namflashback replied to your photo: Got my second laser session done today! My tattoo...
i was thinking about getting two of my tattoos removed. is it painful or expensive? (or both? D;)
nooriginalcontent replied to your photo: Got my second laser session done today! My tattoo...
How have you found the laser process? I have a tattoo on my bicep that I got when I was 18 that I’m not sure I want anymore.
For me, it feels like having an elastic band snapped at my skin really really fast. It sucks around the sides of my finger but it's quite bearable. I've been told color inks feel different. On inkless skin, it apparently doesn't feel like anything. It's also dependent on how deep the tat was done to begin with. It's a very different feeling to getting ink done, it's much sharper and it's a surface pain. I can actually bear it more than I can tattoos, to be honest. It stings for a while afterwards and it will swell and even get a little blistery looking, especially in more intense concentrations of ink.
You will need multiple sessions, and it's success rate is very dependent on your healing abilities, the type of ink used, the depth, and the colors. The laser wielder will be able to give you a better idea of the success chances for your specific tat, especially if you had the ink done at their shop, or a local place they're familiar with.
My guy charges £50 a session. it seems steep, but they have to have a special license and receive special training, and honestly, like with tattoos themselves, I'd rather pay more for a clean shop and well trained staff, than less for a dude who is discounted for a reason. Also, it's a fucking laser, so there's all kinds of safety implications to getting a poorly trained jackass involved.
Wherever you go, make sure they have their qualification and licence stuff on display, that the room is clean, that they use gloves, and that the equipment and goggles look like they're in good condition.
Also, I don't know about the regulations where you live, but here in the UK you can get lasered by a tattoo artist in their studio. Other places restrict it to the kinds of clinics that do botox etc. Those kinds of places are fairly likely to charge more, at least in my experience.
