POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal REVIEWS
Is There Hope for Me or Should I Just Live with It? - Toronto, Canada
ORIGINAL POST
So 2 weeks ago I got my shoulder done as a cover...
pucci14April 18, 2014
So 2 weeks ago I got my shoulder done as a cover up for an old tattoo and the day after I got the one below it. I was suppose to be doing a 3q sleeve but the moment I saw the 2 together I nearly had a heart attack. I'm not used to seeing so much ink and I don't think I like it. Both where done so well by a very good artist but I hate the fact that no matter what I ware all you see is tattoo, and I'm feeling a little trashy. I am not sure if I should leave it the way it is or remove the lower one ( if even possible) and fade/ cover up the shoulder price with something similar to what was there originally.
What hope is there for my lower piece to be removed completely? It's all black.
Please help, I was such a happy person before a week ago, I am now so depressed and hate showing myself in public when I used to being someone who doesn't ware much when it comes to summer time!
My wife said I'm being crazy and it's all so gorgeous and looks amazing on my arm, but then why am I having such a hard time excepting something I thought I wanted so bad?
What hope is there for my lower piece to be removed completely? It's all black.
Please help, I was such a happy person before a week ago, I am now so depressed and hate showing myself in public when I used to being someone who doesn't ware much when it comes to summer time!
My wife said I'm being crazy and it's all so gorgeous and looks amazing on my arm, but then why am I having such a hard time excepting something I thought I wanted so bad?
UPDATED FROM pucci14
New outlook
pucci14April 21, 2014
So I have been doing some thinking and I think I'm just going to enjoy my ink and get it removed slowly. After all its very good work and I should be proud of it. I don't want to damage my skin and I don't want to ruin my summer and my Labour job so I'm going to do 1 treatment in a few weeks and and watch it fade for 4 or 5 months while I enjoy my summer and soak in the sun, then start going every 3 months soon as the fall comes and hopefully I will be done before next summer but if not then I will take the next summer off again to enjoy it :)
Replies (19)
April 21, 2014
I really like your new outlook, pucci14, enjoy life, take things slowly. All of that sounds wonderful.
April 21, 2014
Thank you! I think if I do it slower I can achieve what I want, full removal of lower and cover up for the shoulder, without doing any harm to my skin and without letting it take over my life. It might take a bit longer but at least it will take less sessions!
April 21, 2014
aloha pucci14, yes, that's my course of action, "slow and steady". At first, I wanted it off and I wanted it off NOW!!! But the technician told me that to be ink free with minimal scars, slow and steady. It took a while to get my head around that one, but being positive and patient has helped. But that took some learning also. Have a look at regretful99 shoulder fading, it's pretty amazing. She has done both conventional lasers and the new picosure. I'm not sure if the picosure has made it to Toronto area, but I now it's in Detroit. And not everyone here agrees with the picosure. That's why professional consultations, and as many as you can, are the best course of action. You can just google to find out where the picosure is now. I know that blackberry11/Eva is in knowledge about lasers in the Toronto area, I'm sure you'll find somewhere that can give you professional guidance. Toronto is huge...I live there in the late 1980s and it is of course much larger now. Good luck...attempt positiveness, when you can, when you're ready. Keep us posted. We're here to help and support you. You're gonna do great! aloha...k
April 21, 2014
The top rated tech in my area uses a new quantum, he loves it and said he will never use a pico or anything by the company it's made from. I like the fact he gets rav reviews, Has been in are local press a few times preaching his wisdom, and used to be a former tattoo artist who now only does laser and only laser for the past few years.
April 21, 2014
As your tattoo is all black you would have a good chance at having it removed completely since generally speaking the darker the ink the better the removal since the darker inks absorb the laser best. You may end up with some scarring though and there may also be some scar tissue developing under your tattoo. The tattoo I'm currently removing has turned out to have scar tissue built up underneath it which is impeding the ink breakdown somewhat. You never know though, once a little more time has passed you may find that you get more used to your new ink and may want to keep it.
April 21, 2014
Hey! The only place I can feel raised skin from possibly some scaring is on my inner bicep near the ditch of my arm. Just a little bit on the outer part of the tattoo. I really want complete removal but I want to enjoy my summer and rock the ink while I have it, so one session be for the summer and let it break down until the fall. Hopefully that will reduce any chance of scaring and less times in the chair!
April 21, 2014
I use silicone scar patch/sheets. I get them at Walmart, they are awesome. You wear them for twelve hours and the scar is flattened and soft. You can only put them on healed skin, no scabs or blisters.
April 22, 2014
Whether or not you will scar depends a lot on the way you heal and also on your genetic makeup. Have you ended up with any severe scarring after an injury? Do you know if anyone in your family develops keloid scars? If not then there's a high chance you'll come out of the removal with minimal scarring.
