I’ve had tattoos since the age of 15. Over the years I’ve managed to collect quite a few: one of my rib cage, one on my back, a small hip piece, one on my calf, a 3/4 length sleeve, and a bicep piece on the other arm. Some people would say I’m moderately heavily tattooed; nothing too extreme. I’ve always been told how “I’m going to regret those later” along with all of the other ominous warnings, but never really had any tattoos I regret. In fact, i don’t think I could imagine my life without having the tattoos I have. However with that being said, I did happen to recently find myself in a situation where I had some work done and wished I kept things the way they were. This is my personal experience, presented in a photo-documentary, of laser tattoo removal.
It all started with my 3/4 sleeve. I’m into traditional style tattoos and had managed to build a decent array of tattoos on my left arm. They were arranged in a patchwork style, with no tattoos touching or having any relation to the other. Although I was pleased with the arm I felt that it would be cool to have it tied together with some kind of background work, albeit shadows, stars, etc. I poured over tattoo magazines and books, and consulted with a few of my favorite tattoo artists but was unable to find exactly what I was looking for.
Fast forward to December. I managed to land a tattoo appointment in Las Vegas with my absolute favorite tattoo artist. Needless to say I was beyond excited. I also figured that he would be a great resource to try to figure something out for the background. After getting my main piece done by him, we decided on some light fog to background the sleeve. After we were done and I looked it over I started right away to have second thoughts. The fog seemed to make the arm too busy, and the tattoos lost some of their visual power by being connected into a larger design. I figured I would let it heal up and reevaluate it later. I also want to say in no way was this a reflection on the tattoo artist or the quality of his work. It’s an unfortunate fact that some tattoos can’t be fully realized until they are actually tattooed, and this was one of those situations.
After letting it heal and sit on my body for awhile I came to the conclusion that I didn’t like the effect it had on the other tattoos. So I found myself in a situation no one with tattoos wants to be in: I regretted a tattoo. I’m of the school that instead of spending years being unhappy with it, I should take action, belly up, and get it removed.
Click on any pic for a larger image of the tattoo before any treatment
So what are the options to get a tattoo removed? A quick search on Google will bring up thousands of results with many different products. Tat-B-Gone, Salabrasion, Inkbusters, Lasers. Which one works and which one is safe? Can a tattoo be fully removed? Does it leave scars? How expensive is it? How long does it take? Will it hurt? These were only some of the questions that were flying through my mind. So I did my homework and found out as much as I could about all of these different options. Now I present my knowledge and experience to you in the hopes that this will help someone who is at this junction with a tattoo.
The first and most important thing I found out is to DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Don’t be fooled into any quick fixes or wild claims. 99% of the things you find on the internet or in your area are probably unsafe and don’t work. Tattoo removal is a long process and can leave scars if done improperly. Before you make any decision it’s important you research your options over and over. Ask to see examples, ask to speak with a client. Don’t ever make uninformed, quick decisions (after all, maybe this is how you got the tattoo you now want removed). The damage can be permanent and end up much worse than a bad tattoo…I’m talking skin graft type stuff here people.
My next suggestion is to forget all of the creams, rubs, ointments, etc. Tat-B-Gone or any of the other similar products are bunk and can end up damaging the skin. They rely on an age old treatment called salabrasion, which is where abrasive materials such as salt rub off the top layer of skin. Don’t waste your time or epidermis. You’ll read stories of people on the internet who will say this worked or lightened their tattoos. I say good for them, but STAY AWAY!
So with that option out of the picture, what other options do we have? There’s excision where the tattoo is surgically cut out of the skin, cryosurgery where the skin is frozen and removed, dermabrasion where the top layers of skin are sanded off surgically, tissue expansion that uses a balloon inserted under the skin, and laser removal where a laser is directed at the ink molecules. Which to choose? That will depend on the size of your tattoo and personal choice. In my case, I decided to go with the option that leaves the least amount of scarring and is one of the most popular tattoo removal methods in use today: laser removal.
Before I go into my personal story with tattoo removal, I want to go over exactly what a tattoo is, how laser removal works, and all of the different types of laser treatments available. So let’s begin!
