Tattoo Removal

[Zer]

Pink was getting a tattoo removed and gave up after the first treatment citing the pain was too intense...

Good luck...

It's official TS, if you don't go through with this you're officially girlier than Pink

 

[Kanster]

It hurts more than getting tatted. I had a tat removed and my skin looka fine. It's also pricey as fuck.

 

[Dr J]

It hurts more than getting tatted. I had a tat removed and my skin looka fine. It's also pricey as fuck.

How many treatments did it take, and how big/what color was the tat?

 

[Phreaxer]

he should look into it too... idiot.

 

[Dr J]

It's official TS, if you don't go through with this you're officially girlier than Pink

It's not my tattoo. It's my wife's, and she is much more girly than Pink.

She met with a doctor and did some research. She was just unimpressed with the before and after photos because its clear that they use lighting to doctor them up.

 

[Hollywood Nicky]

Just wondering if any of you have or know of any experiences with tattoo removal. Every website showing the results of their laser treatments, but it's clear they use lighting and skin tanning to make the "after" photo look better than it really does. How good are the results of tattoo removal? Scars, permanently lightened skin, certain colors not removed, normal healthy skin etc.?

it's very painful but shouldn't leave scars. in most large cities if you claim the tatts are gang related they will have a program where you can get them removed for free. at least in socal it's like that.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

Depends on a few factors. Most scarring is a result of the tattooing process along with the nature of your skin and not the removal process. My sister had one removed and you can't tell it was ever there. I am in the process of getting one removed. My skin is kind of brittle and the artist was heavy handed as hell so the skin was raised when the tattoo was done. Its coming off clean, but the healing process is taking a long time and although the color is gone the skin is still raised. It can be a very expensive process unless you have a program near you that removes gang tattoos. As for the pain it is not too bad. It definitely hurts like hell, but nothing a grown man can't handle. But that really depends on where you have it I guess. Mine is on my chest and I've gone through sessions where I was pressed for time so I skipped the numbing cream outright. I guess if its on your neck or somewhere sensitive it will hurt like bloody hell without some kind of numbing.

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

I don't have any tattoos. My wife got one in college, regrets it, and wants it gone. She just nervous about getting scarred or just having it end up looking worse.

Man, F that. Tell her to keep it and you can use it as a life lesson for your kids.

When they want a tattoo at 16, you can say "Well, let me tell you about your mom and her horrible decision" and then you can back it up with proof.

 

[BJJArsenal]

he should look into it too... idiot.

Man, is there any one on Sherdog who wouldn't love to step in the cage with him?

 

[Kanster]

How many treatments did it take, and how big/what color was the tat?

6 treatments, could have been less, but I couldn't take the pain (I sat through a half a sleeve tat before and it didn't hurt as bad).

Color was black and the tat was as big as a stick of gum.

 

[Dr J]

6 treatments, could have been less, but I couldn't take the pain (I sat through a half a sleeve tat before and it didn't hurt as bad).

Color was black and the tat was as big as a stick of gum.

Jeez. Any clue what kind of laser it was? There are YouTube vids of these laser treatments that look like they take less than a minute for tattoos significantly larger.

 

[Kanster]

Not sure man. Haven't seen any of those vids, I did the treatment about 3 years ago so maybe they improved overtime, can't be too sure.

 

[Dr J]

Man, F that. Tell her to keep it and you can use it as a life lesson for your kids.

When they want a tattoo at 16, you can say "Well, let me tell you about your mom and her horrible decision" and then you can back it up with proof.

It's not a terrible looking tattoo, and hopefully our kids won't be seeing it when they're old enough to know what it is.

The life lesson could always be that she thought she wanted it forever, she changed her mind 3 years later, and that it took 6 sessions of what felt like boiling grease being applied to her skin to get it removed.

 

[Dr J]

Not sure man. Haven't seen any of those vids, I did the treatment about 3 years ago so maybe they improved overtime, can't be too sure.

There are no signs that you used to have the tat in that location? And thanks, by the way.

 

[DoctorTaco]

She doesn't like the idea of having one anymore. It was a college team/peer pressure kind of thing. It's very small, maybe 1 inch x 1 inch and in red and blue.

She went to see one doc regarding it and she said the portfolio was very similar to what you find online--it was obvious lighting was being used for favorable appearance.

Keep shopping around

 

[makaio]

Keep shopping around

He won't be able to find another good woman before Festivus man..

 

[touchedbyjab]

Pink was getting a tattoo removed and gave up after the first treatment citing the pain was too intense...

Good luck...

If Pink, a tough bitch, couldn't handle it, neither will your gf. I'm sorry TS, you will have to stare at one of your gf's ex's name plastered all over her lower back when you are reaming her from behind; it's a constant reminder that "Tyrone" had a bigger ****us than you.

 

[sourdiesel209]

Im on the same boat TS, got this ugly ass half sleeve I want removed or at least improved, but if todays laser wont clear it up 100% Id rather not bother going thru all the pain for a messy half faded shit

 

[Mike Panic]

This is my first post here - long time lurker, took forever to get my account approved and kind of forgot to come back. In any event - Mods - I am not trying to spam - shoot me a DM if you have questions.

Everyone else - I own a laser tattoo removal business - and for the sake of trying to not be "spammy" I won't be linking to it unless the mods / everyone else is fine with that. With that, I'm going to do my best to address some of the questions and misinformation here.

