I finally had my 8th tattoo removal session this morning after a 1-year hiatus. I just did not want to deal with the 2-week aftercare process. The lidocaine has worn off and now my wrist is burning burning burning. I’m not looking forward to sitting in my 3-hour Medical Geography class tonight.
Anyway, I decided to compile a list of frequently asked questions. In the 2 weeks following my removal sessions, my wrist is bandaged up the entire time and I constantly get asked questions about it. I don’t mind answering people’s questions, I really don’t. Some people are genuinely interested or they are looking into getting a tattoo removed, too. I only get annoyed when people ask questions like “Well, why did you get the tattoo in the first place?” with somewhat of a condescending attitude. As Stephanie Tanner would say…how rude!
Anyway, these are the FAQs and answers. 
Why are you removing it?
Because I don’t want it anymore.
Why not?
Because I don’t like it anymore.
Then why did you get it?
Because I liked it at the time.
Does it hurt?
Getting it done doesn’t hurt. They basically inject the area with about 20+ shots of lidocaine, which feels like pinching. Then you can’t even feel the laser. The pain comes after the lidocaine wears off and then it hurts like hell for the next week. It feels like a really, really, REALLY bad burn. And it blisters and then the blisters pop, which is also quite unpleasant.
How much does it cost?
This depends on the size of your tattoo. My tattoo was about 2×3 inches and was just small enough to fit into the lowest price bracket, if I remember correctly. I initially bought a 5-session package, and then bought another one once those were up. My first package was about $1200-$1300, I believe. They were doing some kind of promotion. Then my second package was also bought during another promotion and it was about $900.
How much progress have you had?
The first 4 sessions showed very little progress, except on the black shading. Perhaps a light fading of the pink was noticeable. There was barely any fading of the green. During the 5th-7th sessions, parts of the pink were gone. The green is fading ever so slowly. Light colors like pink/yellow/green are the hardest to remove. Darker colors like blue and black are easier.
Will it be gone after the 10th session you paid for?
I’m not quite sure. Hopefully, but I doubt it. I have a feeling I will need at least 3 or 4 more after that.