To better understand how laser tattoo removal works, we need to have a basic understanding of what a tattoo is. In a tattoo, pigment is inserted into the dermal layer of the skin with a needle or tattoo gun. The reason tattoos don’t fade over a few weeks is because it is placed in the dermal layer which doesn’t slough off like the layers of the epidermis.
The ultimate goal of laser tattoo removal is to remove this pigment without damaging the layers of skin above. Exactly how do lasers accomplish that? You may be surprised to hear that in laser tattoo removal the lasers don’t actually remove the tattoo at all. This removal service is provided by our bodies natural defense mechanism for foreign objects in the body: white blood cells! All the laser does is smash apart the pigment molecules into pieces small enough for these white blood cells to grab on to and flush out of the body. Different colors are treated with different wavelengths and strength. The laser beams, as wavelengths, pass harmlessly through the top layers of skin and only interact with the ink molecules below. When getting my tattoo removed the technician demonstrated this by shooting some pulses in an area of skin where there was no tattoo. This didn’t have any effect or feeling at all. However, when she moved across an area with tattoo, the skin snapped as the laser hit the ink and broke the molecules apart. Cool (and somewhat painful) stuff, huh?
Now on to the different types of lasers used for tattoo removal. The first lasers used for tattoo removal were the Argon and CO2 lasers. These lasers left heavy scarring as they not only destroyed the tattoo pigment, but the upper layers of skin above as well. These lasers could not control the strength or depth of penetration of the laser. Furthermore, they couldn’t “see” different colors and instead are more like carpet bombing, annihilating all pigments in their path (including the natural pigments we want to keep).
The new generation of lasers are better able to control scarring because they have control over strength, penetration depth, pulse rate, and color interaction (or how well a laser will “see” certain colors and only destroy those pigment colors). These new lasers fall into a class called Q-switched, which refers to the short, high energy pulses of light. There are 3 different types of these Q-switched lasers: the Q-switched Ruby, the Q-switched Alexandrite, and the Q-switched Nd:YAG. Each perform a different function and have different strengths and weaknesses and are often used in conjunction for tattoo removal. One of the most popular lasers used today is the Q-switched Nd:YAG. However, depending on your skin type, the color of your tattoo, and the type of tattoo (homemade or professional), the type of laser that would work best may be different. Make sure to consult with your laser technician to find out what kinds of lasers they use and which ones would be best suited.
There is a final type of laser which should absolutely never be used for tattoo removal. These are hair removal lasers. Under no circumstances allow anyone to convince you that this would be a good idea. All it will do is turn the tattoo a dark-brownish color and possibly alter the chemical makeup of the tattoo pigment making it even harder to remove.
With all of these different laser choices it’s obvious to do your homework, ask a ton of questions, and find an experienced laser removal specialist. Remember: this industry is, as of this publishing, still not regulated by the FDA, AMA or any other medical society, leaving it open to all sorts of shady individuals and companies. Think: the dieting industry is unregulated in the same way. We all can easily see how many ridiculous, wild, claims are made for weight loss products that simply don’t work or may even be dangerous.
Good questions to ask the tattoo removal technician or office are: How long has the laser technician been performing tattoo removal? What type of lasers do you have? Are the lasers rented or do you own them (watch out for rented lasers as these may be old and not as accurate do to being moved around)? Are you certified in any way? Do you belong to any dermatological societies or medical societies? Do you do tattoo removals here all of the time, or do you only setup shop on certain days? How old is the laser? How do you maintain the lasers, i.e. do you have any laser equipment technicians servicing them? Do you have any books with photos of your removals (watch out for digital pictures as these can be enhanced)?
Whew! Still with me? With that out of the way, I’ll continue with my story.
Upon researching options for tattoo removal in Southern California, I decided upon a clinic called Tattoo Removal Laser Clinic (quite an imaginative name huh?) located in my hometown of San Diego. They seemed like the best choice out of all of the options my Google search netted me. So I made the appointment and went in. Immediately I was impressed. The procedures were explained to me in a slow manner, they showed me photos, gave me their longstanding history, and were able to give me a price quote for one removal session, $500. They even installed hard wood floors so the laser would roll around without damaging the optics! If you’re anywhere near the San Diego area, or have the money to travel, I highly recommend this clinic. I can’t say how much I was pleased with the service I recieved there. (Disclaimer: in no way have I received any payments, reduced treatment costs, publicity, or any other monetary or personal gain from TRLaser; nor am I in any way associated or in partnership with TRLaser).
