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
Gen replied:
Just so you know, I, too, had a tattoo remove. Actually, two. One last week and the other one today.
Here’s a picture of the tattoos before the removal and the day I had the little one removed (sorry the text is in French as I’m a French-canadian myself):
http://y0gen.com/?p=160
Here’s the same scar 6 days later (I’m keeping the stitches for one more week):
http://y0gen.com/?p=191
And the armband, I got it removed today. For now, I still have the bandages on it and I’m not planning on removing it before the week-end, but anyway, I thought you might be interested to take a look at someone else’s surgeries as they seem to be very rare on the internet (actually, it took me several months to find a surgeon willing to do the job).
May 5, 2009 at 2:46 am. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
Thank you so much for sharing your images. This is a difficult thing to share, so again I say thank you. It amazing what our bodies are willing to put up with and what we ask of them. Happy healing…
May 5, 2009 at 12:03 pm. Permalink.
Mike replied:
Where have you had this done???? It does not look at all like my surgery. Did you have a plastic surgeon perform the surgery?
May 13, 2009 at 6:58 pm. Permalink.
Lillian replied:
How large was your tattoo? Just like a rough estimate.. I have one that is 2in x 1in on my pelvic bone and I’m thinking about looking into this… How much was the cost? Sorry for all the questions!
May 7, 2009 at 7:56 am. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
It was 4″ x 3″ and cost $1100
May 7, 2009 at 11:45 am. Permalink.
rootmyplant replied:
Hey, I have new pictures you can take a look at!
Here’s the link:
http://y0gen.com/?p=214
May 8, 2009 at 12:21 am. Permalink.
Staci replied:
Do any of you know if the shoulder blade is an area that surgeons won’t touch because it’s too mobile (during recovery) and contains too tight of skin? My tattoo is about 6 inches long, and 2 inches wide at its widest point, but it’s along the bra line, so I wasn’t sure if doctors would even do this. Lasers probably won’t work because it’s VERY dark black (it isn’t very old, and my pale skin really took to the ink). Any help you can give me would be appreciated. I live in the Los Angeles area.
May 8, 2009 at 5:22 pm. Permalink.
rootmyplant replied:
Maybe they could do it but they would need to do several surgeries in order to remove everything. I don’t think they could do it all at once.
May 8, 2009 at 9:37 pm. Permalink.
MC replied:
You are actually the perfect candidate for laser surgery. The ND Yag, or C6 Medlite (Hoya Con Bio makes this laser) would be the best choice of laser for you. Black ink is actually the easiest to remove as it absorbs all spectrum of laser light, and having pale skin is also good, because the ‘ghosting’ that can occur after a good many laser sessions that may be required to remove all the ink, isn’t as apparent on pale skin.
I would go this less invasive route if you haven’t already tried it. And if your tattoo is new, chances are, it will be easier to remove…if not, quite easy. I had a black tattoo completely removed from my ankle with a ND Yag laser a couple of years ago, but I am thinking of getting a muliticoloured moth tattoo excised (some colours are difficult to get rid of, and the tattoo is old, which is another strike) so I am speaking from experience.
May 14, 2009 at 12:43 am. Permalink.
Staci replied:
Thanks for the encouragement, MC! I’m probably going to start the YAG Q-switched laser process soon (my tattoo is still less than a year old, so I have to wait…most places won’t touch it til it’s a year old, I guess to let the ink settle??). A surgeon told me I’m not a good candidate for excision, because of the location [backbone/shoulderblade is too mobile/skin's too thin]. MC, how old was the one you had laser removed on your ankle, and how many sessions did it take? Also, I heard Alexandrite lasers are better at removing newer tattoos – have you ever heard this? Thanks for any answers you can give!
August 4, 2009 at 8:51 pm. Permalink.
courtney replied:
Staci,
I recently got a tattoo a little over 3 months ago and was immediately dissatisfied with it. I let it heal initially for about 6 weeks and started the laser tattoo removal process. The laser center that I go to said that as long as the skin has healed from the original placement of the tattoo, treatment is okay. So you should be able to start treatment with no problem. It might take a couple more treatments in the long run because the ink is more dense than an old tattoo but it is certainly not as deep in the skin as an old tattoo may be, so the results should be good. Hope this helps!
August 5, 2009 at 3:53 am. Permalink.
Staci replied:
Thanks, Courtney! What type of laser are they using on you? Have you seen any fading yet? I heard that the first couple treatments show noticeable fading, but then tattoos get stubborn after that, until it finally fades about 12-14 sessions later (I’m bracing myself for the COST!). I’m in L.A., and I found one doc who has an alexandrite laser, which I read a study about, saying it’s the best for newer tattoos (less than a couple years old, where the outlines have no blurring). He said he wanted me to wait a year, and since my hubby and I are trying for baby #2, we thought we’d wait til after I give birth. Thanks for any answers you can give me!
August 6, 2009 at 5:36 pm. Permalink.
courtney replied:
They are using the Medlite C6 nd:YAG laser for my tattoo which consists of only black and purple ink. I just completed my second treatment 3 days ago and there really hasn’t been much of a difference yet that I’ve noticed. They informed me that it might take a few treatments to notice fading because the ink is so dense right now because it’s new. So I’m just going to continue treatments and see how it goes. I have not heard that the alexandrite laser is better for new tattoos and that laser is not used for my treatment. Where did you hear that information?
