during the zapping wasn't as bad as last time so no tears haha It was quick , she was very pleasant and I was wrapped up and told that it was gonna get ugly. I never ever blistered before but this time I mentally prepared to expect some oozing goo. It has now been 24 hrs post treatment, I took the dressing off, it was soaked in aquaphor. So far, no blisters!! Yay hehe Green tea is super helpful , as the antioxidants in it help w removing free radicals and other undesirables from ur body and I've been drinking it religiously lol This is the nastiest post treatment sight I have experienced so far. I don't have any pain, just very minimal soreness as I applied more aquaphor this morning. It just looks bad lol In a week I will post updated , healed up photos. Fingers crossed to see lots of fading!! Time for gross pix, enjoy lol Xoxo Updated on 5 Dec 2014: Here it is, healed up. Will wait 3 months for nxt tx so let's see how much it will fade this time around. The white ink in the flowers turned funky.... anyone can comment on that? I thought lasers didn't work on white but it def got hit hard this time. Updated on 26 Dec 2014: Still fading, some parts more than others, I might do 4th tx in mid Jan to clear this for the summer if possible. The black on my spiderweb is disappearing the most, it was done by a diff artist than the script which explains why the script is taking forever to see any results, the guy must have went over the outline a few times and used diff type of ink ughhh. I still dont know how many more additional tx I will need but hopefully it will keep progressing and I won't have to strip to get money for it lmfao (kidding, ppl!!!) Went on vacay and the pix I took dont even show the spiderweb which is awesome! !! But the script was quite visible in the sun still.... :^/ Still fabulous tho haaaaay girl haaay lol Updated on 28 Dec 2014: Progress so far. Pico works!!! In 3 sessions I would say that about 50% of ink is gone..... my whole piece was practically all giant, thick black lines ughhhhh . Updated on 24 Jan 2015: Settings: 10Hz , 2.33 j/cm2, 3mm spot size. Updated on 3 Feb 2015: So I noticed some breaking up of lines and fading in the "heart" n "pride" part of the script . although minimal, it finally reacted to the laser. The reds n parts of the green are still stubborn and not responding too well w pico under the current settings (I keep asking for higher settings to no avail. ?.. even tho I let be known that I have no tissue, lymph, bleeding probs... and still get nowhere) The spiderweb seems the same as it looked right prior to the 4th tx. So do the cherry blossoms. Let me remind u guys these are the results of investing $3200 in the treatment so far. The nj plastic surgery does not change the price as to reflect the ongoing tx (for ex as treatment progresses, if there was only an outline left of faded ink, they still charge the initially quoted price ~$800). There are no packages, no discounts. They also rush each tx and I finally got to my breaking point where I consistently feel as if I pay for a rushed and not thorough treatment resulting in unsatisfactory results. Certain spots where she goes over slowly always show more promise whereas the rushed areas stay pretty much the same, in turn dragging out the treatment sessions far longer than necessary. The "full of" and spiderweb faded the most so why is the rest looking brand new? I will reach out to other MDs to finish lasering this off. Perhaps switch over to a different laser and compare the results as I move forward w this. Yes I do have decent results, but I need consistency and having half the tatt faded n half looking sub par after over $3k is unacceptable to me. For the upgraded pix: Flash n pix make it look lighter. Updated on 9 Mar 2015: Going for a few consults next wk , considering a few options. Might do a treatment next wk at one of the consults. Wanna squeeze another tx in June and take a summer off. Maybe by xmas I can have clear skin : ) Updated on 9 Mar 2015: Sorry I clicked submit too soon lol Here r pix after 4th tx Natural light, few w flash Updated on 18 Mar 2015: Had my 5th pico tx by an MD at a medical spa today (ethos medical spa in summit, nj). Modern, classy and calming interior. Love the rooms, consult room and how comfy the treatment beds are. Scented candles were a plus lol Positive experience, now let's see what the results will bring. Settings used: 10hz, 4.34 j/cm2, 2.2mm spot size w boost mode. Way different than the settings used previously. Any comments? Lol Was told straight up that reds won't be touched by pico . Knew that already but its nice that this MD doesn't sugar coat it. Exceptional bed manner. Much less pain as there is less ink to blast. Fingers crossed to see lots of fading!!! Updated on 27 Mar 2015: I have a good feeling about this one! (A girl can dream, right?) LOL I think quite of bit of ink got blasted and it may fade as much as the "full of" part that is least noticeable. I wanna kick the tattoo artists ass for going over my girly chest a million times w thick ass black lines on top of each other instead of more feminine light gray and now ten yrs later im a grown woman paying 10Gs to get this mess off of my skin smh.... Don't get inked