POSTED UNDER Tattoo Removal REVIEWS
Large Foot Tattoo, Qswitch, PicoWay and PicoSure - Washington, DC
ORIGINAL POST
Hey all, I just discovered this site, so I'm a lot...
WORTH IT$6,000
Hey all, I just discovered this site, so I'm a lot farther along in my treatment than some folks here. I've experienced many of the same emotions you all write about: depression, anxiety, sensing that people are judging my bad tattoo, even people who should be open-minded about that sort of thing, and wondering what the hell I was thinking / psychoanalyzing what was going through my head and why, when I got this thing almost ten years ago.
If I didn't immediately regret the tattoo, it's cuz it simply hadn't sunk in yet. It's on my foot and ankle, so it looks better in some shoes than others, but honestly I think it's pretty objectively unattractive. Even if the tattoo art itself isn't horrible, it would have worked better in other spots. (It's probably worth saying that I have several other tattoos, and for the most part I like all of them, and they're all easy to hide; this one on the other hand is pretty in-your-face, and just not on par with my style.)
Four years ago I had my first session with the Qswitch laser, and the aesthetician who did it looked 16...I did not have great confidence in her, but I know the doctor she works under well. My skin had an allergic reaction to the red ink, so she prescribed a topical steroid. I also didn't take the healing seriously enough, and didn't ice it or elevate my leg enough, so I certainly didn't make that mistake again. My skin is still scared from where the red ink caused allergic reactions. It looks like little ice pick scars. In the grand scheme of things, not the end of the world. My foot was swollen for literally a month (I was between jobs at the time, otherwise I don't know how I would have kept my job, if I had been working.) I lost lots of muscle during that time, and consequently, have gained some weight. In fact, I seem to gain a little weight each time I have a treatment, due to the down time. Not only can I not work out while the tattoo is healing from each session, but the forced couch time gets me out of the swing of working out, and encourages laziness. Obviously it is a work of will power to get myself back to the gym once the skin begins healing, and sometimes I do better than others with it.
One of the best tips I have for people to promote healing after each treatment is to soak the skin in salt water. I take a large pot (I want my whole foot and lower leg to fit into it, so I bought a large pot specifically for this purpose, and only use it for this) and boil water, so that the water is sterile, and I add several handfuls of epsom salt. Salt helps promote healing of the skin, and decreases swelling. I can definitely see my skin healing much faster when I spent a lot of time soaking with saltwater, as opposed to when I don't.
After my bad experience at a previous place, I took a long time off, thinking that removal might be impossible.... then I consulted with another laser place, and decided to work on just small portions of the black ink, to take it piece by piece. After one or two sessions of hitting only the black ink on the lower portion of the foot, I got the gumption to start working on the whole tattoo again. I've had 6 sessions with the Qswitch lasers (4 that were on the whole foot/2 only on the black ink at the bottom), and then I found out about pico. Now I go to a place that uses PicoWay, and I am seeing great results.
My skin is still bloody and bruised, but in a few days, I'll share a photo to show my progress and how greatly it has faded. Even though there is surely still ink there, it's *so* much lighter than it used to be, so now I feel I can get back to activities which I sadly avoided (yoga... swimming.... wearing flipflops or going barefoot in the sun) for so long, and feel much more confident in my own skin / not feel like the tattoo is drawing tons of negative attention.
I decided to basically dedicate myself to the treatments hard core last year, meaning throughout the summer, I wrapped the foot before going swimming, and other than that, I almost completely avoided sun exposure, and just wore sneakers all summer. I didn't want the skin to be sun exposed, as that can interfere with treatment. It's sad that I denied myself some of my favorite summer activities, but those activities also made me a lot more uncomfortable when I felt like I was drawing negative attention. This year, I'll have one more session before summer begins, and then I'll let myself enjoy summer ~ then if I need a few more treatments in the fall, I'll continue working on it then, but I'm not going to work on the tattoo during the summer; I'm going to just let myself enjoy it, and try not to let any remaining ink bother me.
