Itching persist

The adrenaline to scratch my back is becoming more intense and not only did the itch persist. It is becoming more and more unbearable.

The ink seems to be duller and has faded. The yellowish honey colored crusting has faded as well. One thing for sure is that results is setting in and as per doc's advice, 6-8 sessions will be needed to completely remove the tattoo.

The doctor's prescribe medication has also been completed and now I am using a new stratamed gel for scar which is to be applied 1 week after treatment. Stratamed creates an optimal environment for the healing process of the skin, leads to a visible reduction in the inflammatory response and supports the formation of a normal, mature scar.

6 weeks to recover

Firstly, most people’s skin needs 6 weeks to recover, even if it looks healed. Secondly, our immune system is doing the work. As the ink continues to fade away over the 6 weeks and beyond, all you would do is pay for another session with no quicker result.

I need to give my skin a break and time to recover before re-laser. Standard advice is 12 weeks or so between the last laser session. Leaving it much longer and would definitely let the doctor check your skin’s condition before they commence. This is especially true and relevant if the tattoo that has been removed/faded.

Doing this properly takes time. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on lasering only to be disappointed with the end results.

Itchy and itching starts

According to my research, this should be seen as a good sign, as my immune system is kicking in and starting to heal the affected area. An itching sensation is common, but just like any other type of skin irritation. Itching is very common secondary to inflammation induced by the laser and as part of the normal healing process.

Area looks honey colored crusting!

However, itching should completely resolve after one to two months post-treatment. Persistent itching beyond this point can be a warning sign for scarring. I must try not to scratch the area. Scratching could impact on the effectiveness of removal. It may also break the skin and create a wound, which will lead to additional scarring or risk infection.

Area looks honey colored crusting!

Generally, I am already mentally prepared for the itch to get worst in the next few days. As I have read what all others have encountered after the treatment and this is part of the laser 'package'. No pain no gain!

Day 2 - Blisters appear

After my bathe, I applied some healing serum on my tattoo and here's some photo on the serum ingredients.

It says here: Lifting, Brightening, Antioxidant and Repair aka Healing serum.

Blisters have start forming on the wound and the ink seems to have redden. Some minimum itch arose as well. Doc's advice says the best thing to do is be gentle with the blisters. If they have popped, do not peel the skin from the roof of the blister off. Allow it to come off on its own accord. Gentle cleaning with soap and water is recommended.

The area looks bruised and blistered. In fact, blisters are quite normal and an indication that the healing process has begun. They might not look too pretty and could be tender to touch, but blisters should take between 3-14 days to heal up completely, providing I don’t burst them! Cross my fingers!

More pics and costing of the procedure

As promised, I will share more on the cost involved:
Doctor advised to get a healing serum for $45 and prescribe 2 medication and 2 cream.
The medication are for allergy, rash, swelling and inflammation. Total cost?

$382/- for 1st treatment

Day 1 photos

Day 1 photos

Day 1 photos

Tattoo Removal 1st Treatment

Today marks my first session for my tattoo removal and the whole process takes approximately:
1 and a half hour for the numb cream to take effect.
My waiting time was about 20 mins before the laser treatment.
During the treatment, all it takes was about 5 mins for the laser treatment.
All in all, the whole process is about 2 hours. Here's the photo before and after treatment.

Before treatment. Actual tattoo image.

Feels like a rubber band snapping quickly on my skin during the treatment and here's the direct outcome.(White frosting) 

The rapid local heating of skin pigment, which leads to gas or plasma forming, causes the white frosting you sometimes see during and after laser treatment. Carbon dioxide is released as a result of laser penetration and surfaces on the upper layer of the skin, which resembles a white frosting.

In the vast majority of cases, this only lasts for 15-30 minutes after treatment. It is a temporary side effect, which is perfectly normal. White frosting is always evident during the first treatment, but once more ink gets remove from further sessions it won’t appear as much.

Is white frosting a good or bad thing?

It might not look very nice, but the white frosting you see during laser tattoo removal is very much a good thing. This reaction indicates the laser is penetrating the ink effectively. On top of that, it also shows that your body is reacting and healing quickly.

As soon as the laser hits your skin, it can go in various different directions. Some paths of light will reflect off the skin, while others will penetrate into the epidermis and dermis. However, we are interested in the ones that reach the ink particles, are absorbed into the skin and cause white frosting to occur.

After treatment.

When I reach home, I remove the bandage and there is some bloodstain on it. The burning sensation from the laser treatment pain was bearable at this point of time as I am writing this post. By the way, The treatment that the clinic uses is MedLite© C6 Laser System, which remains the gold standard for tattoo removal. I will share more on the day 1 cost soon. :)