POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal REVIEWS
27 Year Old with 3 Month Tattoo Regret - Lisbon, Portugal
ORIGINAL POST
Hi! I have been reading this site for a few weeks...
rae.88June 28, 2016
Hi! I have been reading this site for a few weeks now and now have finally decided to share my story.
Back in the beginning of April me and 2 other friends decided to get some ink, i already have 3 really small tattoos i had done in 2014 and i love them. The tattoo artist is someone I've known for years, not necessarily a close friend but we get along. But this time around it all felt so quick and impulsive, I haven't been feeling well for a while, then I lost my job at the end of march and then I had this trip scheduled to London on April 13 and that was my main goal at the time. I had been thinking about getting new tattoos but I was never sure where, since the first ones i got were so small I had no issues with hiding them, although I was really afraid of my parents/family's reaction. This is the major problem for me mentally I think, I come from a tiny island where people with tattoos are seen as drug addicts and criminals. I have been living in Lisbon for 8 years now and i found my own family here, my friends. After getting these new tattoos on my arms I started crying immediately and called a friend of mine just freaking out, what did i do?? why?? this wasn't something i need?? and it is so big and i cant hide it and i'll have to see it everyday forever!!! i felt so stupid... The thought of telling my mother started sinking in and i started losing sleep, feeling even more depressed, couldnt eat, plus my house environment also changed in the last months so I felt stuck inside my room with no job and feeling so alone and so angry. I started having panic attacks and crying a lot over everything and nothing and i felt weak and couldnt recognize myself. I felt lost. I had always been a melancholic person, but my depression was never this bad before. One day i told my mom over skype and showed her my tattoos, she almost cried but didnt because of my own condition but she was very disapointed and said she didnt understand why i did it but she had to accept it. Thought it would make me feel better but it didnt. I couldnt sleep for days and days, i had to meet a cousin and an aunt and I had long sleeves the whole time cause i know they also dont like tattoos. My body was also shaking and i was full of anxiety. Time goes by and i decided to get help from a psychologist, I have been going to her for almost 2 months now and although it helped to talk at the begining right now i just still feel so hopeless and helpless and I believe the main reason for this huge breakdown was getting these tattoos. I have tried to come to terms with one of them, but the other 2 i want them gone. I have tried to research a lot on tattoo removing in Portugal but there isn't a lot, especially in Lisbon. Today i'm sharing my story and saying thank you to all of you out there for sharing yours because you've helped me a lot through this hard hard process. I'm so afraid of going to meet my family, I'm so afraid of the future, I wish i could go back in time. Nothing makes me happy anymore. I thought that getting a job and finding a new house would make me feel better but in the end i really think the problem was the tattoos and their timing and placement, maybe if i had them done some other place of the body where i couldnt see it would be fine? I don't know. I have no problems with the designs itself, they had personal meaning and all, but the way they were done wasnt very good and i cant recognize myself anymore.I just wanted to ask you what do you think my chances are of getting this one removed, a friend of mine says i got the best one because it's just black lines and it isnt too big (for me it looks huge). Ive read so many reviews Im not sure anymore which lasers work best, but my goal is to start looking at doctors and stuff in the winter ( tattoo will be 6 month old) but i cant find much info about places to go in Lisbon. Sorry for the big text but Im trying my best to come to terms with either accepting my choice or getting the tattoo removed.... It's one of the few things that give me hope right now.