On the day of the treatment I got up early and shaved my arm so the laser wouldn’t hit the hairs and burn them (which can create an unpleasant smell and possibly interfere with the laser). I then headed over to the clinic where they applied a topical lydocaine based gel (to numb the skin a bit) and wrapped my arm in plastic wrap so it could soak up the gel over the next 3 hours. Coming back after my arm was nice and numb, I was finally ready to see what this laser removal business was all about. I can’t say I didn’t feel a little nervous though. We unwrapped the arm, donned our protective goggles and got to work after a quick reassuring talk from the technician.
The feeling of the laser was somewhat interesting, and at times painful. When the laser would hit the ink you could feel a pop or snap under the skin that felt like a rubber band or small spatters of hot cooking oil. As the technician moved the laser over the skin I noticed that areas with more concentrations of ink were more painful. Makes sense right! At no point was it unbearable, although I can see how it could get quite painful depending on your pain threshold, location of tattoo, and the amount of ink in the tattoo. I definitely winced a few times. Overall though I thought it was amazing to watch the laser go over the ink and pop and snap my skin into slightly raised areas. Many areas of the tattoo I could see an immediate difference, like the ink had been erased. Other areas it was hard to tell due to the irritation of the skin. Remember, with lasers the true effects of removal happen over the next 2 months as you body cleans away the ink particles. Sometimes you may not notice an immediate difference.
The whole procedure only took about 30 minutes. There weren’t any blisters on the arm immediately following treatment. The only noticeable affect was skin irritation similar to a sunburn. After getting my arm cleaned up a bit, we wrapped it in gauze to protect it and I went to go take a well deserved nap.
Click on any pic for a larger image of the tattoo immediately after treatment
And that was it! I had survived a laser treatment! I had to say there was a strange sort of pride in going through the procedure and being one of few to have an actual personal record of the event. Over the next few months I watched as the tattoo shading faded. It was amazing! I was so happy to have my arm back! And the other tattoos hadn’t suffered any real damage from the removal process. I may have to get some lines redrawn where the laser had taken out a small piece. Today you can barely tell I ever had any tattoo at all. There are only a few small, faded, pockets of ink that I expect will fade more over time. If not, I’ll go back in for another touch up treatment. The surface of the skin is perfect and there is no noticeable difference between the skin that underwent the laser treatment and untattooed skin.
In my case, since the tattoo I got removed was only light gray shading, I was able to have most of it removed it one session. However I don’t think this would be considered normal. Most tattoos take multiple sessions.
And so that wraps up my story. Hopefully this will help someone in their decision the get a tattoo removed. Check out the pictures as they have a story to tell of their own. The full gallery can be located here. And, as always, feel free to email me with any questions. Thanks for reading!
Click on any pic for a larger image of the tattoo 2 months after treatment
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Good and informative piece! Actually, the best I have read on this subject so far
thanks for taking the time to write about your tattoo removal. very informative and helpful. thanks again!
I wonder.. first.. how old are you now and what happened to the tattoo you did at 15? because im 15 and want to do a tattoo but im still wandering what will happen as i grow up.
Hi DB,
Well the first thing I would say is make sure you get permission before getting a tattoo. I don’t want to encourage anyone to get a tattoo that is under 18 without parent’s permission.
With that being out of the way, I am 28 years old and the tattoo I got when I was 15 is still in good shape. There are factors that will determine how a tattoo ages: location of tattoo, type of ink and color used, how deep the ink was placed, what kind of needles were used, what type of gun was used, how you cared for the tattoo while it healed, and how you care for the tattoo over the years.
In my opinion the 3 most important things for a good, long-lasting tattoo are finding a good, reputable tattoo artist that knows what they are doing, taking excellent care of the tattoo while it heals, and putting on sunblock when you’re out in the sun.
To heal a tattoo use A&D ointment only; don’t use anything like Neosporin (it will pull the ink out as it heals). Also, keep the tattoo protected while healing and don’t pick off the scabs or let it get rubbed by clothing. I wrap my tattoos in plastic wrap for the first 3 nights so they are protected while I sleep. During the day I wear a gauze bandage lightly taped over the tattoo.
