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*Treatment results may vary
I had visited this website several times before...
I had visited this website several times before deciding that I was going to go ahead with removing my tattoo. I told myself I would write a review eventually but completely forgot as I stopped visiting this site about midway through my removal. The other day I was at a pool party with no shirt on and when I got home realized that not 1 person saw or mentioned anything about my tattoo being removed. I don't even think about it anymore but I did that night and figured id write a review to maybe help those that were in a similar situation as I was.
My tattoo was very large. It measured about 4 inches wide by 8 inches tall. There was a mixture of very dark ink and light black (grey) shading. The tattoo ink was black only. I used the Picosure laser.
I did a lot of research beforehand to make sure that I understood as much about the process as possible. I did consultations at a few different clinics/tattoo removal spas and decided on going with a medical centre in my city that had the Picosure laser. It was substantially more expensive then the other places I went to, but in my opinion was the better choice because it is a more advanced laser and the facility was very clean and had doctors on site (not that I needed a doctor but it was reassuring).
I was quoted about 4-6 sessions at that clinic. To be honest I took that with a grain of salt and not as an absolute. I understood that it was quite impossible to predict how many sessions it would take. I saw some stories here of 10-12+ sessions so I was skeptical. I did a test patch before going through with the removal. We went both on a very dark area and a lighter greywash area. I waited a few weeks to see how my skin reacted, then decided to go ahead with removal because the results of the test patch were very promising. I began my removal February 2014 which was about 2 months after having got the tattoo.
Because my tattoo was so large, I split the treatments in two separate sessions. Logically this made the most sense to me and it would give my body enough time to heal/repair from the treatment. I think I waited about two weeks in between treating the upper and lower portion of the tattoo.
The treatments themselves were honestly extremely annoying. I have a high tolerance for pain, but it was pretty painful. Not so much during the treatment but more in the hours that followed. Before the treatments we put an icepack on the tattoo and as the treatment began she used cold air while using the laser. I can't really describe the feeling or pain level because everybody's pain threshold is different, for me personally I would say the treatment itself was just uncomfortable.
I followed the nurses advice, suggestions for caring for the tattoo after treatment. This is a must. You are basically burning your skin, you need to help the healing process as much as you can. So listen to your nurses instructions.
I don't specially remember timelines but id say the day of the treatment, the tattoo was very red and was really hot. Over the days that followed there were very large blisters/bubbles across the whole tattoo (and small ones also). Id say about a week later it started drying up and then over the course of another week it started peeling off. At that moment it was obvious that the tattoo lightened a lot (my arm and tattoo were still very much visible, but it wasn't dark ink per say and more of a red/brown hue).
I used Aquaphor in the days following the treatment up until i felt the area was fully healed and the tattoo started peeling (probably around 3-4 weeks). After that I used vitamin E oil almost every day until the next treatment. (I still use it, probably just a habit though). I also used Aloe Vera lotion in the days following the treatment once the burns settled down the keep the area moist.
I waited about 2 months in between my first two full sessions. Took the summer off. Then went back in around October I believe. My first 2 full sessions cost 600$ each. When I returned after the summer, I told the nurse that there was no way I was paying 600$ again because the majority of my ink was already gone. (the tattoo was brownish at that point, i had no idea what i was saying I just didnt want to pay 600$ again). The nurse was cool and charge me 250$ instead. After that session I must have waited another 3-4 months before going back. She then charged me 150$. After the first two sessions, the ones that followed I lasered the whole tattoo in one sitting because there was substantially less ink at the point. I then took another summer off completely. And went back for a final treatment in October 2015. That last treatment lasted maybe 30 seconds and was just to hit some dark spots that were missed in the last session. I had a last conversation with the nurse, laughed about the whole thing and she didnt charge me for that final session.
So to recap. February 2014 till summer 2014 = 2 sessions. Summer off. Back in October 2015 for another session, then one more in may 2015 = 4 sessions. Summer 2015 off then back in October to clean up (5th session but wouldn't really consider it a session it was more just to make sure that everything was going well)
Even when your ink is fully removed, there will be a slight trace of the tattoo, mostly the darker portions of it. Last summer when i went it the sun (even when wearing sunscreen) those areas become very dark red. It was quite annoying and I thought it would remain like that forever. Fast forward to this summer and it is not the case. I can take sun and the tattoo doesn't get redder. I was told that my skin may not tan again after going though laser. last summer my skin would not tan, it was paler then the rest of my body. this summer my tan came back and the area is not noticeable at all. so time is definitely the answer.
