tattoo removal journey

decided to pull the trigger on removing a tattoo that i was indifferent about. neither love nor hate it. it’s pretty, i got it in feb 2018 in brooklyn. i decided after a few months of deliberating after getting back into pursuing acting that i would be happier without it and book better/more acting jobs. i’m too pale for the makeup that covers it up and i have to wear long sleeves for every project i’m cast in. so in march 2019 i went to my first appointment at a well-reviewed local shop. according to their website their laser is the NaturaLase QS 2J, “the most powerful” single pulse Q switched Nd:YAG laser. my first session was pain free. they gave me an ice pack to numb the area a few minutes before they started. the laser process took maybe 10 seconds tops and i didn’t feel it. i didn’t blister. there was some swelling the next couple of days and some tenderness. it felt like i’d just gotten the area tattooed. about a week after treatment the tattoo lines became raised, but they have since settled back into being smooth. two weeks after treatment came the flaking and dryness.
they said i could come back in 8 weeks but encourage me to wait 3-6 months because apparently a lot of fading happens in that time, so i’m planning on waiting until maybe august for my second treatment. they quoted me $90 per treatment but if i bought a package of 4 treatments i’d get one free, so i did that.
i’m excited to have a place to track my progress and hope my review helps someone once i’m further along in my process!

i don’t see too much improvement yet. i’m using lotion every day, making sure i keep it healthy. there has been a little bit more flaking lately but really nothing too exciting. i think there has been some fading in the shading of the petals, and what’s left is a little brown. i’m staying hopeful! will update in another month.

don’t see much of a change still. staying patient & waiting until at least august. i’m going to keep posting on the 19h of every month to see if there is any progress at all