When going in the sun ALWAYS put on SPF 50 sunblock or higher. Nothing fades a tattoo faster than the sun. You have to do this for the life of the tattoo.
Some tips for choosing your first tattoo: Once you settle on a design and an artist you like, have the artist give you the stencil of the piece. Take that stencil home and put it up on the wall somewhere where you will see it all the time. After 2 weeks if you still like the design, get it tattooed.
Otherwise, note down what you want changed and take it back to the artist to have it redesigned. Then repeat the process. This way you’re sure to end up with a design you like. Most tattoo artists that are worth your time will let you do this. If not, don’t get tattooed by them.
Good luck! And don’t forget to get permission!
i’ve got a few pieces on my right arm that i’ve thought about connecting. but after reading this i’d have to agree that they look better on their own, and connecting them would only take away from the original artwork. thx for sharing.
Hi, I just got a tattoo on my ankle. As much as I like it, I’m slowly starting to think I got it in the wrong area. Would you suggest waiting a while to look into laser removal? Or can you get it removed as soon as it heals? Also, if it is fresh will it be harder to remove?
Hi!
I have an appt to get a tattoo removed from my inner wrist ina few weeks. The derm. gave me a topical numbing cream and everything. The tattoo is a small 1 x 1 inch cross. I am terrifed after reading stories on the “horrible pain” of this laser thing. They will have the cooling air on top of the numbing cream- is it as bad as getting the tattoo? Getting it did hurt, but it was very tolerable for me and only really hurt bad in a few places. It was over very quickly though, so it was okay. Can you try and describe how it will be for me? And any other advice you can give me would be very well received!! - Thanks!! -Amber A.
hi amber,
thanks for your comment on my website, i hope you found the article helpful. i actually had a second dose of laser therapy recently and am finishing up another post about it. this time around i didn’t get any numbing gel to see what it feels like. it hurt a little more than getting a tattoo, but not too bad. my first time i had the numbing gel and i barely felt it. i felt some small pops like bacon grease. i don’t think you have anything to worry about. it’s easy to find horror stories about the pain but don’t buy into it. there’s a lot of bad info out there and a lot of those articles are by people who are over-dramatic and probably went to some shady clinic that had no clue what they were doing. if getting the tattoo didn’t hurt that bad for you, i can almost 100% guarantee you’re going to be surprised how easy it is. let me know how it goes, i’d be interested to hear your experience. good luck and don’t sweat it!!! you’ll do great!
-matt
Hey!
I read your whole article and it was very descriptive. I’m planning on getting a new tattoo removed. I do regret it only because I did it on a whim. I didn’t realize the “forever” part. I actually love the design of the tattoo, just not the placement on my inner wrist. I look at it everyday and don’t feel so great about it. Like you said, I’d rather have it removed even if it cost way more than the tattoo, than to stare at it and have it make me unhappy. But, I was wondering how long you waited for your tattoo to completely heal before going in for removal treatments. I’m very interested in it and I have already been looking up places. Thanks so much!
but i dont see the differents in before after and current….. how does it look now..?? cause i am 15 and i have a tattoo on my hip and i dont like it do guys think its sexy..??
yea guys do
Hey thanks for this article. It really helps. I actually got a tattoo over a year ago that I absolutely love and would never get rid of, and I got a second one literally 2 days ago and already regret it and wish I would have thought it over better. The only bad part is that apparently I have to wait a year until I can start the removal process.
Hi,
Great website! I’m a grad student doing research about tattooing and am interested in inerviewing people who have had tattoos removed or who regret one or more tattoos. If you, a friend, or a reader would be willing to be interviewed by phone, that would be great!
Thanks,
Sara
Thanks for taking the time to write about your tattoo removal. very informative and helpful.Was there any cream that was put over the other parts of your tattoo that you didn’t want to be removed? And if so what was is it called? I have a app: on Nov 06-07 and I’m scared to death about having it removed do to the pain I think it might be but it must be done. I have tattoos on both my hands with the nick names of my kids and a tribal heart with flowers beside there names problem is they look so jail house it’s not funny I dislike them so much and is there a waiting period before you can have them removed mine were done in the last part of February of 07? I also have a tattoo of Betty Boop on my inner wrist it looks ok but the yellow flames suck and it was out lined in black and I was thinking of saving Betty but removing the black out line and the yellow orange flame do you think that would be possible without Killing Betty lol Please feel to email me thank you
11/7/07
Hi Matt,
Hope you are doing well.