Good luck to everyone going through this journey. It's crazy to consider how much time, money and thought I've spent on this, but it truly makes me feel so much better to have it fading......
If I didn't immediately regret the tattoo, it's cuz it simply hadn't sunk in yet. It's on my foot and ankle, so it looks better in some shoes than others, but honestly I think it's pretty objectively unattractive. Even if the tattoo art itself isn't horrible, it would have worked better in other spots. (It's probably worth saying that I have several other tattoos, and for the most part I like all of them, and they're all easy to hide; this one on the other hand is pretty in-your-face, and just not on par with my style.)
Four years ago I had my first session with the Qswitch laser, and the aesthetician who did it looked 16...I did not have great confidence in her, but I know the doctor she works under well. My skin had an allergic reaction to the red ink, so she prescribed a topical steroid. I also didn't take the healing seriously enough, and didn't ice it or elevate my leg enough, so I certainly didn't make that mistake again. My skin is still scared from where the red ink caused allergic reactions. It looks like little ice pick scars. In the grand scheme of things, not the end of the world. My foot was swollen for literally a month (I was between jobs at the time, otherwise I don't know how I would have kept my job, if I had been working.) I lost lots of muscle during that time, and consequently, have gained some weight. In fact, I seem to gain a little weight each time I have a treatment, due to the down time. Not only can I not work out while the tattoo is healing from each session, but the forced couch time gets me out of the swing of working out, and encourages laziness. Obviously it is a work of will power to get myself back to the gym once the skin begins healing, and sometimes I do better than others with it.
One of the best tips I have for people to promote healing after each treatment is to soak the skin in salt water. I take a large pot (I want my whole foot and lower leg to fit into it, so I bought a large pot specifically for this purpose, and only use it for this) and boil water, so that the water is sterile, and I add several handfuls of epsom salt. Salt helps promote healing of the skin, and decreases swelling. I can definitely see my skin healing much faster when I spent a lot of time soaking with saltwater, as opposed to when I don't.
After my bad experience at a previous place, I took a long time off, thinking that removal might be impossible.... then I consulted with another laser place, and decided to work on just small portions of the black ink, to take it piece by piece. After one or two sessions of hitting only the black ink on the lower portion of the foot, I got the gumption to start working on the whole tattoo again. I've had 6 sessions with the Qswitch lasers (4 that were on the whole foot/2 only on the black ink at the bottom), and then I found out about pico. Now I go to a place that uses PicoWay, and I am seeing great results.
My skin is still bloody and bruised, but in a few days, I'll share a photo to show my progress and how greatly it has faded. Even though there is surely still ink there, it's *so* much lighter than it used to be, so now I feel I can get back to activities which I sadly avoided (yoga... swimming.... wearing flipflops or going barefoot in the sun) for so long, and feel much more confident in my own skin / not feel like the tattoo is drawing tons of negative attention.
I decided to basically dedicate myself to the treatments hard core last year, meaning throughout the summer, I wrapped the foot before going swimming, and other than that, I almost completely avoided sun exposure, and just wore sneakers all summer. I didn't want the skin to be sun exposed, as that can interfere with treatment. It's sad that I denied myself some of my favorite summer activities, but those activities also made me a lot more uncomfortable when I felt like I was drawing negative attention. This year, I'll have one more session before summer begins, and then I'll let myself enjoy summer ~ then if I need a few more treatments in the fall, I'll continue working on it then, but I'm not going to work on the tattoo during the summer; I'm going to just let myself enjoy it, and try not to let any remaining ink bother me.
Good luck to everyone going through this journey. It's crazy to consider how much time, money and thought I've spent on this, but it truly makes me feel so much better to have it fading......
Replies (12)
March 16, 2016
Hello,
You said that you developed an allergic reaction after treatment.
