So I have recently began my " picosure journey"...
So I have recently began my " picosure journey" with trueskin Harley street. I am a week in and can only describe it do far as ITCHY as hell! I round like to chart my journey with photos over the coming months. Advice and reassurance would be hugely appreciated. Thanks to everyone in advance.
Tracey
Ten days post 1st picosure treatment.
Luckily it's winter so I can cover my arm. Am a little concerned that the redness and raised itchy rash is still very much in force but hoping it's all normal?
More healing and progress
Starting to feel like this is working! Itching has subsided Bs the raised rash is nearly all gone. Roll on 4 weeks and the next zapping!!
15 days post first picosure
Swelling itching & redness finally gone. Am concerned by slight pink areas that look like scars- aghhhhh-noooooo- not scars?? Hoping it isnt scarring as waa so careful not to pick. any ideas? Is this normal?
Recent shots- day 18 post 1st pico
Feeling anxious but not entireky sure why! i know its not a quick process so just need to stay positive..
3 weeks post first picosure
So pleased with the healing now. Feeling positive for my 2nd session in 3 weeks :-)
4 weeks post first picosure
Really pleased with the healing now. I cannot believe that from a blistered mess 4 weeks ago, my skin is now smooth and nearly all redness has gone. Cant wait for treatment two! ( well, the pain...not so much!)
Ready for treatment 2! Aghhhhh!
Before treatment 2. Scared but excited as so pleased with picosure results so far
pico-sure session 2 (25/11/14)
So today was d day! I was pretty excited for this one due to the first session going so well. my excitement soon faded when the laser hit my arm! Oh my goodness it hurt like HELL today. There was me thinking the less ink, the less it hurts?! But i hadn't accounted for the thick black areas and lines that really needed work this time around. i was treated by a different technician but using the same settings. She worked slightly differently and didn't apply cold air throughout the treatment, just prior to , and after, the lasering. I found it ALOT more painful this way. But the good news is i am now allowed to apply numbing cream for the next session in january. high five to that bit!!
Pictures coming up. Back to gruesome red, sore & raw. But its such a short lived annoyance and i know in a week it'll be well on its way to healing again. I still rate trueskin and feel confident that more of my tattoo has been successfully zapped away! There are a few stubborn remaining areas but have been advised this is totally normal.
More update pics
Picosure tx 2 day of treatment
Day 3 picosure treatment 2
Just a few pics of the itchy raw first week blues! I hate this bit! But its short lived. Tattoo looks darker again. Luckily i know the healing process now.
One week post tx 2 with picosure.
Bandages off! Healing has begun again!
2 weeks post 2nd picosure.
Just checking in with a healing update and pics. My tattoo has healed incredibly quickly this time and i only spent 6 days in bandages. I am going 7 weeks between treatments this time as have been advised the longer the better.
Progress....
Just a little collage to show progress. This really keeps me focused!
Little update! 3 plus weeks since 2nd pico
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16 Dec 2014
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2 months post
Hi guys, am checking in mainly to upload lots of progress photos in different light as this shows best and worse so far! Around the 3 week point i look like i have scarred- then at week 5/6 it seems to go back to smooth skin again. Which is fab. So am charting the "scar" stage this time and will show full results of pico session 2 at 7 weeks. Xx
Different light to show pigment stages
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16 Dec 2014
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2 months post
More pics on different lighting
Picture update
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28 Dec 2014
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2 months post
Hi guys, just a little update at 5 weeks post 2nd pico. I cant quite believe how well its fading. My "scarring" phase has again passed and new fresh smooth skin has energed once again :-) happy pico bunny!
3rd picosure zapping! 13/01/15
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13 Jan 2015
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3 months post
So today i took another little jaunt to harley street ( trueskin) for some tat blasting! I was super nervous as last time was horrific in terms of pain. I definately need the cold air machine alongside the laser to offset the pain. this time i saw akaysha ( the technician i had for my first treatment) and she was amazing. i was told at my last tx that i could use numbing cream for this session so i ordered some "Dr Numb" from amazon. I will find the specific seller and note it here as they were fantastic at posting it out short notice. I was skeptical with regards to the difference a numbing cream could make but blimey, WHAT a difference! I'd say 95% pain free! Amazing. It was a walk in the park this time! Pics coming up. Now for the gory, annoying faf of week one post treatment. Its so worth it though.
