As some of you might know, I am a tattoo fan and have several myself. I generally don’t mind them, in as much that I have a couple that I have that I maybe wouldn’t get today but not to the point of hating them. There is one that I’ve done myself, when I was learning how to tattoo that is probably the worst that I’ve got. At least I’ve only got myself to blame, right?
I’ve thought a few times about doing a cover up – or at least integrating it into something else but the reality is that I haven’t come up with any brilliant idea for it in the last few years.
I have several friends and acquaintances that have tattoos, so I did a bit of asking around, was there any regret and would anyone consider laser tattoo removal?
My friend Dee has had a few cover ups herself and says:
I did when I was younger, thought they were holding me back in my career, but as I can’t afford laser or skin grafts, I had them covered up with larger ones. I realised the problem was with my self confidence, not my tattoos.
Most people I asked said they had no regrets and that was the general consensus, maybe would cover something up, but that was it. But what about the people who can’t carry on living with their tattoos?
I managed to get a few quotes on that too.
Gisela told me the story about her colleague:
One tat she hated from the moment she saw it. she said it was so badly done she just burst into tears when she saw it. She did lots of research on how to cover or remove it and apparently it was so dense in colour she had to have many sessions of laser to lighten it enough before it could be covered which it now has been with something she loves. The other was something she grew out of but she also felt was in the wrong place so she had that completely removed.
Kim gave me a full account of her tattoo tribulations, which were quite enlightening.
So there it is. I’m happy that the majority of the testimonials I’ve heard ended well and everyone managed to get their tattoos removed or covered up. These testimonials just reinforce the fact that a tattoo is for life (or almost), so if you’re planning on getting one, plan very carefully and research who you are getting it done with. The reality is, not all artists are good or able to do all styles, so you have to be careful and think that it’s best to spend a bit more money and see someone competent. Laser tattoo removal exists but due to its nature – pain and cost – it isn’t accessible to everyone. Covder-ups can only do so much as well, so sometimes it’s not really an option. Until the magical tattoo removal cream becomes available, laser removal is our only option to get rid of ink entirely, so as with so many things in life, it’s best to be safe than sorry.
PS: A big thank you to all my friends who chipped in and gave me their opinions and testimonials. I couldn’t include all of them in the blog post but it doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate it 🙂
PS2: All the images above are obviously vintage.
PS3 : This post has been possible thanks to the Pulse Light Clinic.
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