on yo chest, kids! Lol The flowers: The white ink is awful, it oxidized so much and it may/may not be permanent. So dont use lasers on the white ink! My last md said white had parts of black ink and thats why when the laser hit it, it turned blk n she can treat it as blk and it will go away. (????) My new doc said it could b a permanent skin change due to oxidation and that its best to leave white ink alone especially if it just simply blends with ur skin. Im just glad that I found him. He makes more sense and doesn't slam the door rudely when he's finished w me. And I got a lower price on the treatments . I finally spoke up about how i felt about using low settings on lasers in order to drag out treatments unnecessarily longer than needed. He agreed to crank up the settings so I get clear skin as soon as possible. He was quite surprised and taken back when i told him what were the settings used on me during last few tx w previous practitioner. I wasn't surprised, had a feeling it was being dragged out hence I had a meltdown and switched providers. I cannot stress enough the importance of being an advocate for urself when ur a patient. If something doesn't seem right, speak up, educate urself on the issue and seek out second, third opinion if necessary. Anyways, im going for #6 in mid May. Updated on 31 Mar 2015: I'm excited! : ) hehehe Updated on 14 Apr 2015: Faded a lil bit more, lots more to go lol Updated on 11 May 2015: So this is the last treatment until Sep or Oct. Taking the summer off from this mayhem. I'm tired of it. The pico boost mode hurt like crazy this time, it's a roller coaster w this laser. I really wanted to run outta that chair this time holy moly it was painful. No pills or lidocaine shots for this badass lol I wrapped it up, moisturized it and so far no itching, nothing eventful, just teeny weeny blisters that go away on their own within a day. Yay for awesome healing process ???? thanks ginger tea, green tea and water, couldn't have done it without yall. I'm going to start posting some vids on you tube about all this. Any suggestion topics and ideas are welcome, hit me up! It's been almost a year of these laser shenanigans and I feel like the finish line is in sight. I'm worried about the summer in terms of going out, whether or not to cover it up w makeup or clothes or just grow some balls and show this frankentatt off , and how the skin treated w the laser will respond to sun exposure ... first world problems Here is the unveiling of the grossness post sixth treatment lol <iframe width="354" height="310" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ELB6lPiXK9Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>More fabulousness coming up like makeup cover ups, outfits to hide this beast and skincare to keep looking faaaiiiineeee during this process. Updated on 18 May 2015: Still healing, gonna see some fading this summer! Updated on 26 May 2015: I'm testing out the ability of my lasered skin to handle sunshine and so far so good! This beach bunny needs that vitamin D stat hehehe I really would like to develop a nice bronze color that will cover up the leftover ink this summer. I don't want to be controlled by bad tattoos and forfeit wearing my summer dresses and rompers. Got a stunning turquoise hi lo dress to wear for my anniversary this Sat and I intend on rocking it ;) I spent two hrs sunbathing today without any complications. Added vit B complex as a daily supplement for neuro function, metabolism, hormonal regulation and skin, hair n nails of course! I get seasonal depression during winter months so I'm beyond excited for the sunny days and beach time :) yayyyyyyy I sparingly used neutrogena ultra sheer spf55 sunscreen w helioplex on and had a blast relaxing out on the sun. I've heard conflicting info from docs regarding the sun. Some say no sun exposure 2 wks prior and 2 wk post laser tx. I have not been out of the sun since last September so I think I'm good lol. Honestly it's been 2.5 wks since last tx until next tx scheduled for around Thanksgiving 2015 and I wanna do a lil experiment to see how the sun will interact w my skin. Other docs say no sun during the entire course of laser tx, but if I stay outta the sun for 2-3 years I wIll end up on a new episode of "snapped" on oxygen tv lmfao. Updated on 8 Jun 2015: Good results thanks to dr. Soni at ethos medispa! Each tx performed by him gives better results than the previous and we're cranking that pico up!!! Lol In real life the chest piece is still apparent that's why I like to perform a detailed photo dissection between every session to make sure that I'm getting my money's worth and the progress is satisfactory. This is 4 wks post 6th picosure compared w 4 wks post 5th pico and im a lil tan now. The last pic is from a night out after a day at the beach , application of a lil foundation n bronzer and wowwzzzaaa my spiderweb doesn't even come up on pix hehehe and its not even a year after starting the laser treatments! : )))) Updated on 22 Jun 2015: Updated on 22 Jun 2015: Totally messed up on the update! Lol let's try this again, so sorry I clicked submit too soon by mistake ^^^^^ So this is 6 wks after 6th tx, watching the paint dry at this point lol sort of fading