If anyone is in a quandry as to laser treatment and where to go, i highly recommend " trueskin" harley street. Akaysha is my technician and she is highly knowledgeable. Happy zapping folks!! :-)
3rd picosure week one!
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20 Jan 2015
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3 months post
This 3rd session has been by far the hardest in terms of itchiness, swelling & generally angry skin. It is starting to calm down so bandages are off and bio oil is on!!
Little skin tip!
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31 Jan 2015
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3 months post
I am healing from 3rd picosure and so far this has been the most gruesome and i have been worried about scarring- that said the skin is healing nicely but i am a stickler for aftercare! I have found the following to be useful in keeping the skin moisturised and aiding further healing.
Once the scabs, blisters etc are gone and the skin is just raised or dry, i first slather on bio oil abd rub in, then immediately apply a thick layer of bepanthen- i then semi loosely wrap in cling film for a couple of hours- creating a kind of "mask" then rub in the remaining potion once the cling film is off! I have great healing so far :-) i also do a night time sudocrem mask if i am feeling itchy! Hope this helps :-)
Ps! Pics of what feels like scarring
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31 Jan 2015
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3 months post
Oops, Meant to upload these close ups too! I tend to get this at week 2/3 post treatment and its like the skin has scarred but bizarrely once i reach week 5/6 it goes smooth and fine again ;-) skin changes are quite unerving! Luckily i am now totally aware of all the stages and can psychologically deal with it! Sorry to babble on!
More pic updates!
I have been doing some "comparison" collages... Probably to reassure myself that this tat is nearly gone! Sorry to bore everyone but it helps the ole brain to look at before & afters! i find myself dreading the first week post treatment, then wishing away the next 8 weeks in order to keep the process going! I do wonder what i will replace my tat obsession with once this balls up has gone! Maybe i will look into rhynoplasty or lipo!! realself is a great tool but its also fairly addictive and randomly i find myself looking at reviews of procedures i didnt even know existed! Brazillian butt lift anyone?!!
Picosure tx 3 update
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14 Feb 2015
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4 months post
Healing progress...
Next session 10th march
Mooooorrrrrreeee pics!
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17 Feb 2015
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4 months post
At risk of boring the cr*p out of y"all, heres a few more photos of my fading tattoo! Picosure tx 3 post 6 ish weeks!
Pics that didnt load yesterday...
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17 Feb 2015
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4 months post
Just pics! More pics! Obsessed? Yup! Itching for 4th tx!
One week to go until next zapping!
So this time i will have gone 9 weeks between treatments- feels like only 5 or 6 which is a bonus!
I am looking forward to this session as i know i am nearing the end. Maybe one or 2 more and hopefully my skin will just fade the rest out over time. I am however NOT looking forward to the insane itching and bandaging etc so i have taken a few days off work for this initital healing. Sounds a little self indulgent but i really do feel rotten for a couple of days after treatment and would rather wallow in my own stupidity in my own time!!
Picosure tx 4- 10th march 2014
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10 Mar 2015
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5 months post
Well its that time again folks! #stingyburnyitchy
So i took a little jaunt to london town for my fourth picosure session with Akaysha delisser-gayle- my fab laser tech. Despite this being my 4th zapping i am an absolute bundle of screwed up hot mess prior to be lasered. I prepped with "dr numb" 2 hours before treatment, but this time i felt the laser more- possibly due to it being cranked up! (3.25 3mm) akaysha advises me i will need atleast one more and we will go from there.
I am more than confident in trueskin harley street- as so far i am blown away by the results as are my friends and family. So i completely trust that the settings are correct for my stage in the removal process.
Over the coming days and weeks i will ( as per!) upload progress and truthful posts! Right now i am off to wallow in self pity for 12 hours! Followed by a vaseline & aloe overdose! nearly there though- tattoo be gone!
Lots of luck & positive vibes to all going through this process right now- and also for any regretters thinking of tattoo removal. :-)
Burn baby burn!
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10 Mar 2015
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5 months post
Just a pic of "the day of the laser"!
Post 4th pico
Pics post 4th pico (3 weeks healing)
More pics!
Post 4th pico/compared to origional tattoo
5 plus weeks post 4th pico
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19 Apr 2015
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6 months post
Making huge progress now. For the first time since october when i started treatment, i have bared my "removal arm!" I wacked 2 lots of factor 60 on and ventured out. With short sleeves...no one batted an eyelid! Amazing. I am at the stage now where people know there was a tattoo there, but its so vague that its no longer a talking point. Roll on 5th may for session 5!
