POSTED UNDER PicoSure Reviews
Q Switch on Ugly Red/black Chest Tattoo - London, GB
UPDATED FROM SuzannaK
9 years post
Skin scarring
WORTH IT$800
UPDATE: unfortunate the skin scarring did not improve with time and I now need to have expensive laser treatment to help with the scarring.
Conveniently the clinic (Sk:n Harley Street) lost my files and are not willing to help. It also took them about 10 months to finally reply after numerous attempt I made. I would definitely not recommend having any treatments done with them.
Conveniently the clinic (Sk:n Harley Street) lost my files and are not willing to help. It also took them about 10 months to finally reply after numerous attempt I made. I would definitely not recommend having any treatments done with them.
UPDATED FROM SuzannaK
9 years post
Skin scarring
UPDATE: the scar tissue never got better with time and I now need to have expensive laser treatment to help with the skin surface.
Conveniently the clinic lost all my files and are not willing to help... would never go back to them for any treatment.
Conveniently the clinic lost all my files and are not willing to help... would never go back to them for any treatment.
Replies (0)
ORIGINAL POST
I had a dark red/black scorpion tattooed on me...
I had a dark red/black scorpion tattooed on me when I was 18. It was the 90s and all the women in music videos had a tat on their chest and I thought they were sooo cool! I liked it for a few years before realising it's lame and about 5-6 years ago, I decided to go ahead and get rid of it.
At the time only Q Switch was available - I had about 8 sessions. The pain was ok and the blistering and scabbing afterwards was bearable. I was excited by the results as it was healing, the fading was visible!
6 years on, it's gone. I was left with its ghostly image and soft scar tissue but compared to what it was, I'm very happy with the result. I'm quite fair skinned so it's not so obvious but when I get a bit of colour in the summer, it's a bit more visible as the scar tissue doesn't tan. I was told the scarring is possibly a result of harsh abrasion by the laser/too high settings and possibly different/less experienced technicians working on it each time (true, I saw someone different every time!)
I just started Picosure on a large tattoo on my leg so have much higher hopes for that and the technician told me she'll go over my chest ghost tat once to help get rid of some ink that's still left there so it'll help this one too. Fingers crossed!
Watch out for my review on the Picosure!
As for my ghost scorpion - I couldn't find a before photo that shows it all but hope you get the idea. I also attached one where it's covered by make up (just regular stuff) and a close up (which seemed to turn out an extreme one!).
Hope this helps someone ... :-)
At the time only Q Switch was available - I had about 8 sessions. The pain was ok and the blistering and scabbing afterwards was bearable. I was excited by the results as it was healing, the fading was visible!
6 years on, it's gone. I was left with its ghostly image and soft scar tissue but compared to what it was, I'm very happy with the result. I'm quite fair skinned so it's not so obvious but when I get a bit of colour in the summer, it's a bit more visible as the scar tissue doesn't tan. I was told the scarring is possibly a result of harsh abrasion by the laser/too high settings and possibly different/less experienced technicians working on it each time (true, I saw someone different every time!)
I just started Picosure on a large tattoo on my leg so have much higher hopes for that and the technician told me she'll go over my chest ghost tat once to help get rid of some ink that's still left there so it'll help this one too. Fingers crossed!
Watch out for my review on the Picosure!
As for my ghost scorpion - I couldn't find a before photo that shows it all but hope you get the idea. I also attached one where it's covered by make up (just regular stuff) and a close up (which seemed to turn out an extreme one!).
Hope this helps someone ... :-)
Replies (4)
Thanks for sharing! It's a real boost for the community to see success stories like these! Couple questions - can you remember roughly how long it took to remove from start to finish? Do you recall how long you were waiting between sessions?
Thanks again :)
My pleasure :-)
About 12 months with an average 6 weeks wait in between although it was dictated more by my financial situation, not so much by the healing. I should've had one more session but left it too late and they were going to charge me for patch test agin so I left it. I'll take care of it now with Pico :-)
Sounds good! Do you recall the healing process after each treatment? Did you scab much at all?
It wasn't too bad.... It was sore for 2-3 days then the blisters came... They gave me some sort of gel to keep it lubricated and suggested I used Avene thermal spring water (it comes in a spray can). I guess it made all the difference because the blisters healed pretty quickly and there was only a little scabbing. I kept it well moisturised and lubricated. I think the soreness, blisters and scabs lasted about a week only and I often protected it with a dressing from rubbing etc. Once the surface was smooth I could really see the difference week after week.
Sounds like you really took great care of it. Im approaching the later stages of my removal now (see my review if you can) but one thing i've struggled with during the process is knowing how to care for the area after the treatment and then in the weeks leading up to the next one. I've managed to amass all manner of lotions and potions along the way, in a bid to speed healing up, but I dont think I've been making best use of them. Previously I've used bio oil, but I think I've been using it too soon, and perhaps prolonging the healing. There are so many conflicting instructions online - some say to leave it completely dry whilst it heals, others say to keep it moist. I tend to get some lingering pinkess/redness for a few weeks as the skin heals. I've been reading up on how applying vaseline can speed up healing, as it forms a protective barrier and keeps things moist - I'm inclined to give that a go this time (just had my most recent treatment a few days ago).
Now you mention, it was pink-ish for a while after the scabs but the tattoo was red anyway so it wasn't that noticeable.
I don't like the idea of leaving it dry. Dry skin cracks and it could cause ugly scarring/lines. I sort of thought of it as the healing process for new tattoos - keep it clean and moist!
I had my first Pico yesterday and the girl told me to use vaseline or aloe vera gel for that same reason - protective barrier and keeping it moist. I must admit, I don't like the idea of vaseline, there's something about the word 'petroleum' but will stock up on some organic aloe vera gel in Holland & Barrett and will definitely get the Avene spray again!
Bio oil? Hmmm, I used it once on my face/body as a moisturiser but I seem to remember it smelled very perfume-y. I would stay clear of anything with added perfume, especially while it's scabby.
Thanks for all the advice - means a lot. All the best with your latest removal journey, I hope the Picosure works wonders for you and I look forward to hopefully seeing some progress pictures!
You're very welcome! Thank you and good luck to you too :-)
You're very welcome! Thank you and good luck to you too :-)
EG
Hi SuzannaK, I find the Avene thermal spring water spray you speak of very interesting, never heard of it. Your removal results are impressive, thank you so much for sharing.
You're welcome :-) Here's a link to the product I was talking about... Not sure if it's available in the US but it is widely available in Europe http://www.avene.co.uk/Thermal-Water-Spray
Replies (1)