My advice:
-Do your homework: Find a good clinic. Pay a premium price for a premium laser and service. It's worth it. I recommend the Picosure laser because it worked for me. I actually also went to another clinic after my third session to test a different laser (nyag i believe or whatever its called) and the laser wasnt able to hit my tattoo at all. The person told me I'm better off using the Picosure because it was a better laser.
-Do a test patch: It'll give you an idea of the process, session, healing etc.
-Put your emotions aside: You fucked up. It's ok. Trust me, nobody cares. Your tattoo also doesn't care. So getting emotional about something that has no emotion makes no sense. I did get emotional. I was insecure. But I made a conscious effort, everyday, to get beyond my mistake. This is your life. Your world. Your journey. Your mistakes. Your experiences. You have the ultimate power over yourself and how you handle situations. No matter how weird, painful, traumatic those experiences are. Focus on getting through it and keep moving forward.
-Do something productive: It took about 2 years I'd say for me to be writing this review and feel like I'm 'done' with the removal. (I felt done probably 6+ months ago). 2 years is a long time to be depressed and miserable. So don't be. Read books. Meditate. Start a business. Learn an instrument. There is a lot you can do in this time. Learn to focus on what matters. I personally started working out religiously. I transformed my body in two years and I transformed my life. I took the negative situation and used it as fuel to do something productive. What an amazing experience it was. Being healthy is also great for your removal process. Funny how people were asking me training advice at the pool the other day instead of tattoo removal advice. You life is a manifestation of your thoughts and effort. So focus on positive things and the outcome will be positive.
-Dont look at your tattoo everyday; for those who can, hide it. Look at it indirectly in the mirror when caring for it (aquaphor). but don't stare and analyze it. It is completely useless and you are wasting your time. It will also become a bad habit. So break the habit as soon as you can. Put a t-shirt on or long sleeve if you can. And keep living your life.
On a side note, I got another tattoo during the removal process. This one is much smaller but is completely visible on my upper forearm and I love it. So go figure.
I attached some pictures. I blurred out the tattoo image for privacy reasons but it will give you a good idea of the process as a whole.
Goodluck
My tattoo was very large. It measured about 4 inches wide by 8 inches tall. There was a mixture of very dark ink and light black (grey) shading. The tattoo ink was black only. I used the Picosure laser.
I did a lot of research beforehand to make sure that I understood as much about the process as possible. I did consultations at a few different clinics/tattoo removal spas and decided on going with a medical centre in my city that had the Picosure laser. It was substantially more expensive then the other places I went to, but in my opinion was the better choice because it is a more advanced laser and the facility was very clean and had doctors on site (not that I needed a doctor but it was reassuring).
I was quoted about 4-6 sessions at that clinic. To be honest I took that with a grain of salt and not as an absolute. I understood that it was quite impossible to predict how many sessions it would take. I saw some stories here of 10-12+ sessions so I was skeptical. I did a test patch before going through with the removal. We went both on a very dark area and a lighter greywash area. I waited a few weeks to see how my skin reacted, then decided to go ahead with removal because the results of the test patch were very promising. I began my removal February 2014 which was about 2 months after having got the tattoo.
Because my tattoo was so large, I split the treatments in two separate sessions. Logically this made the most sense to me and it would give my body enough time to heal/repair from the treatment. I think I waited about two weeks in between treating the upper and lower portion of the tattoo.
The treatments themselves were honestly extremely annoying. I have a high tolerance for pain, but it was pretty painful. Not so much during the treatment but more in the hours that followed. Before the treatments we put an icepack on the tattoo and as the treatment began she used cold air while using the laser. I can't really describe the feeling or pain level because everybody's pain threshold is different, for me personally I would say the treatment itself was just uncomfortable.
I followed the nurses advice, suggestions for caring for the tattoo after treatment. This is a must. You are basically burning your skin, you need to help the healing process as much as you can. So listen to your nurses instructions.
