11th February: Day 6 into the 1st application removal process. 2 new update pictures added.
13th March: Day 7 and 1st March 4 new pictures added.
Click Here
Click on the images for a more detailed look at the surface area of the skin. I've mastered my camera setting now so the future pictures will all be of the same quality as today's update pics.
Showing posts with label tattoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tattoo. Show all posts
8 Feb 2009
How NOT To Remove Your Tattoo with TCA!
[This tattoo was not the one removed. I just posted it because it looked really cool.]So I'm sitting here reading that blog on the woman who did her own tattoo removal with TCA.
I can definitely see why she burned the fuck out of herself. Sorry for the harsh F, but that's what she did. Now remember I stated two blog posts below you do this at your own risk...well LondonDiva may walk into doors, falls down stairs an awful lot, but I have some common sense.
I'm not licenced. I'm not a cosmetologist. But I did do enough research and read the instructions more than once to know what I'm doing and most of all be patient with this process. This reminds me of folks who trade and lose it all because they aren't sensible enough to come up with a money management plan as well as a trading one. Too impatient to make money. Too impatient to want the tattoo gone. And that's when you royally f*** it up.
I'm reading this ish shaking my head...why?
- She applied between 5-7 coats of TCA on the first peel between 46-50% strength. The strength is fine the amount of layers is not. 2-3 layers are recommended. This is a chemical. The A stands for Acid for goodness sake!
- She had TCA on non-tattooed parts of her skin, talking about it dripped. I used a Q Tip as did she. I don't know how she managed to over soak that thing, and even if she did, blot it against the side of whatever the TCA solution was in. I drew it over my tattoo like you would if you were tracing a picture. The liquid evaporated pretty instantly I don't know what the hell she was doing.
- Once the scabs came off she went swimming and noticed from the chlorine the tattoo stung. OK what does that tell you? Hasn't healed perhaps! Probably because after 5-7 layers that was a deep ass peel, that needs a long ass recovery time. God was telling you something.
- On the second 46% application 3 months later she said the tattoo stings just from scratching it and said she didn't want to waste anymore time in between applications. Jesus Lord have mercy. Then she applies 8 freakin layers of TCA to an already sensitive skin area so that it frosts completely. And you're blogging that this hurts? OK if you do your research you'll know that once your skin comes into contact with TCA it's working ,frosting or not. Nothing untoward will happen in between applications except that the skin will heal better. The fact it's been 3 months from 1st to 2nd application tells you that the application was way too much hence the long healing time.
LondonDiva at this point is not feeling sorry for this broad at all.
- Now this gyal in her comments want to act like Nuviderm is evil when she's putting 8 coats on a non-healed area of her skin. It's like women blaming relaxer companies for leaving her bald when she left it on for 40 minutes or something. It is stated in the instructions VERY CLEARLY not to apply TCA to broken skin. Skin which is not healed is considered broken in my book.
- I wonder if she even used sunscreen at all, there was nothing at all to say if she was even using anti-bacterial ointment to protect the old and new skin layers like I am.
- It seems as though she went by the instructions where it says it's safe to use apply again x amount of weeks after the first application **shakes head** use it as a guide not gospel. It's like these folks see 6 weeks after application #1 is fine to apply again and whether the skin is healed or not they are jumping right back in because the instructions said so. Eff that if my skin takes 6 weeks to heal and not 3 weeks this time around then I'll just wait. It's not worth the risk.
- Hmmmm her second application didn't even blister. The reason why? She burnt off too many layers that didn't heal there is probably no healed outer layer to even blister off.
- OK now her area is sooooo bad she had to put a bandage on it as it blistered and weeped really badly. Although and get this...she stated it may be a good thing that on the bandage with all the blood stains are colours of the tattoo coming off. OK she really wanted this tattoo off that badly you can tell. There shouldn't be the need for a bandage 18 days post 2nd peel..KNOCK KNOCK shouldn't that tell you something already.