August 7, 2009 at 5:56 pm. Permalink.
Staci replied:
I found a VERY detailed study at
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1121212-overview.
Here’s an excerpt from the study. “The more superficial the tattoo pigment and the less the total volume of pigment, the fewer the number of treatments necessary to remove the pigment. In contrast to anecdotal reports about the QSRL and the Nd:YAG laser, new Q-switched alexandrite-treated tattoos clear faster, possibly because the location of newer tattoos is more superficial. New tattoos have sharp lines with bright colors; whereas, older tattoos are blurred, with indistinct lines and duller, bluer colors, presumably resulting from ink movement deeper into the dermis.”
August 11, 2009 at 10:32 pm. Permalink.
Staci replied:
By the way, Courtney: Is it as painful as people say? Do you use any numbing cream, and if so, where can someone buy something like that? Also, how has the healing been (that day and a few days after)? I’m hoping the process isn’t too “high maintenance” for healing and bandaging, since mine is on my backbone/shoulder area where it’s hard to reach. Where is yours located?
Thanks again for your answers!
August 11, 2009 at 10:37 pm. Permalink.
courtney replied:
It is painful but really tolerable. I rate it about a 7 on a scale of 1-10. The numbing cream helps tremendously too. I purchase it at the laser center ($60 per tube but lasts about 7 treatments they say). After the treatment, I’m sore for about an hour and the rest of the day I feel fine. Then for the next few days after, the area feels as if its been badly sunburnt (sore and tender to touch) but I keep a large bandage on to prevent clothes from irritating the area, which is on my hip. So far, I haven’t experienced any bleeding or blistering which is great. At worst, my skin forms small scabs so I just keep the area moisturized until the scabs are gone. In my experience, its a pretty easy process but this changes from person to person.
August 12, 2009 at 10:26 pm. Permalink.
Mike replied:
Mine was also removed in 2 sessions, otherwise it would stretch too much, had mine removed in Amsterdam, Holland. the only thing to know is that you have to be patient. Scar healing takes a very long time, can be upto 1.5 years. But mine is healing very well
(last surgery was October 2008)
May 13, 2009 at 6:55 pm. Permalink.
rootmyplant replied:
Mike: Do you have any pictures of your scar?
May 22, 2009 at 10:08 pm. Permalink.
courtney replied:
i’m looking into ways to remove my tattoo as well…i have a tattoo about 4 in by 3 in on my hip and am wondering if excision is a good idea? i’ve looked into laser removal but don’t want to wait with pain and regret for more than a year to get the tattoo removed by laser. help?
June 3, 2009 at 4:17 pm. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
Laser is a VERY slow process and it is painful without numbing cream. They’ve started using cool air which distracts you from the pain completely. The hip would probably be an easy removal especially if you’ve had children and extra skin is available…think tummy tuck. Hope this helps!
June 26, 2009 at 3:54 pm. Permalink.
TC replied:
I was wondering if u had any scar tightness? I’m about to have my tattoo on my lower back removed. It will take four sessions. The doctor said to expect tightness…I’m curious as to what exactly that might feel like. I’m a little worried about the movement I’ll have after it is removed. Thanks for any information you can provide.
June 4, 2009 at 4:10 am. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
Yes I had some tightness about 1/2 way down the scar which is where you see some stretching.
June 26, 2009 at 3:48 pm. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
Also meant to mention…pull the skin on your arm slightly, that’s what it feels like. Also, you know when you eat too much how your stomach feels? Just like that. No pain…I was back out running 4 miles a day a week after surgery
June 26, 2009 at 3:50 pm. Permalink.
William replied:
Hey! came across your site when doing some research on scar revision. Just wondering, what kind of skin do you have on the Fitzpatrick scale? Are you Caucasian?
And has any part of your scar thickened or elevated above the skin?
June 9, 2009 at 4:59 am. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
I am skin type III on the Fitzpatrick scale. I am Caucasian with blonde hair and brown eyes, so I tan but also burn. I haven’t had any raising with the scar, you can feel scar tissue under the surface.
June 26, 2009 at 3:52 pm. Permalink.
JD replied:
Can this procedure be done on the calf. I have a small tattoo which is 2×2?
June 26, 2009 at 9:39 pm. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
While I haven’t heard of anyone having that done, one that is 2×2 shouldn’t be a problem. You should contact your local plastic surgeon and ask a few questions.
June 29, 2009 at 11:29 am. Permalink.
Lauren replied:
where did you have this done?
July 9, 2009 at 3:32 pm. Permalink.
raeofhope replied:
In Tennessee
July 9, 2009 at 5:11 pm. Permalink.
courtney replied:
thanks for your help. how long is your incision scar? i’ve heard that the scar will end up extending the length of the original tattoo. was this true for you? also…has there been any significant changes in the appearance of your scar over the past two months? has it lightened?
July 10, 2009 at 2:54 am. Permalink.
courtney replied:
also…did the tightness that was originally experienced after surgery regress and return to normal in time? or do you still experience tightness months after surgery? any help with these questions would be appreciated!
July 23, 2009 at 1:43 am. Permalink.
Staci replied:
raeofhope, do you have any new pictures you can post for us? I’m curious how it looks, now that a few months have passed since your last picture was posted.
Thanks! Your website is very informative!
August 4, 2009 at 8:55 pm. Permalink.