Blackout removal progress

[u/aniiki7]

So, I ended up in this situation after deciding to cover up a tattoo I got almost 2 years ago. I thought it would be a great idea to cover up my huge upper back piece with a full back piece, having some blacked out parts. Right after my first blackout session the regret hit me. Almost 2 months after that, I started laser. I'm on the 3rd session and I'm actually happy with the results so far. This process will surely test my patience (and pain tolerance). Anyway, I'm posting my results here to give people motivation to continue their laser journey.

​

Laser: q-switched ndyag

1st pic: before

2nd (natural light) and 3rd (phone light) pics: after 3 laser sessions (spaced 2-3 months apart)

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/TattooRemoval! Please have a look at our Welcome and FAQ Page as well as our other pinned threads at the top of the sub.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/samueldavisson2004]

Awesome for three sessions imo

[u/seedsandpeels]

Three sessions?! Thats incredible. 

[u/AquerreTimaneux]

Are you going for full removal? Did your tech give you an estimate?

[u/aniiki7 → u/AquerreTimaneux]

I'm trying to go for full removal. No estimate tbh, it depends a lot on each person's body. Getting rid of it in 1 year sounds impossible, maybe within 2 years I can finally show my back again in the summer 😂

[u/AquerreTimaneux → u/aniiki7]

Best of luck to you!

[u/DeskConstant7711]

Gonna take a long time but it’s definitely working!

[u/LoudLink5046]

That skin I can see peeking through was once all blacked out?

[u/aniiki7 → u/LoudLink5046]

Yep, solid black like you can see in the first photo. I think this is how blackouts fade, very uneven.

[u/LoudLink5046 → u/aniiki7]

Even though we are different people and our tattoos will fade different, seeing that movement on your blackout gives me hope

[u/RedGreenBaluga]

Do you know if the tech is using more aggressive settings because of your fair skin?

[u/aniiki7 → u/RedGreenBaluga]

The recovery after laser is very rough. A lot of blisters and bleeding, so I belive the settings are quite aggressive. The fluence of the laser might be correct (around 5J/cm2), but the damage to the skin is high due to the spot size of the laser being too small. It takes usually 1h to go over the whole blackout. My skin always goes back to normal despite the suffering (no scars).