I don't specially remember timelines but id say the day of the treatment, the tattoo was very red and was really hot. Over the days that followed there were very large blisters/bubbles across the whole tattoo (and small ones also). Id say about a week later it started drying up and then over the course of another week it started peeling off. At that moment it was obvious that the tattoo lightened a lot (my arm and tattoo were still very much visible, but it wasn't dark ink per say and more of a red/brown hue).
I used Aquaphor in the days following the treatment up until i felt the area was fully healed and the tattoo started peeling (probably around 3-4 weeks). After that I used vitamin E oil almost every day until the next treatment. (I still use it, probably just a habit though). I also used Aloe Vera lotion in the days following the treatment once the burns settled down the keep the area moist.
I waited about 2 months in between my first two full sessions. Took the summer off. Then went back in around October I believe. My first 2 full sessions cost 600$ each. When I returned after the summer, I told the nurse that there was no way I was paying 600$ again because the majority of my ink was already gone. (the tattoo was brownish at that point, i had no idea what i was saying I just didnt want to pay 600$ again). The nurse was cool and charge me 250$ instead. After that session I must have waited another 3-4 months before going back. She then charged me 150$. After the first two sessions, the ones that followed I lasered the whole tattoo in one sitting because there was substantially less ink at the point. I then took another summer off completely. And went back for a final treatment in October 2015. That last treatment lasted maybe 30 seconds and was just to hit some dark spots that were missed in the last session. I had a last conversation with the nurse, laughed about the whole thing and she didnt charge me for that final session.
So to recap. February 2014 till summer 2014 = 2 sessions. Summer off. Back in October 2015 for another session, then one more in may 2015 = 4 sessions. Summer 2015 off then back in October to clean up (5th session but wouldn't really consider it a session it was more just to make sure that everything was going well)
Even when your ink is fully removed, there will be a slight trace of the tattoo, mostly the darker portions of it. Last summer when i went it the sun (even when wearing sunscreen) those areas become very dark red. It was quite annoying and I thought it would remain like that forever. Fast forward to this summer and it is not the case. I can take sun and the tattoo doesn't get redder. I was told that my skin may not tan again after going though laser. last summer my skin would not tan, it was paler then the rest of my body. this summer my tan came back and the area is not noticeable at all. so time is definitely the answer.
My advice:
-Do your homework: Find a good clinic. Pay a premium price for a premium laser and service. It's worth it. I recommend the Picosure laser because it worked for me. I actually also went to another clinic after my third session to test a different laser (nyag i believe or whatever its called) and the laser wasnt able to hit my tattoo at all. The person told me I'm better off using the Picosure because it was a better laser.
-Do a test patch: It'll give you an idea of the process, session, healing etc.
-Put your emotions aside: You fucked up. It's ok. Trust me, nobody cares. Your tattoo also doesn't care. So getting emotional about something that has no emotion makes no sense. I did get emotional. I was insecure. But I made a conscious effort, everyday, to get beyond my mistake. This is your life. Your world. Your journey. Your mistakes. Your experiences. You have the ultimate power over yourself and how you handle situations. No matter how weird, painful, traumatic those experiences are. Focus on getting through it and keep moving forward.
-Do something productive: It took about 2 years I'd say for me to be writing this review and feel like I'm 'done' with the removal. (I felt done probably 6+ months ago). 2 years is a long time to be depressed and miserable. So don't be. Read books. Meditate. Start a business. Learn an instrument. There is a lot you can do in this time. Learn to focus on what matters. I personally started working out religiously. I transformed my body in two years and I transformed my life. I took the negative situation and used it as fuel to do something productive. What an amazing experience it was. Being healthy is also great for your removal process. Funny how people were asking me training advice at the pool the other day instead of tattoo removal advice. You life is a manifestation of your thoughts and effort. So focus on positive things and the outcome will be positive.
-Dont look at your tattoo everyday; for those who can, hide it. Look at it indirectly in the mirror when caring for it (aquaphor). but don't stare and analyze it. It is completely useless and you are wasting your time. It will also become a bad habit. So break the habit as soon as you can. Put a t-shirt on or long sleeve if you can. And keep living your life.
On a side note, I got another tattoo during the removal process. This one is much smaller but is completely visible on my upper forearm and I love it. So go figure.
I attached some pictures. I blurred out the tattoo image for privacy reasons but it will give you a good idea of the process as a whole.
Goodluck