I have many tattoos from when I was young. Half of them were done by an ex-boyfriend with a homemade gun. He had spent years in prison "perfecting his art" and I decided to let him practice on me. Now it has been 18 years and I want them gone. Every time I look in the mirror I am reminded of him. I like the tattoos that I have paid for and put sober thought into. I just want the past removed because I have grown up.
I finally got the courage to go in and talk to a specialist about these horrible blobs of ink covering my body. I was quoted 100.00 per session and up to 12 sessions to remove the one from my stomach and hip. I decided to give it a shot. Anything is better than living with these for the rest of my life. I can tell you that I was not prepared for the pain inflicted on my from that laser. I thought it would be something like getting the tattoo. The one on my stomach was the most painful one I got and 5 times more painful to remove. I did this without any pain medication or local anesthesia. My technician was so patient and assured me I could take as many breaks as I needed. I wasn't being charged for the time it took, only for the treatment of the entire tattoo. He used a cold air blowing machine to help cool the area but it didn't help much. I bit the bullet and figured it's what I get for being so stupid in the first place.
He told me there will probably be bruising and blistering after he was done. Immediately after I was red and swollen and it felt like hot grease was being dripped on my body. It was very sore the first day but ice really helped. This is day two and the swelling is almost gone, no blistering, and barely red. The best part is that almost all of it is faded and I am told that it will only get better. I really think these will be gone in a couple of more sessions. I am so excited to see my skin again!
Painful but Worth It -Fort Collins, CO
I have many tattoos from when I was young. Half of...
I figured it out! I just put 2 pics up that were...
I figured it out! I just put 2 pics up that were taken 72 hours after the 1st treatment. The one around my belly button used to be all the same shade of black. I can't believe how quickly it is fading. The roadrunner/peace frog cover up combo was done professionally and it is fading nicely too. Can't wait until the next few weeks to see if it fades even more.
Itching! Holy cow! This just started last night...
Itching! Holy cow! This just started last night and was easy to get rid of by lightly rubbing on the outside of my shirt. Now I can't stand it. I want to lay on my belly and scrub it with the carpet! I wonder if ice will help. I am going to try some of this steroid anti-itch cream. I'm afraid to scratch it from all the reviews I have read and people said. So far, no blisters or peeling. Does the itching mean that will happen soon? Ugh.
Session 2 complete!
I actually had to bring moral support this time. I almost turned around and went back home. Had to mentally prepare myself for the pain. This time I slathered on the lidocain numbing ointment before I went in and brought my own bag of ice. Had a couple of panic attacks on the way there but I did it!
It wasn't quite as painful as the last time and I think the ice and numbing cream helped a little. I could hear the laser zapping my skin but this time I didn't look. I only took a couple of few second breaks. Geez! Getting the ink put in is way less painful than removing it.
Once again my technician was really patient and just an overall nice guy. His wife was super sweet too. I would seriously recommend Tat2Undo to anyone in Colorado or Wyoming for that matter.
I will post a new pic as soon as this burning goes away.
It wasn't quite as painful as the last time and I think the ice and numbing cream helped a little. I could hear the laser zapping my skin but this time I didn't look. I only took a couple of few second breaks. Geez! Getting the ink put in is way less painful than removing it.
Once again my technician was really patient and just an overall nice guy. His wife was super sweet too. I would seriously recommend Tat2Undo to anyone in Colorado or Wyoming for that matter.
I will post a new pic as soon as this burning goes away.
"It doesn't have to be like that"
This is what my technician told me when I asked about the blistering and trauma I have seen after laser removal. I never did blister or have any major discomfort after the first session. At first I thought it must mean that it didn't work. But I had such good results the first time around I choose to believe this place has a different approach. "It doesn't have to be like that" If you know what you are doing you can effectively remove the tattoo with minimal pain and discomfort during healing. The last time I posted pics 72 hours post laser so I thought I would do the same today. I am very happy with the results so far and know that in a couple of weeks it will be even better. I'm not looking forward to the horrible itch that is to come but I am excited for the next session already!
Showing off the fading!
It is now 9 days post second treatment and I am surprised it hasn't itched at all. No blistering, no bruising, no itching. Just a little peeling when it gets dry. I have been using coconut oil and lavender essential oil and I take fish oil, green tea extract, and some other metabolism/immune support supplements. The first day was the only day that it was uncomfortable this time.
I got a copy of the before pics from my tech. so I wanted to post those along with todays.
I got a copy of the before pics from my tech. so I wanted to post those along with todays.
3rd treatment complete!
Time for another update. Yep, it still hurt. This time was worse maybe? I can't really remember for sure. Now that I think about it, it was the same. It's definitely not an enjoyable experience but so worth it. Last session was pretty uneventful. After about 3 days the swelling was completely gone and I never went through that itching stage. Never a blister either. This time my tech used a different laser to target some of the color. I much prefer that laser as it only zaps me one time per second instead of 10.
I wanted to post pics of immediately after the treatment in case anyone wanted to see how horrible it looks. There is such a difference the next day that I will post again. Don't be shocked or discouraged though. I promise it looks worse than it feels. I will continue my home remedy for healing as it seems to be working. If anyone wants to know what it is, let me know.
I wanted to post pics of immediately after the treatment in case anyone wanted to see how horrible it looks. There is such a difference the next day that I will post again. Don't be shocked or discouraged though. I promise it looks worse than it feels. I will continue my home remedy for healing as it seems to be working. If anyone wants to know what it is, let me know.
Picture update
The new photos are from 72 hours post 3rd treatment. Since I posted the other ones at that time I thought I would keep it consistent. This time I did get a few small blisters but they are already flat and healing. They are kind of a weird color due to fluid and ink in them. Next time I will post pics right before the 4th treatment. I am very happy with the results so far. Thank you Mike at Tat2Undo for doing such an amazing job, being patient with my making you stop for a break, and having such a professional place to go. I think I will upload the video my son took while I had the blob part done if I can figure that out too.
checking in
It's been over a year since my last treatment. I had 6 done on my black blob and 4 on the roadrunner/frog combo. The skin there was very thin and needed a break. Both of them have continued to fade months after the last session and both are almost completely gone! I have been really busy and I wanted to spend the summer in the sun. I plan on getting back in for one more session some time next month before summer sneaks up on us.
Video Of Laser Treatment
Mike is one of the most caring, compassionate, professional people I have met. He explains everything very well and listens even better. I would never go anywhere else. I highly recommend him at Tat2Undo if you are anywhere near Fort Collins, Colorado.
5 out of 5 stars
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