Back in the beginning of April me and 2 other friends decided to get some ink, i already have 3 really small tattoos i had done in 2014 and i love them. The tattoo artist is someone I've known for years, not necessarily a close friend but we get along. But this time around it all felt so quick and impulsive, I haven't been feeling well for a while, then I lost my job at the end of march and then I had this trip scheduled to London on April 13 and that was my main goal at the time. I had been thinking about getting new tattoos but I was never sure where, since the first ones i got were so small I had no issues with hiding them, although I was really afraid of my parents/family's reaction. This is the major problem for me mentally I think, I come from a tiny island where people with tattoos are seen as drug addicts and criminals. I have been living in Lisbon for 8 years now and i found my own family here, my friends. After getting these new tattoos on my arms I started crying immediately and called a friend of mine just freaking out, what did i do?? why?? this wasn't something i need?? and it is so big and i cant hide it and i'll have to see it everyday forever!!! i felt so stupid... The thought of telling my mother started sinking in and i started losing sleep, feeling even more depressed, couldnt eat, plus my house environment also changed in the last months so I felt stuck inside my room with no job and feeling so alone and so angry. I started having panic attacks and crying a lot over everything and nothing and i felt weak and couldnt recognize myself. I felt lost. I had always been a melancholic person, but my depression was never this bad before. One day i told my mom over skype and showed her my tattoos, she almost cried but didnt because of my own condition but she was very disapointed and said she didnt understand why i did it but she had to accept it. Thought it would make me feel better but it didnt. I couldnt sleep for days and days, i had to meet a cousin and an aunt and I had long sleeves the whole time cause i know they also dont like tattoos. My body was also shaking and i was full of anxiety. Time goes by and i decided to get help from a psychologist, I have been going to her for almost 2 months now and although it helped to talk at the begining right now i just still feel so hopeless and helpless and I believe the main reason for this huge breakdown was getting these tattoos. I have tried to come to terms with one of them, but the other 2 i want them gone. I have tried to research a lot on tattoo removing in Portugal but there isn't a lot, especially in Lisbon. Today i'm sharing my story and saying thank you to all of you out there for sharing yours because you've helped me a lot through this hard hard process. I'm so afraid of going to meet my family, I'm so afraid of the future, I wish i could go back in time. Nothing makes me happy anymore. I thought that getting a job and finding a new house would make me feel better but in the end i really think the problem was the tattoos and their timing and placement, maybe if i had them done some other place of the body where i couldnt see it would be fine? I don't know. I have no problems with the designs itself, they had personal meaning and all, but the way they were done wasnt very good and i cant recognize myself anymore.I just wanted to ask you what do you think my chances are of getting this one removed, a friend of mine says i got the best one because it's just black lines and it isnt too big (for me it looks huge). Ive read so many reviews Im not sure anymore which lasers work best, but my goal is to start looking at doctors and stuff in the winter ( tattoo will be 6 month old) but i cant find much info about places to go in Lisbon. Sorry for the big text but Im trying my best to come to terms with either accepting my choice or getting the tattoo removed.... It's one of the few things that give me hope right now.
Replies (3)
June 30, 2016
I also want to say, first of all, that I like your tattoos. I only wish mine were as lovely and meaningful as yours! BUT, of course, we are all here because we don't like OUR OWN tattoos, and ours is the only opinion that matters. Not our mothers, or anyone else in our families, let alone strangers. When I told my grandma about my tattoos, she was not nice about it. At the time, her opinion added to my feelings of regret, but now looking back, I always knew my grandma hated tattoos so why would I let her opinion get to me? I'm really sorry your mom is not supportive. I know it's your family, but they WILL get over it, you just have to try to block them out when they're being negative. Surround yourself with friends and people who don't care about your tattoos. If someone makes you feel bad, you probably don't want that person around you anyway.
I think it's GREAT that you have sought professional help. I too have always suffered from terrible anxiety, and so the tattoos have caused a mini-breakdown that I am just starting to overcome. I am going to begin seeing someone to develop healthier mental habits around this issue.
It sounds like you have a new job (?) or otherwise that this won't affect you professionally. If indeed it is the case that you have a good job, and your life is stable, then DON'T let these tattoo ruin that for you! You should get out there and enjoy it. I live in a big city and see people with silly tattoos every day who are out there enjoying life. Let's try to be two of them! :)
It's great that you are giving yourself six months to think about this. In that time, you may find that you get used to seeing the tattoos on your body, and you feel less panicked that they are there. Maybe, you'll feel comfortable with keeping them. Maybe you'll want to get them fixed up. Maybe you'll want to do a few laser sessions, and get them covered with something else. Or maybe, you'll still prefer full removal. These are the various things I see people here do, after they've had time to get used to their tattoos. I think that after six months, if you are still covering them up with long sleeves at all times, then it's probably best to try to remove them. BUT, certainly the cheapest and most painless choice would be to see if you can learn to like them, and maybe get them fixed up a bit to your liking.
If you do go the removal route, here's what I've learned. It's true that black is the easiest to remove. Because yours are pretty small with no color, I think you will have success with removal. However, it is a very loooong process. 10-12 sessions (at least) for full removal, usually more, even on small, black tattoos. And full removal is not guaranteed. More often it leaves SOME kind of mark that can be seen from up close, however faint. Sometimes, it is impossible to get rid of every bit of ink. I don't want to discourage you, but I think it's important to know going into it that full, 100% removal with no scarring is never guaranteed. It happens for some and not others. Results depends on so many factors, and one of them for us is the age of our tattoos. Newer tattoos usually take longer to get rid of, because the ink is still so dense. My six year old tattoo is already fading a bit and I look at it and think how much easier it would be to remove, if I cared to xD On my newer tattoos that I want removed, I am hoping for full removal, but also preparing coverup ideas should they refuse to go completely.