- So she went to the doctor and $130 later she got prescribed medicines. **shakes head** Something tells me that 1 layer of TCA would never have resulted in this. I applied 2 layers on 1 tattoo and 3 layers on 2 tattoos. By layer #3 it's hurts as hell! I could not imagine 7 layers at all. People forget it's not just the TCA doing the work your body does too in generating new skin cells. OMG the picture of this is just nasty.
- **Kissing My Teeth** In her comments post doctors visit, painkillers and med she admits to saying that at 50% at 6-10 layers was too much and that she only recommends about 5 layers. Bitch please 2-3 are enough. You are in no position to be advising anyone after those puss ridden pictures.
- **LAUGHING** After all of that medication and waiting literally 2 WHOLE MONTHS for a scab to appear and fall off, she's going to apply scar cream wait awhile and apply for TCA. OK I would be done by now I really would have.
7 Feb 2009
Tattoo Removal With TCA [Chemical Peel]
If you don't know, now you know. BEFORE the laser doctors recommended tattoo removal to be done using TCA [TriChloroacetic Acid]. I'm blogging about this because there may be others who
(1) Have a darker skin tone and cannot find a suitable laser option to cater towards having their tattoo removed.
(2) I have seen not one Black picture testimonial for tattoo removal. I'm being the guinea pig.
(3) Laser treatment maybe too costly (in the thousands) for some and want a cheaper option. This kit cost me (including shipping from the USA) roughly £40. There is enough to last me the full course of tattoo removal. Plus from reading on forums/other websites where people had tried laser treatments they didn't always work, but the TCA did.
And please none of this be careful LondonDiva etc etc etc. I'm grown, sensible and of course I'll be careful! You can do it yourself [which is what I'm doing and many others have done] or you can pay hundreds for a cosmetologist to do it for you. You do it at your own risk the same way you entrust a cosmetologist to do it at your own risk. A certificate doesn't equate to them doing a good/great job. It's risky period! The same way I relax my hair 3 times a year using a chemical without a cosmetology licence. I trust myself implicitly and if I felt I couldn't follow instructions I would pay the hundreds to have somebody else do it for me. Plus I hate people telling me to be careful, all concern aside I'm not a bloody idiot!
I DID MY RESEARCH!! Yes I did. Laser for black skins and tattoo removal, couldn't find any sources and the cost was sky high! This TCA kit I bought from a seller on Ebay or you can buy directly from their site Yavonae. The Ebay seller ID is exactly the same, they sell from the US and ship globally. There is a US ebay store and one for the UK buyers too. I asked the most important question about it being safe for black skins. It is safe for all skin colours as it doesn't penetrate deep into the melanin layers. It sheds a few layers at a time which means you may have to do about 6 treatments every 6-8 weeks or so, so your tattoo removal may take up to a year.
Some light reading on TCA
Ink Busters
Tattoo Health
Some heavy AND REAL reading when it goes wrong.
Tinaister's Blog read from the bottom up and go to previous page for the next page.
My REAL opinion on her TCA removal process
I personally would not have put 7-8 coats of TCA on any tattoo. I did 3 coats (with a Q-Tip) on 2 tattoos and 2 coats on 1 tattoo (as recommended in the instructions from Yavonae). The woman basically burnt herself hence all that blistering with all those layers. Neither did I do it so the whole tattoo frosted before I was done., one frosted completely but my aim was just to get 2-3 layers on and leave it at that. Frosting or not as soon as the TCA hits your skin, it's going to react weeks down the line and peel off. So it makes sense hers blistered and weeped as badly as it did. she applied it thick, your skin will react and peel very quickly and thickly hence blistering like that.
I understand the frustration an unwanted tattoo can bring, but folks be sensible ...7-8 coats!!. HELL TO THE NAW!! Plus I would only use 100% TCA (to be diluted down) and steer away from these fancy named products. Aside from TCA what the hell was in Nuviderm. **shudders** You can use TCA for a host of things. Tattoo removal the maximum strength you are advised to use is 50% TCA 50% Purified Water. (I used mineral water). Never do a face peel with 50%. I wouldn't do a face peel anyway unless I could guarantee being in the house for 2 weeks solid. If you buy a kit from Yavonae EVERYTHING you need will be in the kit from vial, creams, anti-bacterial lotion, instructions, alcohol swabs, dropper, even a fan to cool down that bitch ass stinging. I advise to get the kit and NOT just the TCA chemical. Remember I told you.