when I'm tanning yet still very visible overall. The white ink that oxidized, it looks like a very nasty shade of army green/blackish .... I've had 3 laser tx on this oxidized part and it seems to make things worser n darker every time it gets hit w the laser. So far it hasn't been alleviated by anything. It's very unsightly :( No raised lines, no scars, no pigmentation issues to report with exposing the area to the sun so far! Also posting pix after sun exposure for reference just in case someone is curious about post lasered skin reacting to sunlight after wks since treatment : ) Updated on 14 Jul 2015: I've been playing w dermablend cover up , trying to get the hang of it! Still need a lot of practice with blending and some tricks to get better at it ; ) It does the job now that the tatt is finally more faded!!! Yay for being able to wear summer dresses Updated on 4 Aug 2015: The ink keeps fading and the sun keeps shining hehehe Updated on 25 Sep 2015: Just checking in to show how the tattoo looks like after 5 months since the last pico. I think it has faded all it could after the last tx and I am going to make an appointment for lucky treatment number 7 in October! I can't wait because this is the final stretch in my removal (hopefully lol). Maybe two more and I should be tatt free : ) The summer sun really helped w the overall fading!!!! Updated on 21 Nov 2015: Pix are couple hrs after tx. 5 hrs after tx the web isnt red anymore at all. Using aquaphor as usual. So I found a sweet deal on Groupon.... 3 picos w boost treatments for $360 in ny. Settings were totally off even though I told the tech to continue w my last settings since they worked but she went with her own..... im so over this. It's red and swollen for very short time but I know from experience that really means [RS bleep]. U can get frosting and redness and still have crappy results. Next session set for MLK day 2016. I just want this off. Updated on 4 Dec 2015: So I'm having mixed feelings about all this.... I feel like Im so close to the finish line bc my tatt is so faded, yet with every treatment it's still there, legible....staring back at me. I have two more prepaid sessions (January and May), and I really thought that would be enough to blast it already. Now I'm past my 7th and it's still very visible to the naked eye. The pix give me hope bc with the flash, these detailed pix show precisely where the concentrated ink is dissolving and fading. In real life, the whole thing looks like a hot mess tho, especially with the oxidized white ink that turned black and doesn't seem to go away, even after 5 sessions of lasering it specifically. This process is exhaustive. I deeply regret ever getting into tattoos. What a shame that I did this to my body. Updated on 22 Dec 2015: Comparison pics of the progress 1 month after 6th treatment versus 1 month after 7th treatment. Treatment number 8 coming up in January and number 9 in May! Updated on 10 Jan 2016: It faded a little bit, going in for session number 8 tmrw morning. Will ask the tech to increase the settings. I bought bio oil and organic cold pressed rose hip oil to use between laser treatments in case any residual scarring occured from the tattoo gun that will become obvious as the ink disappears. Updated on 11 Jan 2016: Posted a pic of today's settings. It isn't as swollen and raised as last session although the settings were increased. Black magic!!! (LOL). I was out having drinks and got this fortune cookie message "something spectacular is coming ur way" lmao. I really hope that was in reference to this laser treatment lol. I'm currently using my "laser holy trinity" which involves a ginormous tub of Aquaphor, BIO OIL (totally worth it) and rose hip oil (pix of packaging posted). I'm not sure if this ink will be removed in its entirety, so at least I'm taking precautions to prevent any scarring or unfortunate skin changes that might result from this process. Next session either March or May! Updated on 18 Jan 2016: The pix r taken w flash and aquaphor since its still healing so I think they look lighter in pix than in real life. I noticed that immediately after tx it looks super light and then darkens up again. The best fading occurs around 2 months mark. I stopped posting the spiderweb pix bc the camera doesn't pick it up anymore. Im very pale now so the leftover ink sticks out more n appears far darker than it did in the summer months. I can't wait for the summer sun to fade it tremendously again! I also updated the total price on top of the page to reflect current finances.... To date I have spent a little over $5,000. I plan on purchasing another Groupon at the medispa for 3 additional picos for $400. That total will bring me close to $6k. I'm thinking 12 tx might do it, but who really knows at this point lol. Moving forward, I will make appts to just have the red/pink ink treated w a different, older laser or ask around to see if I can get a deal somewhere for that. Might reach out to a place in PA that steve k recommended as well. I'm getting as many tx as I can during winter and will take six months off again for the duration of the summer. There is still a lot of ink left, deeply embedded in my skin. Also, the white ink that oxidized