Did the ink gave you problems before too? I have my red tattoo that gives me some itch sometimes and I'm a little bit afraid of possible scarring after laser
You said that you developed an allergic reaction after treatment.
Did the ink gave you problems before too? I have my red tattoo that gives me some itch sometimes and I'm a little bit afraid of possible scarring after laser
March 18, 2016
Yes, after my first qswitch treatment, i didn't elevate or ice my foot nearly enough, and it swelled a lot, and the red areas had an allergic reaction... the skin was raised and reactive, and it ended up scarring... I have little ice pick scars across the parts where the red is. I've never had that bad a reaction since, and at the place I go now, they provide me with like 4 days' worth of a steroid cream to put on it, to prevent a reaction.
I'm actually breaking out in hives now, on the back of the knee of the left leg where the tattoo is. I called the doctor and she said since it's going away (with lymphatic massage and soaking it..) it should be okay.
What were your experiences like?
I'm actually breaking out in hives now, on the back of the knee of the left leg where the tattoo is. I called the doctor and she said since it's going away (with lymphatic massage and soaking it..) it should be okay.
What were your experiences like?
March 18, 2016
I have a big red tattoo on my forearm and sometimes it itches a bit.
No swelling or other sympthoms.
I read that using bentelan before laser could help avoiding allergic reactions.
Actually I'm afraid of scarring because my tattoo is pretty big.
No swelling or other sympthoms.
I read that using bentelan before laser could help avoiding allergic reactions.
Actually I'm afraid of scarring because my tattoo is pretty big.
March 19, 2016
What is bentelan? Thanks
Actually my red is clearing really well now -- though there are scars from the allergic reaction. I imagine as long as you use a topical steroid (or use whatever bentelan is?) (+ get plenty of natural anti-inflammatories such as garlic, onions, ginger, fruits and veggies) then you can avoid scarring. And keep the tattoo moist for as long as possible after the treatment -- I mean weeks -- using aquafore and other high quality moisturizers. You can apply the aquafore then wrap in bandages over that to keep it in place.
Actually my red is clearing really well now -- though there are scars from the allergic reaction. I imagine as long as you use a topical steroid (or use whatever bentelan is?) (+ get plenty of natural anti-inflammatories such as garlic, onions, ginger, fruits and veggies) then you can avoid scarring. And keep the tattoo moist for as long as possible after the treatment -- I mean weeks -- using aquafore and other high quality moisturizers. You can apply the aquafore then wrap in bandages over that to keep it in place.
March 19, 2016
Bentelan is a steroid based anti-allergy medicine. It you do a search in the net you'll find that it stop allergic reactions after laser treatment.
How ever thanks a lot for the answers,you're very kind!
How ever thanks a lot for the answers,you're very kind!
March 19, 2016
I forgot to say that the results of red fading with picoway are just impressive!
My best wishes!
My best wishes!
June 21, 2016
Thanks for sharing your experience! I´ve got to say this is amazing fading! I have just started my treatments with Picoway, and as you, I have an old school tattoo with lots of colors. Can you explain exactly how your allergic reaction appeared on the skin? I am not sure if I have it, haha. The red rose on my arm has developed blisters, like really tiny ones, and it took four weeks to heal (still some tiny blisters left). The biggest rose got treated two weeks ago and it´s the same reaction, but also with bigger blisters. So, I´m just wondering if these really tiny tiny blisters/spots are in fact an allergic reaction, or just normal. It does not look infected, but is raised and sort of blurry. I just don´t know what to look for when it comes to it being an allergic reaction or not ...
