Partial Removal of Large Colorful Tattoo with PicoWay Laser (Germany)

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 from Arizona and will soon be moving to Germany for graduate school. Since I have no idea when or if I'll be back in Arizona, I wanted a tattoo of the desert as tribute. I found a great artist in town and he told me what I wanted would take three sessions.

The first session was incredible; he did a beautiful prickly pear with so many colors. I walked away loving it and still love it now. The second session was adding three saguaros, the most iconic cactus of the Sonoran Desert. The design seemed fine to me, but after they were put on my body, I was unsure. They didn't look or feel the way I wanted them to, though I wasn't sure what should be different about them. I told my artist how I didn't love them, and he assured me that with the sky and background filled out, I might feel differently. So I trusted him and continued into session 3 getting mountains and a sunset sky added. This is where most of my regret and tattoo anxiety stems from.

I feel like the orange/red/pink just makes it look like I have a sunburn and the purple like I have a bruise. The saguaros also still seem off to me -- so simple and flat compared to the bottom part. I just don't like them. The style and coloring doesn't seem to match with the detailed prickly pear below. They seem like separate pieces; the top part bright, simple, and neon with the bottom being more detailed yet tame and subdued. I hope that makes sense!

Like others who experience tattoo regret, it's been difficult to eat and sleep. All I do is obsess about how much I don't like this part of my tattoo and how badly I wish I had just listened to my mom and kept the original prickly pear by itself. I had so much confidence before these last two sessions; now I feel like I've lost so much of my self-esteem. Not a good feeling when I'm about to move to a different country and start a huge new chapter of my life! Getting this tattoo (the latter parts of it) had the opposite intended effect.

It's only been a week, but I'm trying to decide whether I should have him attempt to change the parts of the tattoo I don't like when I'm back in town or just go for removal, perhaps starting while in Germany. Your thoughts? I realize removal of these colors is difficult and the size would make it a lengthy process. But with the new lasers that can supposedly treat the full color spectrum, is it possible I could have a bare shoulder again someday? I'm now pining for the naked skin on my shoulder...thinking about this part being removed makes me feel so much better instantly. So just knowing whether or not it's possible would help me out quite a bit.

Thanks in advance to anyone's insight, support, help, etc. I've been able to relate to so many people's stories here. I would definitely appreciate hearing from those who a) understand what I'm feeling and b) who are knowledgeable about the tattoo removal process, especially on large color pieces.

(To be clear, I'm only interested in removing the sunset sky, saguaros, and mountains -- leaving behind the beautiful prickly pear. Thanks!)

Hello again!

My initial post was at the height of my anxiety only a week after finishing my tattoo. It's been almost a month with my tattoo now, and I'm still not comfortable with it. I'm going to give it more time before committing to anything, but I did recently have a consultation here in Germany and actually did a test spot with the PicoWay. It was included in the consultation, so I decided why not -- I definitely want the sky part of my tattoo faded/changed so I figured it was alright to try a small test spot. PicoWay is supposedly the best laser around, right?

The laser definitely hurt, but it didn't take long so it was bearable. I think the doctor used all three wavelengths in the spot. He put a cream on it and then covered it with plastic wrap and told me to keep it on until the next day. He also prescribed me a cream that was made by hand at the pharmacy and to use this once a day.

The spot was sore the first day, now it only hurts mildly when I bend my shoulder in a way where that spot twists/bends. Currently it's looking grey...wondering if this is normal?

I'm going to another consultation in a different city next weekend at a place with a PicoSure laser. This place is exclusively for tattoo removal while the place I went to for the PicoWay was a private plastic surgery clinic. Any thoughts on which would be better based on this information alone?

Will try to continue making updates. Still feeling the sting of regret -- waves of anxiety that wash over me with the words "why did you have to do this to yourself?" I can't help but feel like I would be so much happier and healthier had I not gotten a tattoo at all. But I was dead set on doing it, so it would have happened anyway. Sigh.

On a side note, I'm loving it here in Germany! It's been a wonderful distraction. :)

It's been about a week since my test spot with the PicoWay. I think healing has gone well...been using the cream once a day the doctor prescribed me. Just a little scabbing left, but I can't really tell what's going on in that whiteish area. I think maybe some hypopigmentation is occurring. I'll of course give it more time to assess the fading and whatnot. In two days I have a consultation with another place that has a PicoSure. I'll ask them and see. I hope to hear optimistic news from them about the rest of it...