POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal REVIEWS
I Have a Huge Tattoo and I Hate It - Fort Collins, CO
ORIGINAL POST
I just recently got a big tattoo in February and I...
michaelalafayMay 27, 2015
I just recently got a big tattoo in February and I thought after some time I would like it but with time I'm bring it more and more. It's lowered my self esteem to the center of the earth and it was supposed to be a brother sister tattoo. Thankfully he hasn't done his yet. I have had two sessions since the initial in hopes to like it but it isn't something I want to have. Since the most recent sessions, it has lost meaning and is no more than a giant burden on my back. I was hoping to get total removal off of my shoulders and drastic fading through the middle so I could have a cover up tattoo that was lower and just along my spine as a tribute to my mom who passed away and to my grandma and my aunt who are still living. I really dispise this tattoo but I'm not certain about removal due to scarring. Although I would get a cover up tattoo on my spine I'm not open to having anything else more than an inch above my bra strap. Does anyone else have a huge tattoo they are trying to get rid of? Or has anyone experienced drastic scarring and is this a mistake I will have to live with?
Replies (20)
May 28, 2015
I think your chances for removal without scarring are pretty good.. dark ink, light skin, hope you don't smoke. Chin up :) just definitely buy numbing cream. Thanks for documenting your experience!
May 28, 2015
Hi. So here's my quick story. I have a huge all black (some of it is very, very dark) tattoo spanning my entire chest from shoulder to shoulder and about 2/3 of my abdomen (a decent bit over the ribs too). It's probably about 20% larger than your tattoo I would estimate by the pictures. Anyhow, I was like you and freaking out horribly about it because I grew to hate it and it was so big, I thought it could never come off and I would be stuck. Got depressed as all hell for about a month or 2 and decided I had to go start laser treatments no matters how long it would take.
Had my second laser treatment a few days ago with a picosure laser. The first treatment hit a lot of shading and some dark line work that had been gone over several times by the artist. The shading literally is 100% gone after 1 treatment, and a lot of the line work has started to fade. A quick piece of advice -- even after one treatment, if the technician knows what they are doing, the lasered area will continue to fade for 4-6 months! Anyhow, the treatments for me are about $200 per session, found an AMAZING place to go. I would recommend word of mouth, find a place with an instagram and a hell of a lot of results.
For you and I, with large tattoos, it will definitely take probably ~10 sessions or more to completely remove. I have come to accept this fact, however because sessions can be done semi-frequently (I've come to realize no sooner than every 8 weeks is good) on multiple different areas, there is always progress being made. Overall, ya the removal is going to cost me around $2,000; however this is for a HUGE HUGE tattoo, like I said. I don't have pictures but trust me even after 1 session the areas hit have faded at least 60% ITS AMAZING.
So don't be discouraged, because you can definitely get that removed. Ya it'll take at least 1 to 2 years to do, but it CAN be done and it won't cost tens of thousands if you find the right place.
May 28, 2015
And I'd recommend picosure 100% if you can find it, it's awesome. It is true that the procedure hurts, but I don't even use numbing creams or any pain medicine as it is a good lesson for my every time I go -- I will never forget it and it is helping me grow so much as a person. But with some numbing cream, ice, maybe some pain medicine, I imagine it wouldn't be that bad at all.
The most annoying part is that the very dark areas tend to blister up nicely after treatment, but this goes away in 3-5 days for myself. If you want to start removal, do it! My only wish is that I had started sooner. But I did what you did -- I thought, oh well maybe if I have a few more sessions I will like it. So i did that and made it much darker and bigger over the course of 3 -4 extra sessions. Ya it sucks, i'm an idiot for doing it, but oh well -- life gives the experience first and the lesson after.
I will say that it is much much easier to feel amazing about yourself again once you start the journey. Just knowing it will eventually be totally gone one day is a wonderful feeling. Best of luck to you my friend.
July 18, 2016
@andrew I love what you wrote! and yes is worth it and I can relate the pain is a life lesson that helps you grow!
Replies (9)
September 29, 2015
Hi there, I am so glad that you came back to update and let us know that you've started removal - congrats on your first session - I look forward to your updates. How did it feel? Did you treat the entire tattoo in one sitting?
September 29, 2015
I did treat the entire area in one sitting it, it hurt like a really bad rubber band snap but it's only momentary
September 29, 2015
Good job getting through that! Did you get any bad blisters or anything?
December 3, 2015
How much overall is it gonna cost you to remove it ?
December 9, 2015
I paid $2,100 for ten sessions but the place I went did a deal where I bought 7 and got 3 free. Because of the size my sessions are priced at $300 each
December 21, 2015
Can u post a pic of what it looks like now? Did 10 sessions remove it all?
Replies (3)
March 30, 2016
I recently had a sloppy, dark and large tattoo done in Fort Collins on my upper arm at a shop on College Ave. Every part of me wanted to write a bad Yelp review but I only have myself to blame. I feel less feminine and have completely lost my self esteem. I compromised on my original design like a fool. The "artist" insisted he could improve on the design I wanted. I have been reading this website for days after having it done. Ive experienced a total mental breakdown. I'm going to look into laser removal once it heals and your review is really helping me accept my own mistake. What a relief to find a local story about removal. Being able to write this makes me feel better and your story is inspirational. Your progress looks amazing so far! Tattooing is more traumatic to the skin that what we all like to think. I am also hoping to have the skin lightened enough to have my original design tattooed over it. Glad you decided to take action and change what you don't like.... I hope to as well! I will be checking in on your story. I'm so grateful you are sharing it and when the time comes I will share mine with others too. :)
Welcome to the community, I am really sorry that your new tattoo has caused you such distress. I did go through removal and decided to cover after 9 session - mine was a cover up of a small tattoo - here is my review. I did have scarring, but not from the laser, it was from the tattoo itself-as my artist was heavy handed. Have you gone for any consultations yet? Here is some information that you may find helpful: Laser Tattoo Removal: 10 Things You Should Know Before Getting Your Tattoo Removed
Keep us posted on your next steps.