POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal Reviews
Full sleeve removal (in progress)
ORIGINAL POST
Full Sleeve Removal (In Progress)
WORTH IT
I simply cannot say enough good things about Dr. E and his staff at Pristine Laser Center.
I started getting tattooed as soon as I turned 18 and by my early 20s I had acquired a full sleeve. I loved it at first. Then as years past, I started to question my (seemingly) permanent decision. By the time I reached my late 20s, I hated it. I knew as time moved on, I would begin to hate it even more. I had to get rid of it.
I started doing research for laser tattoo removal in Florida. I was willing to drive a fair distance to find a reputable place. There are several options in the area, but so many do not have before and after photos — red flag. I came across Pristine Laser Center in Altamonte, which, to be honest, seemed too good to be true. It was only a 20 minute drive from my house, and it was an actual doctor performing the laser treatments, not a “trained technician.” Because I was attempting to remove such a large area, I wanted someone who was experienced with anything that might go wrong. (I read a lot of horror stories).
I contacted Pristine and scheduled a consultation for October of 2017. I was nervous. It was the first time I would be openly admitting to regretting my tattoo, and worse, what if he thought there was no chance at full removal? My nerves were soothed the moment I walked in the door. Dr. E. and his staff were super friendly, and I felt no judgement whatsoever. He told me that full removal would be possible, but he could not guarantee how many sessions it would take, which is totally understandable. He also said that we would be able to do my entire sleeve in one session, which I was super thrilled about because I’ve read that full sleeves are often broken into two treatments. My sleeve was all black and grey ink, which worked in my favor because it’s one of the easier inks to remove. He gave me a quote, per session, which included his anti-blister treatment. I made my appointment for the following month.
For the first treatment, he used the PicoSure laser. I did not use numbing cream. The pain was uncomfortable, but tolerable. Dr. E gave me a care package to take home with me which included a care instruction booklet, Arnicare cream for healing, and ice packs. The office texted me first thing the next morning to see how I was doing, and made it clear that they were available if I had any concerns or questions over the next few days. The worst part of the first session was the swelling that came after. My arm swelled twice it’s size, which although did not hurt, was super uncomfortable. This subsided in a couple of days.
The anti-blister treatment that Dr. E uses is simply amazing. After seeing so many blister-ridden photos of healing laser treatments, this was a no-brainer for me, especially since I was doing a full sleeve. I did get a couple of small blisters, but I can’t imagine what they would have been had I not done this treatment.
For my second session, the doctor prescribed numbing cream and water pills to keep the swelling at bay. The numbing cream made the pain completely bearable and after taking the water pills, I had zero swelling.
As my sessions continued, the doctor would switch lasers to target different areas. Most recently, we’ve begun to use one laser to target dark areas and another to target light, all in the same session. You can tell he is super knowledgable and loves what he does.
I just recently completed my sixth session and my tattoo is more than 80% removed. I am thrilled with the results and can’t wait for it to be completely gone. I will update this review as I continue my removal journey. :)
My timeline:
October 21, 2017: Initial consultation
November 7, 2017: 1st appointment
December 19, 2017: 2nd appointment
February 13, 2018: 3rd appointment
May 24, 2018: 4th appointment
August 9, 2018: 5th appointment
September 28, 2018: 6th appointment
I started getting tattooed as soon as I turned 18 and by my early 20s I had acquired a full sleeve. I loved it at first. Then as years past, I started to question my (seemingly) permanent decision. By the time I reached my late 20s, I hated it. I knew as time moved on, I would begin to hate it even more. I had to get rid of it.
I started doing research for laser tattoo removal in Florida. I was willing to drive a fair distance to find a reputable place. There are several options in the area, but so many do not have before and after photos — red flag. I came across Pristine Laser Center in Altamonte, which, to be honest, seemed too good to be true. It was only a 20 minute drive from my house, and it was an actual doctor performing the laser treatments, not a “trained technician.” Because I was attempting to remove such a large area, I wanted someone who was experienced with anything that might go wrong. (I read a lot of horror stories).
I contacted Pristine and scheduled a consultation for October of 2017. I was nervous. It was the first time I would be openly admitting to regretting my tattoo, and worse, what if he thought there was no chance at full removal? My nerves were soothed the moment I walked in the door. Dr. E. and his staff were super friendly, and I felt no judgement whatsoever. He told me that full removal would be possible, but he could not guarantee how many sessions it would take, which is totally understandable. He also said that we would be able to do my entire sleeve in one session, which I was super thrilled about because I’ve read that full sleeves are often broken into two treatments. My sleeve was all black and grey ink, which worked in my favor because it’s one of the easier inks to remove. He gave me a quote, per session, which included his anti-blister treatment. I made my appointment for the following month.
For the first treatment, he used the PicoSure laser. I did not use numbing cream. The pain was uncomfortable, but tolerable. Dr. E gave me a care package to take home with me which included a care instruction booklet, Arnicare cream for healing, and ice packs. The office texted me first thing the next morning to see how I was doing, and made it clear that they were available if I had any concerns or questions over the next few days. The worst part of the first session was the swelling that came after. My arm swelled twice it’s size, which although did not hurt, was super uncomfortable. This subsided in a couple of days.
The anti-blister treatment that Dr. E uses is simply amazing. After seeing so many blister-ridden photos of healing laser treatments, this was a no-brainer for me, especially since I was doing a full sleeve. I did get a couple of small blisters, but I can’t imagine what they would have been had I not done this treatment.
For my second session, the doctor prescribed numbing cream and water pills to keep the swelling at bay. The numbing cream made the pain completely bearable and after taking the water pills, I had zero swelling.
As my sessions continued, the doctor would switch lasers to target different areas. Most recently, we’ve begun to use one laser to target dark areas and another to target light, all in the same session. You can tell he is super knowledgable and loves what he does.
I just recently completed my sixth session and my tattoo is more than 80% removed. I am thrilled with the results and can’t wait for it to be completely gone. I will update this review as I continue my removal journey. :)
My timeline:
October 21, 2017: Initial consultation
November 7, 2017: 1st appointment
December 19, 2017: 2nd appointment
February 13, 2018: 3rd appointment
May 24, 2018: 4th appointment
August 9, 2018: 5th appointment
September 28, 2018: 6th appointment
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