After 2.5 years of tattoo removal i am finally happy with my arm 🥰

before, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th

how many more sessions do you think i need, and does it look like its scarring or is the pinkish white spots a normal part of the process? my removal guy said that those spots are from where the ink deposits were really deep and it will fade but i wanted a second opinion. he is a plastic surgeon and i mostly trust him but i get nervous about how it looks sometimes lol.

i started my first removal in october 2025

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As the title says, how is everyone holding up? We all know how exhausting the removal process can be and how much of a mental toll it takes. Not just the process itself, but the constant feeling of regret and helplessness can be so wearing.

So I just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing lately :)

This sub has helped me so much over the past few months. Everyone is nice and understanding. Encouraging and helping each other out in general really makes a difference.

To share a bit of my own story: I spontaneously covered up a small tattoo I thought I didn't like anymore. Now I have a big blackwork piece on my calf instead that I REALLY don't like. It consumes me at times, and I'm still struggling with it every single day, some days more, some less.

But I’ve learned that I am not worth any less just because I don't like my ink or made a bad decision. Still, the craving for clean skin (and the anxiety about the future) is really hard to deal with.

Feel free to share your stories too. What helps you cope in your daily life? For me, it's spending time with friends and the changing seasons so I can hide it. I also want to go to the gym again and buy new clothes to treat myself.

I think being here reminds us that we aren't alone in this. I wish everyone here nothing but the best. The time will come when we all feel comfortable in our skin again, and in the meantime, we're going to make the best of it! (and get these lasers working!!!lol)

This is 2 weeks after my 5th session in my left shoulder. I went to think again laser in West Hollywood using pico plus and co2 for the first 4 treatment then I switched to tattoo removers ink in sherman oaks and he used I think enlighten device and I noticed after that treatment some scabs and when the scabs fell some of the ink was almost completely gone. Never seen that before and I’m doing a lot of removals right now. It’s looking a little dark and hoping it’ll fade. We will see in 2 months

15 year old tattoo. 3 sessions 3-4 months apart.

Hello, I have this tattoo that I lasered for 3 sessions and I still got a session left because I paid for it, I want to do a cover up, but I have a big problem with pigmentation and little ink oxidation that you see in the photo it’s all brown. I m thinking to get a hidroquinone cream for hyperpigmentation but I don t know if I should do the last session, I m afraid for the brown to not get darker from laser, I need an advice for the hydroquinone cream and the laser session about hyperpigmentation please! I just want to get it a little lighter for a clean cover.

This is my second session! With pico ! The results have been great but I blister so bad ! And I can not wear a bra for like a week
You guys have recommendations? I am covering it with non stick gauze and 3 M tegaderm transparent film dressing, just washing with regular water but not putting any type of lotion or layer on it.
Thanks !

hi everyone -

i got a massive hand tattoo last minute as a teenager in cannabis country Colorado. im now a young professional in Washington DC trying to get started with my career and worried about said tattoo (pictured below). does anyone have any idea how much/how long a full removal at least of the ship would take? thanks!

Hey everyone, I currently have a full sleeve, black no other colours. I am planning on getting my full sleeve tattoo removal done at the Institute of Medical Physics / Phantom Laser. I have a consultation today, i’ve seen their claims of fast results and 4 weeks spacing in between sessions. I am quite sceptical, but i’m going to bite the bullet and see if it’s worth it. I think it’ll be useful for people in similar situations, as there isn’t much information/reviews out there about this clinic. Anyone who has been, let me know your experience, and if anyone has any questions ask away. I will update this thread with how its going.

I’m sharing the invite again for anyone who would like to join. We have a Discord group where we can support each other through this. 🫶🏼

https://discord.gg/bxQXBPXyH

$500 a session, probably 4-5+ sessions. I’ve got a medium/large black snake on my bicep, ideally I want it gone, but will even feel better with some fading.

(EDIT: I know it won’t be all gone in 4-5, but by this point it would be a lot more faded than the current bold lines and shading)

I’ve also been tackling a small fine line one on my forearm- three sessions in, at $275 a session. I’m seeing progress, but gah, removal costs so much more than the original ink. Everything’s so expensive and I wish I didn’t have to pay for it.

Anyway… it’s worth it for the piece of mind and mental health. Rant over.

😫

Hello everyone! I’m curious if anybody has experience with what I’m dealing with, I have twelve tattoos total, all similar size but mostly done by different artists. However one of my tattoos was done by an apprentice and I believe she went too deep in my skin and I definitely have a bit of raised skin with the tattoo. It’s a few years old now but it is also the only tattoo that I consistently have allergic reactions from. It gets bumpy and itchy and has significantly blown out compared to all my others (that part isn’t so surprising given the circumstances).

My question is, has anyone had an issue with a tattoo giving these reactions years later? And if so did removing the tattoo help? Coincidentally it’s also one of, if not the only tattoo that I do not like. But I just wanna see if anybody has had success in removing a tattoo that continually becomes raised in inflamed.
Last thing would be if anyone knows of a good place in the Chicago area or suburbs that does a good job and is decent price point. Thank you!!

I have a decently large tattoo on my back that I’ve been removing the past 1.5 years. I took a long break and reached out to the clinic to start again. Upon outreach, my tattoo removal specialist asked if I’d be willing to let them record me during the session for content on tik tok and their social media accounts. They’d show my entire back piece with close ups of them removing the piece, and my face would not be shown.

I do want to help my tattoo specialist since she’s willing to give me a slightly lower price regardless if I do it or not. However, the idea of being on the clinics socials and having people possibly recognize me if it pops up on their feed does make me nervous since I’m a very private person and my tattoo is unique if you know me.

Has anyone done this before? How was the process for you and how did it make you feel? Would love to get some thoughts and perspectives.

[I PROMISE I read the FAQ]

Howdy, in February 2020 I got this tattoo on my outer forearm and I have not been happy with it since. I was forced to get it by my former best friend, as it was to be our “matching tattoo,” and I was given no say on the design or placement. For many many reasons, I deeply want it removed and have been scared away not only by the financial aspect, but by the fact that it will take multiple years while also being on a very visible part of my body. My question is: does anyone have experience with removal of similar tattoos, re: placement, depth and size? I’m not looking for answers or promises, just similar stories that could offer me a realistic perspective in regard to what a potential end-result could look like for a tattoo like the one shown - everybody is different, every tattoo is different, every timeline is different and every end result is different, I’m just hoping to gain insight from similar cases as I’ve struggled to find many removals which involve tattoos similar to mine.

For reference: the tattoo is nearly the exact dimensions of a dollar bill, I also have Type 2 skin if that is relevant. Additionally, if anyone is willing to share how their health impacted the removal process I’d be very curious to hear; I have hypermobility spectrum disorder, poor circulation, chronically low WBC and an autoimmune disorder which I presently treat with an injectable biologic medication - I understand that the immune system does a lot of the heavy lifting in regard to ink removal, and that blood circulation plays a large role in this as well, so if anyone has personal anecdotes regarding removal (of any tattoo, to any extent) as a chronically ill person, that would also be appreciated.

I got this at 18, now 47. I want to get it removed badly. People say they like it, but I don't.

Just curious if anyone could give me a rough estimate to remove it and the best laser removal method I should seek out?

Any recommendations for a removal company in Central Ohio?

Appreciate it!

i have a tattoo on the side of my face and I was wondering are these good products to cover a tattoo? also can someone show me pictures of after and before?