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POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal REVIEWS

Tattoo Removal - Tedious Process but Worth It

ORIGINAL POST

First of all, this is a *really* long process and...

RKris
WORTH IT$300
First of all, this is a *really* long process and one should understand this from the beginning. It's not instantaneous. I'm having 3 tattoos lasered and it's been a year already since I've begun treatments. My tattoos are black ink (supposedly easier to remove via laser than other colored inks) and aren't particularly large. The laser treatments are usually spaced about 7 weeks apart and due to cost I alter which tattoo is being treated during each session. My smallest tattoo is about $100 per treatment and my largest is $350. The locations are my ankles and left upper arm. The good: My tattoos are finally fading - some better than others. I have a grouping of little symbols on my ankle which have responded very well after only 2 treatments. Another plus is that you don't have to fork over thousands of dollars right off the bat., You pay per session so it gives you time to come up with the payment ever 2 months. The bad: These laser treatments are basically burning your skin and your skin responds as such. There are often blisters. It's so important to take care of the treated area afterwards (using the steroid cream & aquaphor). I wasn't so vigilant at first and ended up with an infection on my ankle from a broken blister. Another issue is that ankle tattoos are so common, but the ankle area doesn't heal all that wonderfully. My arm barely even blisters and the redness is gone in a few days. My ankles, however, take longer to heal - just a more sensitive area overall. Oh yes, another negative. Laser tattoo treatments are painful! I opt for local anesthetic, but went without one time when I was not injected thoroughly. Wow. I felt like I was being tortured! The doctor told me some people really do go without the lidocaine and I cannot imagine. As I've said, I'm still going through this process so I'll update later on. All in all, if it's worth it to you to erase the past by having your tattoos removed, then it's worth it! Do I wish I never got the darn things - well sure, but I did so this is the second best thing!

Replies (12)

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May 8, 2009
Thanks for a great review! Are you taking photos after each session? I'd be curious to see what the progress looks like, if you don't mind sharing.
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August 10, 2009

This was excellent information for those considering laser tattoo removal. The key term you used is "tedious", and I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, many patients don't want to accept this as a fact and believe that being overly aggressive in treatments will render quicker, better results. The trade off may very well be a permanent scar in the shape of the tattoo you are trying to remove! Removing tattoos is quite a skill wherein technology, skill, and skin type make all the difference. Yes, it hurts quite a bit even with topical numbing measures. However, the procedure is quite fast compared to placing a tattoo. Hopefully, that adds some comfort to those concerned with the pain issue. We used a Zimmer cooling machine that blows ice cold air on the skin the entire time. Most of our patients say that this was far more helpful (and free)than the numbing options. It also helps reduce trauma to the epidermis. Thank you for sharing your experience. Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer

September 20, 2009
hi can you let me know more on your process how many days should it be until yu start noticing fading, mine is currently peeling its been 6 days and itchy
September 21, 2009
Hi! I'm actually on day 4 of one of my treatments right now and it usually takes time for fading to occur. (Right now, I've got some blistering, but no real soreness, itching, etc..) I guess it really depends on our own bodies and how efficiently they eliminate the ink. How far appart are your treatments? Mine are about 7 weeks apart and I probably notice some improvement after a few weeks. It really depends. My arm tattoo is fading much more quickly than my ankle, but I don't think the ink took very well from the original tattoo. My arm tattoo was already a bit faded even before I began the laser process. This was odd too, because the same guy tattooed both so who knows!
September 23, 2009
its been almost a week and a day after my first session and right now its kinda oozing and all the skin is peeling and dry and looks disgusting, do you put anything on yours to help the dryness? the person who does my removal said 3/4 weeks which i'm not sure is enough time, but thank you for your insight!
July 25, 2010
So, how does it look like? Did get better? Is it gone? I am considering remove mine but I am very afraid of getting a scar. Could yoy kindly update us? Many thanks
April 1, 2013

For dryness I use polysporin. And I also believe 3/4 weeks is not enough time, from much of research the tattoo will continue to fade away up to 6-8 months so I like to space it out a lot especially since financially it is hard for me to go every 4-6 weeks and why waste money if the laser process is still gradually fading away the tattoo for months after the procedure.