The photo collage shows my right tattood arm and my left untattooed arm- to show the colour, pigmentation & veinyness! Of my arm so you can truly see what it tattoo and what is my odd pale freckly skin! Hope it helps to reassure people going through removal. My skin honestly feels and looks smooth and not scarred.
7 weeks post pico tx 5
So i will be having my 6th pico session next week and thought a few more pictures to show healing might be of interest. Am having amazing healing! Super chuffed.
Day before laser! Pico 6 here we come!
Just a little collage prior to my 6th pico tommorrow
Day of the (6th!) laser!
Just a few pics and vid- will write a proper post later.
Post pico aftermath!
I always dread this bit- the best part of a week spent with itchy bumpy sore and irritated skin. luckily its pretty short lived and i can then concentrate on moisturising.
9 week post 5th pico
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25 Jun 2015
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8 months post
So i have been a little quiet of late...as i am taking the summer off to allow maximum fading on the remainder of my tattoo- but also to just feel more normal for a few months! The ongoing cycle of treatment & healing can become pretty wearing....so a few months respite is required!
I am finding that i hardly even think about or even look at my tattoo anymore. I no longer cover it up with long sleeves...and very few people comment on it.
I am a nail tech so i have my arms on show and under strong lighting but even under such scrutiny its not that obvious now. All super positive! My next session is august but i thought i would share some healing updates.
Wishing everyone lots of success on their tattoo removal journeys x x
Nearly gone!
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14 Jul 2015
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9 months post
I have my 6th session in august but feeling really positive with summer fading. This is the first time i have gone longer than 8 weeks between treatments and i have definately noticed an increase in fading. Not long now and itll all be over! Yay!
Pic contrast beginning....to 6th pico
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14 Jul 2015
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9 months post
I find comparing the photos really helps psychologically.
One week to go!
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29 Jul 2015
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9 months post
Hi folks!
I have my 6th treatment in just under a week, having had since may to allow for fading and a break from the process as a whole. I didnt think there was noticable fading until i compared the pre 5th & pre 6th photos. It really HAS faded! Here is a pic update. I will chart progress of my next treatment on tuesday...
PICOSURE SESSION 6- 4th august 2015
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4 Aug 2015
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10 months post
Its that time again! The "day of the laser"!
So i took a little jaunt to london town for my 6th picosure treatment today.
I am always nervous as hell and today was no different. The settjngs increase each time to ensure the stubborn remaining ink gets shattered, so i cant say its getting less painful with less ink to blast. I am using dr numb cream 2 hours prior to treatment which helps greatly but today it did hurt a fair bit more than previous sessions- but bearable! Just! Took around 5/10 minutes all in. Then the BURRRRRRNNN! that usually lasts around 2 hours then a dull achey feeling for a while. Which always transcends into the mother of all itches! RESIST the scratch people! The tech today was so impressed by the texture of my skin and put that solely down to my aftercare routine- it is so so important to keep moisturing. Dont pick, scratch etc. I am damned if i am going to spend the best part of £2.5k getting this tattoo removed and be left with scars! So i have my bag of goodies to hand- sudocrem, vaseline, bepanthen, bandages, melolin gauzes, bio oil. This is my life for the next 7 days! Then bio oil daily for the coming weeks until i do it all over again on 29th september!
Good luck to anyone & everyone embarking on tattoo removal or in the midst of this process. It can be mentally hard, but i promise it can be worth the pain and money if you do your research and find a good laser tech. Peace out tattoo regretters!!
Comparisons....
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4 Aug 2015
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10 months post
Here are a couple of comparison photos- its amazing to go back over the early photos and remind myself how far i have come. Hope it helps to show others the process too.
Week one 6th pico
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11 Aug 2015
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10 months post
Just a little update on treatment 6. So its been a week and i would say this has been the WORST in terms of itchiness, swelling and general achy soreness. but the usual process for me is still bepanthen/sudocrem/bandages/clingfilm/not getting it wet if poss/trying not to scratch- easier said than done! But each time the actual healing gets quicker, so am still happy with the results. The first 3/4 days suck. After about 2 weeks it becomes a peice of cake!
A few pics show how well its healing in a week.
Oh just to add for info, as its been lovely weather i use cream, clinfilm then tubigrip to cover it. Once its healed more i will just apply factor 100 sunscreen.