is darker than ever. So much for the [RS bleep] that I was told that "don't worry, it will fade and disappear".... ummmmm no. Updated on 1 Feb 2016: I think this laser process can make u bipolar lol one day I feel like this isn't going anywhere, then I feel like oh yea I can see it disappear (in the right light under right conditions). I have an appt scheduled for mid March with the doctor this time, not the tech. Then I'm going to let it fade until next fall. Wish me luck!!!! Updated on 26 Feb 2016: I finally downloaded collage pic app to make it easy for compring fading pix (im old, hence it took this long lol). It's been a year and a half, and I think of that song from "frozen" , just singing 'let it gooo' in my head n laugh....... I ordered 5 new lil dresses for this summer, gonna tan my lil butt off as soon as it gets warm outside so this awful leftover ink blob disappears faster and I can just move on. Updated on 14 Mar 2016: Today's settings: 10Hz, 2mm spot size and 6.26J/cm2 boost mode aka beast mode lol. Some parts of the tattoo were not lasered, I guess bc it's so faded and difficult to see. We didn't touch the spiderweb, that has faded wonderfully and there is no need to damage the skin over that area any further. This is my last treatment for a while....I'm ready to move on from this b.s. , it's been a year and a half already....time flies! This process gets boring after a while...I guess that's why so many people abandon it and don't update anymore. I'm still hopeful about all this. I'm glad I took action n started the removal back in 2014, I'm glad I went w picosure, and I'm glad that I came this far along. Updated on 20 Mar 2016: Idk whether to even post this bc its barely a week after tx and there's still dried blood, but I took a glance at my skin recovering today and in natural light it looks pretty promising! (Hope I won't jinx it lol) Well, anyways, I took some natural light vs flash pix and its pale on my incredibly pale skin so that's a good sign moving forward! I think I also found an inner sense of calm.... I'm not chasing after that ideal, flawless ink free skin anymore (well, maybe .... I am a woman after all :P) I finally got it thru my thick head that the oxidized white ink will never go away and the blk script might have some trace amount of ink left behind.... but it's still better than a huge thick, blk blob that it used to be : D Updated on 3 Aug 2016: I'm baaaaaaaaack! I took a much needed break from this site bc being on here too often can make one go nuts lol if u sent me a pm, I didn't get it because I closed the account. So say hello again, since I'm here to update some decent results! It's been six months after my last pico and I am happy to report that after extensive tanning and hanging out on the beach, my chest tattoo faded amazingly! The spiderweb is non recognizable. The script still has some ink leftover which makes it look like bad veins peeking through. Overall, I feel the picosure laser has successfully removed my awful ink. The problem is now with the oxidized white ink that turned black. That is still a huge issue and an eye sore. In real life it is very unsightly. I intend on going back to laser the remaining ink and the oxidized ink in the fall/winter. In the real life my skin from the tattoo is far from perfect in some spots. Now that the excess ink is gone, I can see raised areas from the tattoo needle being passed several times over my skin. All I can do is continue to move forward, and hopefully my skin will keep on improving its texture as well as its look. I would like to move this review to under 'tattoo removal' instead of the picosure section of real self so it's easier to access. Updated on 6 Aug 2016: This may seem trivial to some, but seeing clear skin on pix and when I get ready for a night out is giving me butterflies.... looking at older pix and seeing how black and ridiculous the tattoo looked on me is making me physically sick.... I was such a poptart for willingly getting tatted at 18 , especially in such a spot!! If I could go back ten years ago, I would slap myself in the face and run out of that tattoo studio! For any young women out there thinking getting tattoos is body art and ur ooo so unique and artsy fartsy, and this tattoo is oooo sooo meaningful and u will love it forever- save urself the headache and money and just go to Michaels and get some arts and crafts, paint a painting, do a fun project, learn how to cook, join a gym, work out, read a book, travel, advance ur career, fall in love..... anything else just DO NOT GET INKED!!!! I wish I had someone back then to stop me and talk some sense into me..... Ten years and $6, 000+ later, now ruined skin- I learned my lesson. Ur skin and you are beautiful just the way u are, no need for any modifications!!!!!!! One member on here said that the foreign tattoo was intruding on her body, her energy, and her destiny.... that's absolutely beautifully put. I'm ready to reclaim my skin and move on from this self inflicted nightmare. Updated on 7 Apr 2017: In the past 9 months since my last update, I had two additional "picosure boost plus red" treatments. The extra wand that is used w picosure to target the red ink sure does work wonders. It annihilated my red ink that was left over on the flowers during this time. And it hurts significantly less! Overall the skin texture is returning to norm on its own. It also continues to fade. I made a decision to eventually have the stubborn white ink that turned black/green surgically removed in the next 2 years or so. Regardless of that setback, I am still pleased with the results. It blows my mind to look at the original photos and see how well the laser worked on me.