We have had some positive feedback from a few clients that have read your blog and found it very informative.
Would you give permission for us to put a link from our website to it, and if possible, a brief quote or testimonial from you?
TIA,
Patricia @ Tattoo Removal Laser Clinic
(858) 272-2021
www.trlaser.com
Hi Matt,
it is nice to have someone speak honestly about their experience with removal. I am thinking about having a tattoo removed or even just faded. I still love tattoos as well, and had the misfortune to also alter a tattoo I loved before. the experience with my artist was less than enjoyable and my feelings have really changed about the piece. I was wondering do you know if you can tattoo over skin that has broken down ink and flushed it out? Mostly I would just love to have you contact me so i may ask some more candid questions.
Thanks
Hi. I like what you have to say about your process and I like how you’ve set up your page. I’m starting a blog to document my tattoo removal but mine is a bit more extreme than yours. I wish mine was as surface as yours but unfortunately the artist used a longer set of needles for my outline that really got it in good. I wanted to set up something with pics and dialog that presented this process in an unjudgemental light. The reasons for the removal are not important but the acceptance that we all make mistakes and damn, do we pay for them down the road! Check out my page and thanks again for what you’ve set up here. I’m sure it’ll help a lot of folks when deciding to go down the laser path. http://mytattooremoval.blogspot.com/
Hi!
I am so happy I stumbled upon your personal story. You did a fantastic job!!
I got a tattoo only 6 days ago, I got drunk last saturday night went into a tattoo place, kind of told the guy what I wanted but didn’t give him any specifics, I ended up with a tattoo about 5 times bigger than I wanted, and not at all done how I wanted it, but that is MY fault not his.
Needless to say I cried the entire next day.
Then I got busy and did some research on getting it removed. I agree totally with the Q switch laser, it is supposed to be the best.
I have not decided yet where I am getting it done, I am still researching that part.
But, I feel SO much better after having read your story.
Thank You very much!!
Wish me luck!!!
Thanks for writing this article, it contained more useful information then anything else I have read. I am thinking about getting a tattoo removed just simply because I don’t like the placement and am unhappy with it, and just like you had no beef with the artist, just regret this one. How long did you wait though, because mine is relatively new, just a couple months actually..should i stick it out longer for a more successful treatment? or does that matter? Thanks again
Thank you very much for sharing your experience - it’s really helpful! I’m doing my homework before going ahead with a tattoo removal on my shoulder and reading this has really been informative. There’s nothing better than hearing it from someone who’s actually experienced the treatment. Now I need to find a good laser clinic/surgeon locally (England)… It’s hard to decide without a referral.
Thanks again for your site!
Hi, this is VERY helpful and by far the most informative I have found on the web.. Ok so I planned my tattoo and printed out pics and pretty much came up with the whole placement and EVERYTHING.. I am a 31 year old mother of two and a step child. I feel I make pretty good choices until this. I have a goverment job and my bosses ask that I cover my tattoo. Keep in mind that I live in Arizona where the summers get up to a whoppin 114 (oh did I mention I have a rosery tattoo wrapped around my upper arm with my kids names) which means NO TANK TOPS… I know not such a great idea. Which brought me to your VERY helpful page. I was reading in a previous post that Neosporin will draw the ink out as it heals? Now considering I want to get it removed isn’t that a “good thing”. Also, do you know how long b-4 I can look into laser removal? Just an idea would be helpful. Again thanks for taking the time to do the research and to write this blog.
I just want to say thank you so very much for your kindness and honesty when I came to see you regarding if you could help me with my eyebrows that turned out red. I came in there about a month ago on a Sunday and you told me that you would not take my money for the consultation and told me that you couldn’t help me and recommended someone else who could! It is so comforting to know that there still is good honest people in business like yourself! I would for sure recommend your clinic to anyone I know who would need your services as trust and honesty is the best policy! Thanks again! All the best of luck to you in the future!