Removing 'Tramp Stamp' Vienna, VA

When I was 18 I decided to get a tattoo in the middle of my lower back. It was a sun, moon, and stars, because as a teenager I thought I was a special little snowflake and OMG like, sooo creative, you guys! I loved it for about a week until I heard it referred to as a 'tramp stamp' and I've hated it ever since. A few years ago I had 4 or 5 q-switch treatments. Although it faded a good bit, I stopped treatment because it hurt A LOT. It's not that I have a low tolerance for pain, it just felt like a small mammal (I like to visualize a raccoon in this situation) was clawing at my back with it's sharp little nails for a half hour. And wow did I blister! It also caused my skin to become a little sensitive. The thought of going through several more treatments made me want to cry (or rather, cry more. I'll admit it; I'm not ashamed.)

A few days ago I was roaming around on this site and saw the section on Picasure. After reading about other people's experiences, I found a place in the DC area that has the device and I've decided to give it a try. I haven't gotten a quote yet, but it looks like it's going to be more expensive than Q-Switch treatments. The good news is that my 32nd birthday is next week, so I'm giving it to myself as a gift.

Since this site is so awesome in many ways (who knew there was a support group for people wanting to get their tattoos removed?), I thought I'd share my experiences for others down the line. I'll try to post as much as possible once I take the plunge.

I'm having a bit of trouble posting pictures right now, but once I get it to work I'll put them up.

After heming and hawing about restarting treatments, I finally took the plunge. I've done two treatments with PicoSure (May 7th, 2016 and June 21st, 2016) and I wanted to share my esperience with you guys...

Pain: Lets get this one over with...After experiencing both Q-Switch and PicoSure, I can tell you that, in my opinion, the difference in pain from the laser is negligible for blue and black ink. Oh boy did it hurt. That said, it only lasted a few minutes. My tattoo also contains yellow, red, and orange and I barely felt the laser when those areas were being treated.

Cost: Much more expensive than Q-Switch, but you get what you pay for.

After treatment: The pain from the laser is similar for both types of lasers, but after the treatment, PicoSure is much better. It was rather tender for a few hours and kinda raw for a few days, but only if I accidentally rubbed it while sitting or something (lower back tattoo). Irritation from the Q-Switch was much worse and lasted much longer.
I had almost no blisters after my first PicoSure treatment while I had HUGE blisters after each Q-Switch. Parts of the area has scabbed over, but blisters are mercifully nonexistent.

Color Change: There wasn't as much color change after the first treatment as I'd have liked. The blue is lighter, but I was still disappointed. There seems to be quite a bit more fading after the second treatment.