June 22, 2016
So for me, blistering is normal during each treatment session. And I think it's normal for a lot of people. As far as the allergic reaction I had to the reds.... it was so long ago I can hardly remember what it looked like... I think I might have had some postules (gross, I know.) Your description of raised and blurry skin sounds normal. All I know now is that the skin where my red ink is/was, still has some scars. It looks a little bit like acne scars. So I would recommend being very "nice" to your skin -- during the first week or so, only use creams that your doctor has approved, but once it has begun its initial healing, massage it with vitamin e oil a few times a day, wash it with gentle soap and let that be a little massage too (which can help move lymph fluid around), and soak your skin in epsom salt baths from time to time. My skin still gets scabby for 3 weeks after each treatment, so what you're describing sounds like normal healing... though definitely check in with your doctor and send him/her a photo if you're at all concerned that you're havig a bad reaction! When my allergic reaction happened, my doctor prescribed me a steroid cream.
UPDATED FROM bennieBabs
6 days post
one week post 9th session
6 days after my 3rd pico session (and 5 qswitch sessions). it's healing and i'm feeling pretty positive... i hope a lot of ink disappears when these blisters & bruises heal.
Replies (11)
March 9, 2016
...it's like a stained glass window of the tattoo it used to be, haha
Also, it bears mentioning, this way by far the most painful session I've had yet. But temporary pain is worth it for lasting results. I guess I meditate through it.
Also, it bears mentioning, this way by far the most painful session I've had yet. But temporary pain is worth it for lasting results. I guess I meditate through it.
March 9, 2016
It's looking SO FADED! Gosh, that's great. Keep it up!
I'd like to know what products you use (if anything) to keep your skin moisturized and such.
I'd like to know what products you use (if anything) to keep your skin moisturized and such.
March 10, 2016
Thank you! Yeah, I'm excited too. I mean, it would be great if it didn't look like it still needed 4 more pico sessions.... but I'm definitely happy about how far it's come. For the first 1-2 weeks after th procedure, I use aquafore after cleaning it, pretty generously, and then wrap it in an athletic wrap bandage. Once it's more healed I switch to other products, whether just regular lotion (I try to use more natural products but sometimes I just use what's around), bio oil (this is a great product for healing scars & stretch marks too, it's like $20 at target), and right now I just started using a natural herbal product made by a friend of mine. It's made with grapeseed and almond oils and has herbs in it to promote healing ~ it really helps. I've also used calendula cream (which should be made from calendula herbs which promote healing), and I've used arnica cream (which is supposed to heal bruises) more above the tattoo than on it, with the idea that hopefully it helps the healing process.
March 10, 2016
What place do you go to?
March 10, 2016
I went to the Center for Laser Surgery for the qswitch, and they were also great (but I do think the pico works faster - though twice as expensive.)
March 14, 2016
You have made incredible progress, so happy for you!
UPDATED FROM bennieBabs
15 days post
Two weeks out
I'm breaking out in hives, behind the knee near my foot, and at my elbows, various spots... I break out in hives somewhat easily, but this is probably an allergic reaction to the ink. I had a bad allergic reaction to red ink in the past, so my recent Dr. has given me ~4 days' worth of steroid cream to apply to the tattoo after each pico session, but they didn't give it to me this time, and perhaps as a result, I am breaking out in hives. I guess this is how my immune system deals with breaking down these metals and pthalates (!) in tattoo ink.... I should be staying more hydrated than I am. But I'm trying to do some lymphatic massage to help my body calm down. Spoke with my doctor today and she said as long as it seems to be getting better, it should be alright. What a crazy process. But worthwhile. I think I'm getting good fading! I read that apple cider vinegar helps with bruises, so I soaked my skin in some water mixed with some acv. I made some detoxifying teas... milk thistle and all sorts of stuff... looking forward to having this process being behind me, but exciting that I'm doing it.
Replies (3)
March 18, 2016
Thanks for the update. This is the first I've heard of someone here having a reaction to the ink breaking down. Very helpful if someone else has a similar experience!
March 19, 2016
There was another commenter on one of my above posts who also had an allergic reaction. I have a friend who had an allergic to the red ink on tattoos on his arm when they were placed, and he has large raised keloid scars.
I am so glad that you decided to share your story. Great tip on the salt water bath, especially for the foot. You're having wonderful results and I look forward to your updates.