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princess · Tattoo lover Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 20

I would never remove my tattoo but I was just curious to see what people have ended up paying to get rid of an unwanted tattoo? I can not imagine the pain that this causes!

red_head_jesus · Tattoo lover Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 2

my wife got a tattoo of a lotus flower on her lower back when she was young, and later on she decided she had outgrown it and wanted to get rid of it. SO, we decided to find a laser dermatologist here in los angeles and see what they could do.

the first one we went to gave her 3 treatments at $250/each. ouch- not only did it hurt the wallet but she didn't use any sort of anaesthetic so it felt like an icepick was being driven into her bak. that doctor SUCKED also, and it did nothing to remove the tat.

then we tried a second doc, and he was better. the cool thing was that he _guaranteed_ he could remove it after 6 treatments, again at $250/each. after that he said he would continue the treatments for free until the tat was gone. 18 treatments later, the tat is seriously faded but not completely gone- so it was an expensive and painful process, but it could've cost a helluva lot more- i think some people haven't gotten this deal and continue to be fleeced at $250-$300 a pop.

basically, removing a tattoo will be about 50-100x more painful and expensive than having one inked on you in the first place (no joke). like some of the other messages have said on this forum, you should take tattoo art seriously and really consider what you want inked- have a real personal connection to the tat and not just do it on a whim or to satisfy someone else.

jsun · Tattoo lover Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

Several years ago I had artwork done that truly represented me well and had it inked on my lower back (very popular spot at the time). When I got home and looked at it in the mirror, I realized I had made a huge mistake. I'd marred what was naturally beautiful. Women's backs are beautiful in itself with its natural lines and curvatures. So, for the past couple years I've been having it removed at a fixed rate of $350 each visit. They do give me an anesthetic to numb the area before the laser hits it which is good because let me tell you, without it, it hurts like hell! Afterwards your skin blisters up for about a week and then dries, scabs and heals like any other scab minus the scarring. You usually have to wait 5-6 weeks in between sessions and the area must not be tan.

So to answer any questions, the process is pricey and can be extremely painful. Also, nothing is guaranteed. Some colors are more difficult to remove than others. Your skin tone and the depth of the ink in the skin are all factors. The doctors cannot tell how many sessions it will take to remove a tattoo just by looking at it.

I see the Doctors of California (which is listed on this site) and have been pleased with the staff and results so far.