A LOT of people say in their blogs/testimonials etc that after the first peel the tattoo looks brighter than it did pre-treatment. Even on the instructions that come from Yavonae it says that this is to be expected. The skin has shed exposing a new layer of skin hence the new 'brightness' and appearance of the tattoo.
What they (some people from what I've read) then go ahead and do is up the strength of the TCA on the next peel. WOAH!! Don't do that. Stick with 50% or lower it [for tattoos only] don't go above that at all.
Tattoo Location: 2 inner right wrist (1997-1999). 1 left bicep (1997)
Green ink used.
Age: Tattoos are roughly 10-12 years old.
Skin type: Black. [see picture below for my skin tone]. I have been advised that TCA is safe to use on black skins as it doesn’t penetrate deep into the melanin layers.
I Mixed 50% TCA with 50% water into a sterile glass vial using a plastic dropper. This is the maximum strength advised for tattoo removal.
I wiped the tattooed area with an alcoholic swab.
With a Q-Tip I applied the TCA only to the tattoo, carefully covering the tattooed area lightly.
I let it sit for about a minute and applied another layer. I repeated this until I did 2-3 layers. By this time the solution was burning [normal reaction] and itching. This is temporary and subsides. I braved it but the kit comes with a fan to cool the area. Don't touch it!
When the skin goes frosty it means it is working and the skin is reacting with the chemical. Even if it doesn't frost it's working.
Leave on for about 3-4 minutes, and gently rinse off with cool water. I applied wet cotton wool pads to the area as a compress afterwards. The area will still feel sore and maybe slightly swollen even for a few days later. This is normal.
Day 1: 6th February 2009
The next day the swelling has gone down to the point where there is none. Area is flattened out, the skin looks and feels good. I'm more concerned about the peel in this area than the wrists if it goes wrong. It won't because I'm THAT POSTIVE **smile** It favours a mild skin burn.
Day 6: 11th February
I'm still using the anti-bacterial ointment and will continue twice a day after showering for the next 2 days. The tattoos are pretty dry now and the best way to describe it, feels like tissue paper. I can feel the healing going on as it's itching [Good sign]. I must now order some Emu Oil to aid in the healing, which will speed it up. I have Emu Oil capsules which I will burst and use whilst waiting on my order. The slight pain and swelling is gone totally.
I'll be interested to see how those brown edges heal up. It said on the instructions that darker skins will go brown/black, so I'm not worried...for now. Fingers crossed. I cannot wait for this area to peel as it's itching a little bit.
The healing went better than I expected. NO SCARRING! And it healed up pretty quickly. There is no evidence I used TCA on my skin. It took about a week to peel off. At this stage I didn't expect any colour to come off [it states you may not get any colour removal and that the tattoo may look fresher than it did before], that's because you've removed a layer and the colour appears bright and the tattoo sharper. Where I've circled in red [click on pic to enlarge] is the only area where colour is slightly lighter. At this stage I'm happy. I did it right, I wasn't burnt or scared and know what to expect come the 2nd treatment .
This area circled is the only part that noticeably faded. Upon peeling some areas went a little white like too much skin had been peeled off, in a matter of days it turned back to my regular skin colour. That scared me as I thought I may have over did it. Again the tattoo seems darker and sharper. As a layer of skin has been taken off I'm fine with that as that's what's supposed to happen. And look that brown ring around the tattoo in the previous pic...nothing to worry about, no remnants of it postpeeling.
What I'm going to do from now until the peeling begins in about 2 weeks.
(1) Have a darker skin tone and cannot find a suitable laser option to cater towards having their tattoo removed.
(2) I have seen not one Black picture testimonial for tattoo removal. I'm being the guinea pig.