Nearly 3 weeks post 6th pico
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23 Aug 2015
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10 months post
All healing nicely- the red/grey stage in full force!
5 weeks post 6th pico
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12 Sep 2015
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11 months post
Just a little skin update. Soooooo pleased with the healing, i feel like i have my arm back and that is reason to celebrate! Whoop whoop!
Session 7 sceduled for 29/9/15
Comparison before....after 6 pico's
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12 Sep 2015
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11 months post
Oops, uploaded too soon! Here's my before & after. 6 down, 2 to go. i can honestly say i dont even think about my tattoo anymore.
Aside from the knarley 1st week after treatment its getting easier.
Latest skin pics and FINAL TREATMENT!
Last treatment carried out on 2nd december. i will still be updating skin pics over the next 6 months but am sooooo happy with my results. i never imagined it would be so good.
Quick update!
I cant actually believe its been 3 months since my last post! But i wanted to add a ohoto of the healing as i am soooo pleased with it. I honestly do not even think about the tattoo now- its like a distant memory! If i hadnt had an email notidication to say i had comments i wouldve forgotten to come back on here!
Thank you all for your kind words about my results & journey.
Arm agsinst arm comparison
Just a little comparision of my arms side by side ????
Reflecting on the journey...
Hi guys, so its been a while since i really blogged about my tattoo removal and i always said i would do a bit of a "conclusion"! And kind of wrap things up.
I will still be posting progress pics as my tattoo still has a teensy weensy bit left!, but i think its good to summise the journey.
So back in dec 2013 i made the biggest mistake of my life and got a tattoo that wasnt what i wanted. i still kick myself now for being such a complete TIT! but i did it and i have maintained throughout that it was my own stupid fault and no one else was to blame. The artist was insanely talented but just didnt listen.
What most people found strange about my story was that it was a good tattoo, so why didnt i like it? everyone said to me "i could understand it if was a botch job!"
I got this alot...
ig wasnt the quality that was the issue it was the style & size! ( yes, those two VERY important elements that you should have sussed before the needle starts buzzing!!)
But i trusted a guy...and he thought he was giving me something different and pushing me to be a bit braver than i wanted to be. and thats ok. but ultimately i should have ran out the door!
Anyway i lived with my tattoo for 9 months but i didnt ever love it so the journey of removal began.
oct 2015, session one.
Many blisters, itching, hidden arms, creams lotions and potions later and i love my bare skin once again!
No i am not getting another tattoo, not there anyway! ( the 2nd most frequent question i get asked haha!!)
I love tats, but i dont trust myself to get something will love. Its that simple. Some people are born indecisive and thats me!!
anyway i want to labour a bit on skin care and looking after your body from within- to aid healing and metabolising the ink.
i havent really correlated my great results with anything other than the laser but the tech did say to me that i must be REALLY looking after myself To be doing this well.
so i thought i'd share that here.
If snyone wants to private message me to discuss, please do.
So my top tips!
1) bepanthen- for the first few days as a but of a slapped on mask, wrap with cling film.
Then rubbed in once healed- to help keep the skin supple.
2) Bio oil- i use this daily even now and it does work.
3) sudocrem- for the days when the itching is so hideous you could rip your skin off!
4) eating as cleanly as possible.
Do not underestimate the bodys ability to flush out crap by drinking loads, eating your fruit n veg and not overloading yourself with crap!
5) great supplements. i have been taking my magic beans as i call them since may 2015 and they are crazy good! drop me a message and i'll fill you in!
6) sunblock
Its sooooooo important to let your skin heal without burning it or letting the laserws area tan.
7) MAC face & body foundation & camo kit- for the girls! When you want to cover a tattoo ( as long ad the wound is healed) this is great.
I hope these things help someone and i am just so bloody grateful that the picosure worked for me.
Dont give up!
anyone want any advice please dont hesitate to drop me a message x x
**15 MONTHS POST 8th PICOSURE **
Hey tat removers! just thought i'd pop an update on as 15 months have flown past!
i rarely think about what used to be my large tattoo now. there are still some small marks and a tiny bit of black in places but it really doesnt even hit my radar anymore! i did consider one last blast of the laser but i'm honestly happy with how my arm looks so for now, my picosure journey is over!
See below for some pics taken this evening
good luck to everyone undergoing this process x x
Ps i'm currently doing my toes hence gel pots everywhere! Haha!
TATTOO BEFORE PICOSURE
I forgot to post this with my update today! Duh!