Try not to be so down on yourself in the next six months. You WILL find peace with this, it will just take time. Whatever you decide to do, keep us posted. This community is such a blessing when you're going through this!
Best of luck :))
I think it's GREAT that you have sought professional help. I too have always suffered from terrible anxiety, and so the tattoos have caused a mini-breakdown that I am just starting to overcome. I am going to begin seeing someone to develop healthier mental habits around this issue.
It sounds like you have a new job (?) or otherwise that this won't affect you professionally. If indeed it is the case that you have a good job, and your life is stable, then DON'T let these tattoo ruin that for you! You should get out there and enjoy it. I live in a big city and see people with silly tattoos every day who are out there enjoying life. Let's try to be two of them! :)
It's great that you are giving yourself six months to think about this. In that time, you may find that you get used to seeing the tattoos on your body, and you feel less panicked that they are there. Maybe, you'll feel comfortable with keeping them. Maybe you'll want to get them fixed up. Maybe you'll want to do a few laser sessions, and get them covered with something else. Or maybe, you'll still prefer full removal. These are the various things I see people here do, after they've had time to get used to their tattoos. I think that after six months, if you are still covering them up with long sleeves at all times, then it's probably best to try to remove them. BUT, certainly the cheapest and most painless choice would be to see if you can learn to like them, and maybe get them fixed up a bit to your liking.
If you do go the removal route, here's what I've learned. It's true that black is the easiest to remove. Because yours are pretty small with no color, I think you will have success with removal. However, it is a very loooong process. 10-12 sessions (at least) for full removal, usually more, even on small, black tattoos. And full removal is not guaranteed. More often it leaves SOME kind of mark that can be seen from up close, however faint. Sometimes, it is impossible to get rid of every bit of ink. I don't want to discourage you, but I think it's important to know going into it that full, 100% removal with no scarring is never guaranteed. It happens for some and not others. Results depends on so many factors, and one of them for us is the age of our tattoos. Newer tattoos usually take longer to get rid of, because the ink is still so dense. My six year old tattoo is already fading a bit and I look at it and think how much easier it would be to remove, if I cared to xD On my newer tattoos that I want removed, I am hoping for full removal, but also preparing coverup ideas should they refuse to go completely.
Try not to be so down on yourself in the next six months. You WILL find peace with this, it will just take time. Whatever you decide to do, keep us posted. This community is such a blessing when you're going through this!
Best of luck :))
February 23, 2018
Did you end up finding anything in lisbon for removal ? I'm moving to PT ina couple months and this is first on my list. I identify with all the feelings you bravely described and I know how awful this feels. I hope you have found peace through accaetance or removal. I have found peace knowing that I have decided on removal- now I have to do my research on the ground there. I'll be living closer to Porto. Any info from that side would be helpful! Thank you and I hope you are feeling up!!
Se a faz sentir melhor,eu sei exactamente pelo que você está a passar.Nem um mês depois de ter feito a minha tatuagem eu queria remove-la. Fiquei tão mal que durante 3 semanas não sai de casa e até hoje em dia uso casaco e camisolas de manga comprida no Verão. (Estúpida eu).
Lamento que se esteja a sentir assim ,e sei que pode ser difícil pensar assim mas a confusão toda está na nossa cabeça. Nós vemos a tatuagem de uma maneira porque não se identifica connosco mas isso não é a realidade das pessoas á nossa volta.Se eu a visse na rua eu nem ia ligar á tatuagem,muito menos pensar em alguma coisa.
Eu também tive que procurar ajuda profissional,já não estava a conseguir lidar com isto e tal como você sofro de ansiedade.Isto só veio a piorar tudo.
Também já não consigo encontrar felicidade em quase nada devido a isto estar na minha mente 24/7,só encontrei um pouco de 'paz' quando decidi remover esta coisa.E mesmo assim há dias melhores e outros piores.
Mas visto que a sua tatuagem é apenas linhas acredito que a sua remoção total fosse possível.Outro ponto positivo é que ela é pequena (Sei que não pensa assim mas acredite que quando for remover vai-lhe dar jeito pelo seu tamanho).
Estou a remover a minha numa clínica perto da Alameda,têm três lasers e de momento são a melhor clínica para a remoção de tatuagens aqui em Lisboa.Chama-se Clínica Cute.
Desejo-lhe imensa sorte no que quer que seja a sua escolha! E tente distrair-se e animar-se,por mais difícil que seja.