Bye, Bye Birdie - Altamonte Springs, FL

Without going into a lot of detail I got a tattoo, earlier this year, that I ended up wanting to get rid of. It didn't turn out how I wanted and like many others here I went through anxiety and depression about it. Instead of letting it take over, I decided to research what I could do about it. I found a doctor in my area that I was comfortable with and, recently, had my first pico session. I went with pico first because mine is mainly blue and green. The doctor that I see has several different lasers that can handle other colors, like the red, so the laser used may change later on in the process. The procedure itself wasn't too bad and it was relatively quick - about 10 minutes. I didn't use any numbing agent, but he did use cold air while performing the procedure. My wrist did swell a lot that night, but after 24 hrs it went back to normal. He has a no blister treatment that he developed and thankfully none have formed. Healing has been going really well, but I attribute that to my aftercare routine and supplements that I've been taking. Topically I use organic Silicium gel - I let that sit for about 10 mins - then arnica gel, followed by aquaphor. I cover that with a non-stick pad and wrap it with gauze. I check/change it every 4-6 hours. Supplement wise I drink tulsi tea everyday, take tumeric, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and drink wheat grass every morning. This may seem like a lot, but in my research I realized that it's not only about the treatment itself. Taking care of you body and keeping your immune system strong have a big part in getting rid of the ink. Hopefully, I'll have good results in the weeks and months to come. I was told I'd need about 6 treatments, but I'm being realistic and trying not to focus on the number. If it's more, then I'll keep going...and if it's less, then I'll be jumping for joy! Anyways, I wanted to post my experience here because this site was, and continues to be, a big part of my research. I hope my story can help someone else - my best advice would be do your research, find an aftercare routine that works best for you, and remember that there are options and you can do something about it.

Healing has been really well. Limited pain and only very tiny blisters developed. Nothing that bothered me at all. I changed my dressing every 4-6 hours to "moist heal" it. Now just sticking to silicium gel and aquafor. If it feels itchy I put a thin layer of sudocrem on it and the itching subsides. Sticking with my tea and supplement routine as well. In the first week I did noticed that the outline of my tattoo had raised outlines but that has since gone away. Also the color of it seems to lighten and darken - that may be due to the light that I'm in. I'm happy with how things have gone so far considering the blue and green are pretty much gone. You can't really tell from the photo, but I can see lightening in the red as well as some breakup in the lighter parts of the outline. Next treatment is about 6 weeks away.

Since my last post my skin scabbed over and become nearly smooth again. Remember people, aftercare is key...and don't pick at the scabs. :) They will fall off when they are ready. Only a few tiny rough spots left. Still sticking to my routine. I also recently added a zinc supplement to keep my immune system in check. Until next time!