Some background. Lasers don't remove tattoos. They facilitate the body to dispose of the pigments within the skin. The technique used originally, ink, aftercare and your own immune system are all factors in how effective each treatment will be. A laser will fragment pigment to a much smaller size that the body's immune system can then dispose of.

I am currently having several tattoos removed, by my business partner. I will be sharing my first hand knowledge both treating others and receiving treatments.

Just wondering if any of you have or know of any experiences with tattoo removal. Every website showing the results of their laser treatments, but it's clear they use lighting and skin tanning to make the "after" photo look better than it really does. How good are the results of tattoo removal? Scars, permanently lightened skin, certain colors not removed, normal healthy skin etc.?

Take the before and after with a grain of salt. Digital cameras (I'm also a professional photographer, mikepanic.com is my site, I've worked in the photography industry - including shooting MMA and write photography related articles for very popular blogs) are huge variables, especially the white balance. Additionally, treatments are 4-6 weeks apart, sometimes longer. People will tan, outside lighting will vary as it comes through windows, there are lots of variables. You'll see in my personal before / after photo. Also, it is possible to Photoshop images. But, why bother, it works. It's possible to remove 95% or better of all pigments in most people. Scars are rare, but can happen - mostly from poor aftercare. It's also a possibility to have hyper or hypo-pigmentation, or slight lightening or darkening of the skin. Again these are small variables that affect a small variety. This is all covered in any consult. Blacks and reds react the best / fastest to treatments, blue, yellow and some greens can be a bit more stubborn but can still be removed.

Any idea what these new lasers can do?

They can facilitate tattoo removal, moles, birth marks, sun spots, tattoos from radiation treatments (cancer) - some lasers on the market are for hair removal and others are for re-surfacing (helping to reduce / remove scars).

Those photos are the issue. You see the before photos, and the guy's fingers are tan. In the after photos he looks pasty. I was wondering if anyone had it done personally and what it looked like since photos can be so deceiving.

Sure, this is my leg:

The "after" has a slight orange tinge to it due to more natural sunlight coming in (5500k) than the before photo, which was taken in a different part of my office under tube lighting, which was a little cooler and closer to the 6500k range. It's my own fault for not doing a custom white balance.

With other businesses, my issue is that the before / after photos are always so small, so I try to make sure we use larger photos, since all the wording in the world doesn't do as nice of a job selling the service as the actual results.

Another word of advice from the techs I talk to was if you plan on having a large or super colorful piece removed don't bother unless you have plenty of time and literally thousands of dollars to spend. It's a waste and will end up looking like a faded mess. I have sleeves that have a lot of color in them and asked what it would take to get them removed and was basically told "impossible". The time factor is also an issue it usually takes a good 4-6 months in between sessions to see the best results. People have the misconception that the laser is burning the tattoo off when in fact the energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are removed by the body's immune system this can take a LONG time. The pain is unlike anything I have experienced, I have been stabbed before, broken bones..ect and nothing compares to the pain of that laser, you're literally counting the seconds for it to be over with (along with the smell of your burning skin). Probably the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life.

The healing process is closer to 4-6 weeks, maybe that's a typo as "months" in your post. Most people tend to wait 6-10 weeks because life does get in the way and it is expensive. I'm treating someone now with a full sleeve and leg sleeve from knee to ankle. He wants it lightened so he can get some better quality work.

Regarding pain, please understand that it's really different for everyone. I usually tell people it feels like the last 5 minutes of the longest tattoo session you've sat through, and on fire. Most people say it's similar to a hot rubber band being smacked over and over. Women tend to do the best with the pain I've found.

Also, treatment time is fast. Something the size of an iPhone can usually be totally treated in under 4 minutes. Within 20-60 minutes of the treatment, after the heat has dissipated from the body, the vast majority of pain also leaves too. There's also no burning feeling in the shower the following day.

Depends on a few factors. Most scarring is a result of the tattooing process along with the nature of your skin and not the removal process. My sister had one removed and you can't tell it was ever there. I am in the process of getting one removed. My skin is kind of brittle and the artist was heavy handed as hell so the skin was raised when the tattoo was done. Its coming off clean, but the healing process is taking a long time and although the color is gone the skin is still raised. It can be a very expensive process unless you have a program near you that removes gang tattoos. As for the pain it is not too bad. It definitely hurts like hell, but nothing a grown man can't handle. But that really depends on where you have it I guess. Mine is on my chest and I've gone through sessions where I was pressed for time so I skipped the numbing cream outright. I guess if its on your neck or somewhere sensitive it will hurt like bloody hell without some kind of numbing.

False. Most scarring happens because some people are more prone to it than others. Other factors include the tech not running the machine properly causing a more cautious aftercare, and then neglect of aftercare. What you are describing is keloid scarring, aka 3d tattoos. And you're right, the tattoo can be removed but the bumps won't ever go away.

You should know that the healing process should be completed within 10-21 days but you will see the vast majority of fading happen between 21 days and 6 months.

I'm going to subscribe to this thread, please ask whatever questions you want and I'll do my best to answer them. If you're current undergoing treatment and have concerns or questions regarding aftercare I strongly suggest you contact them immediately.

 

[Hitman81]

I have some tattoos that I wouldn't mind having removed. Not sure I want to pay more money to undergo a painful and unpromising procedure to do it though.