April 22, 2014
Well only scar I have is the surgery I had on my hand when they put a plate in it but that's a pretty big cut... other then that u have had some pretty bad burns from nermours things over the years and I don't see any of them anymore as time went on.
April 21, 2014
I have had wonderful results with the "older" lasers at a much cheaper price. I'm not convinced about the pico, especially since there aren't many scientific studies involving this laser yet. I go to college websites and use their database to search for empirical research papers (I still have access to my college's so I'm not sure how that works if you don't have student access). I honestly think that reviews from clients say so much about a removal place. And I like that they only do removal. where I am currently going used to only do removal but they are moving away from that, and thus I will be moving away from them. Remember to keep your head up no matter what. People don't scrutinize our tattoos the way we do to ourselves. It is a long process but it can be done. Wish you the best!
April 21, 2014
The place I'm going to go to ( fading fast in Toronto), I asked him why he doesn't use or have pico and he stated it was because I hates the companie that makes the pico because they lie and are out to make quick bucks. He said he will never buy anything from that company because they are not good and swares by his new quantum.
April 21, 2014
He also stated that there isn't nearly enough research that it's at all any better and has had lots of people that have started to scar after a few sessions from other places come to him.
April 21, 2014
For scientific papers, if you're not attached to academia, you can use "Google Scholar". You might only have access to the abstracts, but you do have access. I'm glad that you have results with the older lasers. Everyone is different, there are so many variables. Technician expertise, skin type, healing, ink...the list goes on. I have faith in the process, and I know that science/technology is here to help us. I also agree, we scrutinize our tattoos far too much. We are our own worst enemy. When I tell people, I'm lasering mine off, often they say "why, it's so pretty". I'm thinking "it's butt ugly". Perspectives vary. Thanks rethinkingmyink, for your wonderful resourcefulness. I'm really diggin' the support on this forum, more and more, each day. aloha...k
April 21, 2014
I'm liking your guy at "fading fast". Yes, I've seen the flashphotos of fading that picosure posts. Every company that uses the picosure, has those photos. I wonder who is this person with the dragon tattoo in the photos. What is their skin type? What is their healing like? How old is that tattoo? Who put it there? The questions go on and on. It certainly is worth researching more.
April 21, 2014
A lot of your ink looks to be grey wash. I've done my research (my web history would like maniacal right now haha) but you should be able to get these off you fairly quick. Also the fact that these are located closer to your torso (through research) seems to make the process a little quicker. Good luck bruv and enjoy your summer.
April 21, 2014
Thank you! I'll find out the cold hard facts when I go for my consult this Friday, and then I will update! I'm pretty confident in a good removal, I have everything going for me besides the fact that it is a new tattoo and was professional done. But I do no that I was supposed to go for another sitting in 2 weeks so that the artist could touchup and fully complete both of these pieces as she said she had to add more ink to both.
April 22, 2014
Yeah man, take solace in the fact that you're trying to remove grey wash. It'll take time but it'll be much quicker than my professional heavy black work -.- yuck. It'll take years to get this off me... enough for a cover. Anywho, you should do some research and bring lots of questions to the doc. And shop around. I've been able to knock off
April 22, 2014
Well I do have a lot of black work as well on the one I want completely removed so I'm not to sure.
UPDATED FROM pucci14
Had my consultation
pucci14April 30, 2014
So I went to my consult with the top clinic in Toronto for tattoo removal. I had nothing but good news, I must point out that the place I am going to is tattoo removal only, an X tattoo artist, uses the best laser the quanta q c plus and is known for being brutally honest during the consults with high ratings from several several people. I was told they can't make 100% guarantees because they just don't, but the tech said he is 99.9% sure he is going to get it out completely without any issues. He pointed out the following. ..
- a very good spot for removal
- the technique from the artist was very lightly done and is not deep at all ( almost as if it was being sketched on a piece of paper)
- little to no saturation anywhere
- can tell the needle that was mainly used was a very thin Guage as the lines are extremely thin
- no that much ink was used and was not layered anywhere except a little bit on the eyebrow
- no scaring anywhere on my tattoo
- can tell I heal extremely fast as he was surprised at how much it healed in just 3 weeks of having it
- perfect skin type
They say that if you are to get a tattoo removed this is the best tattoo to get removed and they wish they could trade me for the ones they have/had haha. The quoted me 10 sessions 6 week intervals as he said that is the average number. Could be more could be less depends on my body. He sated that he will be surprised if i blister at all and that i only have to cover it a week befor and a week after and then after that just put a good spf on and i can go in the sun :D. He went on to say that in the years of them doing this, this is the top 2 best tattoos that they have had come to them and the other was also a portrait that literally disappeared in less then a year, and mine will be the same if not better. They also pointed out the fact that I am a bodybuilder, don't drink smoke, take extremely good care of my body it's going to be really fast only downfall is I I shouldn't do any competitions during the time it's being removed due to the fact that I have to be completely diluted when I step on stage and he wants as much water in me as possible all the time, oh well gives me more time to grow.
