How Long Does It Takes?

The amount of time for a full tattoo removal can vary from a couple of months to years.  Let’s take a look at some factors that contribute to that variance:

• Most professionally done tattoos have more ink in them vs. “party tattoos” that people got while experimenting as teens or just having anyone else other than a tattoo artist ink ’em up.  The reason for this is mostly just quality of design – if you go to a professional looking for a real piece of art, they’ll usually put a little more time and effort (and ink) into tattooing something that’s really supposed to last.

Today's result as I am posting this blog.

• As a tattoo ages, tiny particles of ink are naturally circulated out by the lymphatic system. This is what causes natural fading as the tattoo ages. What the laser does during tattoo removal is speed up this process by breaking up the cellular walls that are within the area of the tattoo.  The particles that are circulated out because of laser treatments end up being much, much bigger than when the tattoo is naturally fading. That said, keep in mind that if the tattoo’s older, it’s already on it’s way in a sense!

23 days after 2nd treatment

• How effectively your tattoo can be totally removed has a lot to do with how strong your lymphatic system is, which in turn has at least a little bit to do with how healthy you are in general. People who are more active and make it a point to drink a lot of water regularly are the people who experience the quickest, most effective removals with the least amount of side effects.

2nd treatment - 19 days later

Laser tattoo removal does not need to scab and look bad to be effective. The degree of inflammation, crusting and scabbing depends on the color and density of the tattoo pigment and the laser energy used to treat the tattoo. As compared to my 1st treatment I will be able to tell how effective the treatment is after one month.

It has definitely fade out just after 19 days from my 2nd treatment and the itch has also sets in due to the healing process of the skin. Itchiness can happen 3-6 weeks after the treatment and can last up until the next session. You can take an over the counter antihistamine to help alleviate some discomfort and it is always recommended not to scratch the treated area.

I have some medication from my doctor, The name is Bilaxten 20mg. Did some research and some of the medicine side effects can be found here.

Possible side effects include headache and drowsiness.

Uncommon side effects (affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000) include abnormal ECG heart tracing, blood tests which show changes in the way the liver is working, dizziness, stomach pain, tiredness, increased appetite, irregular heartbeat, increased weight, nausea (the feeling of being sick), anxiety, dry or uncomfortable nose, belly pain, diarrhea, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach wall), vertigo (a feeling of dizziness or spinning), feeling of weakness, thirst, dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing ), dry mouth, indigestion, itching, cold sores (oral herpes), fever, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), difficulty in sleeping, blood tests which show changes in the way kidney is working, and increased blood fats.

2nd treatment cost and more pics

As mentioned on my earlier post, I promised to share the cost involved for my 2nd treatment:

@ $212/- for 2nd treatment, its a difference of $170

The 1st treatment I had a healing serum, 2 medication and 2 cream. But this time round I only requested only 1 medication that is for itch. As such the difference of $170. So overall spent till date is: 382+212=$592 so far. Here is a picture of the wound after a day.

Inflammation after day 2

Tattoo Removal 2nd Treatment

Today I turn up and walk into the clinic at about 4pm.(Clinic closes at 5pm) As the timing was rather late without me fixing an appointment in advance, I did not apply the numb cream and went straight for the laser treatment. Numbing cream is known to relieve some of the pain for anyone going for laser removal. Just like my very 1st treatment.

Taken immediately after the treatment. (Lesser white frosting compared to the previous)

In order for the numb cream to take effect, it has to be applied at least an hour or more. Here's a research on numb creams:

Numbing creams – such as Emla or BLT – often include benzocaine, lidocaine, prilocaine, or tetracaine in varying concentrations as active ingredients. These creams are both available in low-strength, over-the-counter formulations and in high-strength, prescription-only formulations. The main problem with creams is that they require time to take effect.

Most creams need to be applied at least 30 to 45 minutes in advance of the treatment. For this reason, most practitioners encourage patients to apply the cream at home before their appointment. Some clinics use numbing creams as the primary skin numbing method for laser treatments, while others offer it as an option available at an additional charge for sensitive patients wanting additional numbing.

Pros:
Works in Addition to Other Methods
Can be Sold for Upcharge
Anyone Can Sell OTC Formulations

Cons:
Must Be Applied in Advance
Moderate Efficacy

Taken after my bath today.

Will update the cost in my next post.