Ok first off let me start by saying if you have a small tattoo and don't like it, think twice about getting a cover up - this was my mistake. I had a small black tattoo on my ankle that was done very poorly when I was in college, instead of paying a lot of money for laser I figured a cover up wouldn't be so bad, wrong! I went to an artist who I trusted who has won awards for tattoo and he also did a few of my other tattoos which came out fine. However, the cover up he did for my tattoo is terrible, it looks like a HUGE blue blob. I asked for a flower and instead of doing a flower he told me that the only color that would cover black was blue (idiot) so he said he would do a flower with some waves around it. When he drew it on me I did say it was bigger than I wanted but he told me it HAD to be that big for the cover up, since I trusted him and the outline really didn't look that bad I let him go ahead with it - biggest mistake ever. First of all it doesn't look like 'waves' it looks like a blue blob on my ankle, second of all YOU CAN SEE MY OLD TAT UNDER IT. Some cover up right? I did go to another artist who said he could fix it and was very upset that my first guy did a terrible job but I don't want it fixed incase I still don't like it, I'd rather just try laser. Tomorrow I have a consultation with a plastic surgeon in my area who just recently got the Picosure laser, I have read this laser is very good for blues, however I am so skeptical about the whole experience, there are not a lot of pictures showing complete removal. Depending on the cost I may just get the part on my ankle lasered at first to see what results I get, if I cannot get full removed a cover up may have to do. I've been extremely depressed about this, I don't want to wear shorts or skirts anymore and its the summer :( I feel like an idiot and wish I had my small little tattoo back. Any words of wisdom? I will post about my consultation tomorrow, hoping it wont be that must money/time to get this thing off me... Updated on 7 Jun 2013: So this morning I had my consultation at NJ Plastic Surgery with Dr. Andrea Cacciarelli. She was very nice but didn't seem too hopeful about my removal. I told her that I wanted to start with removing just the wave part on my ankle and see if I can deal with the flower design on my foot. For the wave part on my ankle (which is also the cover up part) she quoted me $250 per session with the Picosure, that is their minimum price. However she told me she doesn't have any experience removing cover up tattoos and that it will probably take a lot more sessions even with the Pico because there are various layers of ink :( She showed me a booklet of removal pictures that were previously done with the older lasers, they just recently got the Picosure. It was kind of upsetting because I did not see any full removal pictures, the pictures were only progressions of fading. However she did tell me she does achieve full removal but it usually takes at least a year or more. She said since the Pico is so new she does not have any full removal pictures yet and does not see a drastic difference with the Pico vs. the old lasers, which is also a little disconcerting as the Picosure is marketed to be quicker and better. She wanted to do a test spot to see how my skin would react to the ink, I was very nervous about this and opted out because I have an engagement next week that I will probably be wearing a dress for and I did not want a bandage or blisters on my ankle :( If I go through with the lasering I will probably wait until it gets a little cooler here in NJ around Sept-October so I am not constantly wearing shorts with bandages on my ankle. I'm nervous about the pain, I've had IPL laser done for brown spots on my face before and she said it is nothing compared to IPL, the pain is apparently 10 times worse and I thought IPL hurt!! I may try another doctor (the one I went to for IPL) however I do not think she has the Picosure but it doesn't seem to make a difference... Any thoughts? Updated on 7 Jun 2013: She told me that the foot and hands are the toughest spots to laser because they tend to swell up so she would have to start with a very low level and work up to high intensity. Also they do not offer numbing cream or shots! She would give me a RX to get numbing cream if the test spot was too painful for me. Updated on 8 Jan 2014: My new years resolution was to start on my tattoo removal, however I've been avoiding making the appointment. First of all I'm terrified of the pain and I'm scared it's not going to work. I'm also worried that because its on my ankle I will not be able to go to work for a few days due to swelling and blisters... I can't afford to miss more than a day of work, especially when I will