extremely happy now and I can't wait to get this thing off me now :D
- a very good spot for removal
- the technique from the artist was very lightly done and is not deep at all ( almost as if it was being sketched on a piece of paper)
- little to no saturation anywhere
- can tell the needle that was mainly used was a very thin Guage as the lines are extremely thin
- no that much ink was used and was not layered anywhere except a little bit on the eyebrow
- no scaring anywhere on my tattoo
- can tell I heal extremely fast as he was surprised at how much it healed in just 3 weeks of having it
- perfect skin type
They say that if you are to get a tattoo removed this is the best tattoo to get removed and they wish they could trade me for the ones they have/had haha. The quoted me 10 sessions 6 week intervals as he said that is the average number. Could be more could be less depends on my body. He sated that he will be surprised if i blister at all and that i only have to cover it a week befor and a week after and then after that just put a good spf on and i can go in the sun :D. He went on to say that in the years of them doing this, this is the top 2 best tattoos that they have had come to them and the other was also a portrait that literally disappeared in less then a year, and mine will be the same if not better. They also pointed out the fact that I am a bodybuilder, don't drink smoke, take extremely good care of my body it's going to be really fast only downfall is I I shouldn't do any competitions during the time it's being removed due to the fact that I have to be completely diluted when I step on stage and he wants as much water in me as possible all the time, oh well gives me more time to grow.
extremely happy now and I can't wait to get this thing off me now :D
Replies (17)
April 30, 2014
Hey! Happy you found a place to start the removal and had your consultation! I really hope that everything will go they way you have been told. Sounds so promising! 6 weeks sounds not bad, however, I would suggest waiting longer (8-10 weeks or even more). At the moment I waited 7 weeks, but I consider waiting longer, 10+.
I know that we all want to believe in good things, but try to have real expectations and that you might need more than 10 sessions or it might take 2 years if you will wait longer. I do not want to disappoint you or anything, I like your attitude and I hope you will keep it up through out the process, but just make sure you know what to expect.
Do not forget about after care! :) It is very important! Keep that spirit and you will have it gone in no time!
April 30, 2014
Honestly I'm just going to stick to whatever my clinic suggests, if they say wait longer then I defiantly will. They get a lot of people that have been destroyed by other clinics and fix them up good, so I'm sure whatever they suggest as the process goes on I will for sure listen.
April 30, 2014
Sure, I am not questioning their professinalism or anything. I am quite new to the process, but from what I know now - the longer you wait, the better. :) But you will see and decide yourself. I just wish you luck and I hope we all will get what we want :)
April 30, 2014
Great news all round! Really looking forward to watching your progress as you get underway. My last two treatments have been with the Quanta Q Plus A (the same laser but without the Ruby wavelength) and it seems to be a great machine, I'm also noticing more fading from this than my previous laser.
May 2, 2014
Fabulous consultation! This is why consultations are so productive, you get answers. You get options. I'm so happy for you and of course, I can sense that you are happy also. Terrific! aloha...k
May 2, 2014
I'm very happy thanks! It's weird though everyday is different, I'm fine one day and so optimistic about everything the professionals said then the next it's like I completely forget what the said and start surfing reviews on here and get so depressed and feel as if it's not going to work and go into panics. But thankfully I can call the techs anytime I want for assurance and to here everything again and again, I think i have spent 3 hours in total this week on the phone with them haha. I have to remember everyone's tattoo is different, everybody's body's are different and I'm in the best of hands, and thankfully I have lucked out with my tattoo. They even are saying they are so optimistic about it they doubt it's even going to take that long for me! (Crossing my fingers they are right haha)
May 3, 2014
YOu are not alone, pucci14, even after hearing the professional consultation, I also continued to search the internet for stories, and photos of successful removal. I also discovered that we are all different, each story is unique. Have confidence in your technician, in the process. This will be a long process, longer than getting the ink, but it is worth it in the end. Your happiness is definitely worth it. Good thoughts being sent your way. Keep us updated. Your story is amazing, and I'm sure it's helping others. I had no idea there were considerations regarding body building and shows. Good to know! Best wishes...aloha...k
July 22, 2014
Have you decided what to do? :-) Keep it, or zap it?
July 22, 2014
Going for my second zap this Friday for my bottom one and first zap on the top in a cupple weeks. I'm most likely doing a 3q sleeve cover once it's all around 90% faded
July 22, 2014
Also going to add I have had excellent results for my first session, and My tattoo was brand new. Me and my tech are Going to bust a lot of myths from these doctors once I post my update in a few months time
Replies (8)