Sorry it’s been so long…
I know it’s been forever since my last picture post. Things have been ridiculous in my personal life, but only for the better. I’ve decided I will wait to have the revision surgery. My scar is fading just fine and looking at it, it truly isn’t that bad of a scar. It looks like an “S” and I can live with the S until I have some disposable income or the scar starts to bother me. I wouldn’t want to have surgery on it during the summer months since I wouldn’t be able to spend time at the lake wakeboarding or water-skiing. For now I think the best thing is to just keep it out of the sun and off of my mind. I’m so glad I’m able to help all of you make the decision for excision. I love hearing how you’re healing, as it reminds me I’m not the only one out there. Feel free to ask any questions, and I promise to keep updating!
Scar Progress 5/2
Moving
I’m in the process of moving but will next some new pics up next week. Things are looking great. I’ve been thinking of going back and having them do another excision to great a straight scar instead of a curved one. Any thoughts??
3 Months
I’ll put some new pictures up after this weekend. Things are healing very nicely. I’ve stopped using the hydro cream because I wasn’t noticing much of a difference. The continuation of darkness in color is due to my nautral pigmentation. There’s nothing I can really do about it. Some scars fade quickly and others take a lot longer based on your natural pigmentation. That’s why some people have keloid scars. Keloid scars are a more serious form of scarring, because they can carry on growing indefinitely into a large, tumorous (although benign) growth.
Week 10
Sorry for the delay in posting. Everything is continuing to heal well. As the doctor said, I will have some dark discoloration for about 8-10 months after surgery. I’m still using Vaseline every night before I go to bed. Here’s an updated picture, taken this morning…
Week 10
To answer Mike’s question: They gave me 2 options. I could have half of it taken out and then the other half at a later date OR I could have it all taken out and then scar revision or have the scar removed at a later date. I chose the latter so I wouldn’t have half scar/half ink on my back. That to me was just as embarrassing as the full tattoo being there. You can find some pictures like that of Geri from the Spice Girls. You can see her scar and then the laser marks. This picture is what made me not choose that option…
Geri Halliwell
Week 6
Well it’s been six weeks since my surgery and things are healing so nicely. Sorry I didn’t post anything during week 5. I’ve started putting Vaseline on my scar in the morning and then the hydroquinone cream at night. Last night was the first night that I used it so we should be noticing a difference in the next couple weeks. There is one spot that the stitches are trying to push their way out but I’m not too concerned with it. I’m excited to be able to put on a bathing suit next summer and feel like I can walk around without trying to cover my back all the time. I will continue to put SPF 50 on it so the scar won’t darken. Here’s what things are starting to look like…
Week 6
Week 4
I went to the doctor yesterday for another post-op checkup. Dr. Gallaher in Knoxville, TN is the doctor that performed the surgery. He has been so great about what to do with the scar and what to expect. He has been very informative and realistic. He expect the scarring to take 8 months to diminish with my complexion. I’ve been continuing to use antibiotic ointment both in the morning and at night. I haven’t had any pain or itching. Starting next week I can use a hydroquinone cream which is used to bleach age spots. While the doctor isn’t “recommending” using the cream it could help to speed up the fading process. One of my best friends is school to be a physical therapist. Next weekend she will be teaching me scar massage therapy which is used on burn victims to minimize scarring. I figured it can’t hurt and maybe will even help. I was asked why I do not keep the scar covered with silicone bandages. My wound was covered with glue to prevent anything from getting inside and keeping the skin covered and most does not affect the healing. Here are my pictures from Week 4.
Week 4
And a close-up…
Week 4 Closeup
I Promise…
To write a new post today…with pictures!!!
Original Size
The original size of the tattoo was 4″ by 3″ at the longest/widest parts. I forgot to mention that in an earlier post. Thanks for the questions! I have another post-op checkup Monday morning and will be posting new pictures and information from that visit.
17 Post-Op
Everything is healing great. I ran this weekend without having any problems. I’ve been putting Neosporin on the incision twice a day. Starting next week I’ll be putting Vitamin E oil on it twice daily. If I wear high waisted pants they still rub a little bit on the incision. I went out and laid by the pool this weekend and just made sure to keep the entire thing covered so that the scar won’t get dark and even more visible than it already is. If it starts itching that means it’s dry and needs more oil on it. In my opinion this keeps is from trying to stretch. Having the excision was a great decision for me. It may not be for everyone, but if the lasers aren’t working and you really want it off of your body it may be the way to go. It’s healing quite nicely and I will continue to upload weekly pictures.
17 Days After Surgery
17 Days After Surgery
10 Days Post-Op
Feeling SO much better. I can sleep on my back and even laid out at the pool over the long weekend. I kept it covered while outside and used SPF 50 on the area. With the incision and the glue, I can’t have the area soaking in any water. The glue is completely gone now and the swelling has gone down a lot. I forgot to mention in my previous post that the reason the scar isn’t a straight line is due to the fact that I didn’t have enough extra skin back there to pull the sides together. If they would have tried to make a straight line, it would have resulted in a stretched scar that wouldn’t have healed properly. This was the best way to go. I truly hope that this is helping some people with their decision on tattoo removal. The laser does not work for everyone. Upon inspection, the plastic surgeon said the ink was so deep in my skin that it never would have come out completely with a laser. Here’s an updated picture…
10 Days After Surgery
