Any tattoo removal recs in NoVA?
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Anonymous
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The year was 1999, and I was 18. Y2K was about to happen, and no one knew what was going to happen. I was asserting my newfound adult-ness and got a lower back tattoo.
I'd like to get it removed. fwiw, it was simple blank ink, on my pale body. Any recs for a place in NoVA? How much would it cost? How was the process? What can I realistically expect? |
Anonymous
| SkinDC in Rosslyn. Couldn't tell you cost but they are professionals. |
Anonymous
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What can I realistically expect?
PAIN |
Anonymous
Eh. I mean I got a tattoo, so is it going to hurt much more than that? What I'm mostly interested in is expectations - can they really remove it? Or will it be lightened, rather? What can I actually expect my skin to look like after? |
Anonymous
This is a good rec. They key is to go to someone with a PicoWay laser, which is the new generation of tattoo removal lasers and better than prior options. Removery also uses a PicoWay. I'd talk to at least two places so you can price compare. I know Removery offers a popular option where instead of paying per visit, they will give you a quote based on your tattoo and that's what you pay for full removal, whether it takes four or fourteen sessions. They also offer payment plans so you could pay for it over the course of a year or two which can make it easier. I don't know what SkinDC offers in terms of payment plans but I'd be comparing it to Removery since they are very upfront about pricing. You also might want to talk to at least one other cosmetic dermatologist. Some additional info: - I believe tattoo removal works best when you can be patient and wait a while between sessions. The tattoo fading happens over the course of weeks or even months following a laser session, as your skin repairs itself from the damage caused by the laser and the ink is removed to your body's waste system through the normal process of skin regeneration. The people I've known who have gotten the best results have done removal over the course of several years with big waits between sessions. - It is painful, but as you said, so is getting a tattoo. IME people who are motivated to remove tattoos can generally handle the pain. There are some pain relief options though, including a numbing cream. You should talk to them at your consultation to find out what pain relief options they offer and how much they are -- you would be surprised how much this can add to the overall cost of your tattoo. However, even if you go with a place like Removery, which I do not believe offers pain relief (because they are just tattoo removal specialists and not doctors), you may be able to get a numbing cream from a regular dermatologist to use for your sessions. So explore all options. It really depends on the size of your tattoo. - It sounds like you are a good candidate for removal -- black ink tattoos usually are easier to remove, and older tattoos are easier than newer tattoos. They've also found that tattoos on the torso are easier to remove because of their proximity to the heart, which promotes better cell turnover and expels the ink better than tattoos on your extremities. And often people with pale skin have better removal experiences because the contrast between skin and ink makes it easier to target the the tattoo ink. Good luck! |
Anonymous
Yes it hurts. Session 3 is where it really starts to hurt and session 4 is when it really starts to fade. |
Anonymous
Had mine done at the Center for Laser Surgery - they inject lidocaine, it was painless. Also incredibly quick process overall, I think they have better/newer lasers than anyone else. |
Anonymous
Oh Lord. It hurts so much worse than getting it. |
Anonymous
PP here. It was the lidocaine shots that hurt the most, but I could still feel it. |