have to pay so much for this treatment. Any advice? Is this first appointment the most difficult? So far I have only had a consultation that wasn't too positive :( Updated on 23 Jan 2014: I finally did it. I made my first appointment with the Picosure for February 4th in two weeks. Not sure if they will do the full treatment that day or just do a test spot. My plan is to get ride of all the blue, especially the part on my ankle (which is the cover up) and then get the part on my foot fixed by a different tattoo artist. I definitely don't want anything on my ankle though so hoping to achieve full removal in that section. I would love to have total removal of the entire tattoo but I'm not sure I can afford it. I guess I will see how much progress happens with the first few treatments. Does anyone know how quickly they will space treatments? I am hoping to get this done or at least not noticeable before July. Updated on 4 Feb 2014: Hi everyone - So I just got back from my appointment, which was such a process. First off I need to complain a little about the office for any of you in NJ thinking of going there... I went for a consultation in June when they just got the Picosure. I met with a different doctor than I had today, the doc in June told me for the wave section of my tattoo it would be $250 and she wouldn't charge me to do a test spot when I decide to come back, perfect. Today the doctor told me that it would be $350 per session and they usually charge $100 for a test spot. I only wanted to do a test spot today to see how my skin would react and also I was pretty terrified of the pain, blisters and swelling I've been seeing on this site (If I have any major swelling or pain I probably will be out of work for a day or two which I can't afford) Anyway, after consulting with the doctor I told her I only wanted to do a test spot today. So then I wait about a half hour in the room by myself and a payment consultant lady comes in to tell me that by doing JUST a test spot today would be $450!! I told her I was very confused and wanted to speak to the doctor, she told me there is no negotiation and she kept pushing me to sign up for Care Credit, which I didn't want (she was extremely rude and I'm wondering if they get commission for signing people up for Care Credit?) I then preceded to tell her I just wanted to pay out of pocket for today's treatment and I would like to speak to the doctor about the amount. Finally after waiting 20 more mins and talking with two assistants I finally got to speak to the doctor who told me she will wave the test spot fee if I pay $350 today and come back in 6 weeks for the full treatment, I agreed. I'm very upset about the lack of communication in the office and the different price quotes. Anyway on to the procedure. I was sweating so bad, she explained that they use cooling air and that most patients find it to be tolerable. It definitely was painful but I would compare it to getting a tattoo maybe a little worse, but quicker, nothing I couldn't handle. I was in a little pain, like a stinging sensation on my drive home but right now (about 3 hours after treatment) I'm in no pain at all! Which is making me wish I did the full treatment today and not just the test, but oh well at least I know what to expect for next time. The good thing is I already see a little fading!! Check out the pictures. As long as it doesn't swell up or blister I have high hopes for my next treatment, scheduled for March 13th. The doctor said with this type of tattoo she is expecting 5-6 treatments spaced about 6 weeks apart for each. Updated on 14 Apr 2014: So I pushed back my treatment a few weeks because after the test spot I had some raised scaring, which is now gone. So I had treatment on wave part of my tattoo on April 10th. Honestly the laser painful but tolerable, they use a machine that blows cold air on you during the treatment, not sure if that really makes a difference. Right after the treatment I was fine, no pain or anything, I did blister though a few hours later but not too much pain still for the next few days. However, right now 4 days later I am in pain and a few of my blisters popped last night while I was sleeping. The doctor told me to keep it bandaged for a week and to coat it with a lot of aquaphor and to not pop the blisters... but that was out of my control, they popped on their own. I definitely see a lot of fading, especially with the blue ink, you can see my old tattoo underneath almost perfectly now in some spots. I guess I will see how the fading progresses in the coming weeks. Does anyone have any advice on aftercare? Because this tattoo is so low on my ankle it's very hard to keep it bandaged during the day with work and wearing shoes and honestly it feels a lot better when I let it breathe and put no bandage on it. Does everyone keep theirs bandaged that long? Should I be using aquaphor? Does anyone recommend anything else? Know of anything that speeds up the healing process? Also is it normal for me to be in pain 4 days later? The area is a little swollen and red but it doesn't look infected or anything like that. Updated on 14 Apr 2014: This is the day after the blisters popped, you can see my old tattoo a lot now. Today has been the most painful so far. Does this seem normal? Updated on 19 Apr 2014: Today I had a sock on all day during work and when I took it off a lot of the ski came off with it... the skin is almost the same color as my tattoo... now it looks pretty bad like a deep wound almost i'm very nervous is this a normal occurrence? I have put neosporin and bandaged it Updated on 20 Apr 2014: So I'm not in a lot of pain anymore but it's very itchy. My skin just keeps peeling off the parts where the blisters where! Is this normal? I'm not touching it, I have it bandaged and it keeps coming off with the bandage. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow. Any thoughts? Looks like I may have scaring. I hope I can still eventually continue treatment :( very upset today Updated on 1 May 2014: Hi. Just wanted to give everyone a quick update. Today was exactly 3 weeks from my first pico treatment and FINALLY my ankle is starting to look somewhat healed. It's been a pretty brutal healing process. I am not in pain anymore unless I wear tight shoes which i've been avoiding as much as possible. As you can see from the pictures the cover up part is taking a lot longer to heal, the doctor said that is normal due to the amount of ink in that section. The blue shading is almost completely gone in most places. However I didn't realize the black outline would still be so visible, hoping it fades. I've been doing a lot of research about healing in the ankles and apparently they are one of the most difficult spots on the body to heal! (as if I didn't regret this tattoo enough) I'm probably going to wait until September to get my next treatment because I don't want to deal with this healing process over the summer in the heat and also I want to give it enough time to fade on it's own. I'm pretty upset that it looks so crazy I feel like if I wear shorts or a dress people will be staring, wondering what is wrong with me :( Updated on 5 May 2014: I don't know if that's what you call it but my skin is still red and a little darker than normal in the area that I got laser. Does anyone recommend anything to help with this? I'm very fair skinned. Updated on 20 May 2014: Thursday will be 6 weeks from my first treatment, there is definitely hyperpigmintation, I have been alternating between aloe cream and rose hip oil to try and get the skin to look and feel as normal as possible. The area that got lasered is a little raised in some spots and very very dry. I'm pretty bummed about the summer and have been trying to hide this mess as best as possible :( Does anyone recommend any makeup that could possible cover this? Or is it still too dark? I guess the good thing is there seems to be a lot of fading with the blue, and my old tattoo underneath seems to be fading as well. However i'm pretty concerned the black outline hasn't budged. Is it normal for the ink to look very blurry now? This healing process has been brutal and the spot still hurts from time to time, which is making me nervous for my 2nd treatment. Updated on 5 Nov 2014: Hi Everyone. So I decided to take a few months off due to it being summer and I wanted my skin to look as normal as possible before getting another treatment. I am scheduled to go back next week on November 13th for #2. Feeling pretty nervous about it because the healing process was so brutal last time. However over the past few months my skin is basically back to normal and there has been significant fading all over, with the blue ink especially! I am in my best friends wedding in August and hoping to have this mostly faded or covered up by then. Will update after treatment #2. Updated on 23 Nov 2014: I'm 10 days from my 2nd treatment on my ankle and the healing processes was so much easier this time. The procedure hurt just the same and the doctor did turn up the Picosure a little, but it was over in less than 5 mins. I blistered the first three days and kept it covered with aquaphor for a week but now the blisters are healed and i'm just trying to get my skin back to normal so I can go ahead with treatment 3! I wonder why the healing was easier this time vs #1, hoping it's like this for the following ones. Updated on 7 Dec 2014: I am 3 weeks from my 2nd Picosure treatment and my skin is pretty much back to normal aside from a little redness in one part. Will probably wait another 5 weeks to go for the next treatment. Kind of bummed that the black outlines haven't really faded. Updated on 18 Jan 2015: I had my 3rd Picosure treatment three days ago. The doctor turned up the laser and did a few passes, she told me now that theres been a lot of ink removed she feels comfortable being more aggressive with the treatment. Pain wise the laser hurt just the same, however I got HUGE blisters immediately after. She said the healing process may be more difficult this time. I know you are not supposed to pop the blisters but I had to for work yesterday, I couldn't get my shoes on! Still covered with a bandage but not in a lot of pain which is good, just very sensitive. I have a feeling there will be a lot of fading with this treatment! Updated on 25 Jan 2015: Seeing a lot of fading!! This picture was taken about one week after my treatment and it's looking better every day!