(3) Laser treatment maybe too costly (in the thousands) for some and want a cheaper option. This kit cost me (including shipping from the USA) roughly £40. There is enough to last me the full course of tattoo removal. Plus from reading on forums/other websites where people had tried laser treatments they didn't always work, but the TCA did.
And please none of this be careful LondonDiva etc etc etc. I'm grown, sensible and of course I'll be careful! You can do it yourself [which is what I'm doing and many others have done] or you can pay hundreds for a cosmetologist to do it for you. You do it at your own risk the same way you entrust a cosmetologist to do it at your own risk. A certificate doesn't equate to them doing a good/great job. It's risky period! The same way I relax my hair 3 times a year using a chemical without a cosmetology licence. I trust myself implicitly and if I felt I couldn't follow instructions I would pay the hundreds to have somebody else do it for me. Plus I hate people telling me to be careful, all concern aside I'm not a bloody idiot!
I DID MY RESEARCH!! Yes I did. Laser for black skins and tattoo removal, couldn't find any sources and the cost was sky high! This TCA kit I bought from a seller on Ebay or you can buy directly from their site Yavonae. The Ebay seller ID is exactly the same, they sell from the US and ship globally. There is a US ebay store and one for the UK buyers too. I asked the most important question about it being safe for black skins. It is safe for all skin colours as it doesn't penetrate deep into the melanin layers. It sheds a few layers at a time which means you may have to do about 6 treatments every 6-8 weeks or so, so your tattoo removal may take up to a year.
Some light reading on TCA
Ink Busters
Tattoo Health
Some heavy AND REAL reading when it goes wrong.
Tinaister's Blog read from the bottom up and go to previous page for the next page.
My REAL opinion on her TCA removal process
I personally would not have put 7-8 coats of TCA on any tattoo. I did 3 coats (with a Q-Tip) on 2 tattoos and 2 coats on 1 tattoo (as recommended in the instructions from Yavonae). The woman basically burnt herself hence all that blistering with all those layers. Neither did I do it so the whole tattoo frosted before I was done., one frosted completely but my aim was just to get 2-3 layers on and leave it at that. Frosting or not as soon as the TCA hits your skin, it's going to react weeks down the line and peel off. So it makes sense hers blistered and weeped as badly as it did. she applied it thick, your skin will react and peel very quickly and thickly hence blistering like that.
I understand the frustration an unwanted tattoo can bring, but folks be sensible ...7-8 coats!!. HELL TO THE NAW!! Plus I would only use 100% TCA (to be diluted down) and steer away from these fancy named products. Aside from TCA what the hell was in Nuviderm. **shudders** You can use TCA for a host of things. Tattoo removal the maximum strength you are advised to use is 50% TCA 50% Purified Water. (I used mineral water). Never do a face peel with 50%. I wouldn't do a face peel anyway unless I could guarantee being in the house for 2 weeks solid. If you buy a kit from Yavonae EVERYTHING you need will be in the kit from vial, creams, anti-bacterial lotion, instructions, alcohol swabs, dropper, even a fan to cool down that bitch ass stinging. I advise to get the kit and NOT just the TCA chemical. Remember I told you.
A LOT of people say in their blogs/testimonials etc that after the first peel the tattoo looks brighter than it did pre-treatment. Even on the instructions that come from Yavonae it says that this is to be expected. The skin has shed exposing a new layer of skin hence the new 'brightness' and appearance of the tattoo.
What they (some people from what I've read) then go ahead and do is up the strength of the TCA on the next peel. WOAH!! Don't do that. Stick with 50% or lower it [for tattoos only] don't go above that at all.
Tattoo Location: 2 inner right wrist (1997-1999). 1 left bicep (1997)
Green ink used.
Age: Tattoos are roughly 10-12 years old.
Skin type: Black. [see picture below for my skin tone]. I have been advised that TCA is safe to use on black skins as it doesn’t penetrate deep into the melanin layers.
I Mixed 50% TCA with 50% water into a sterile glass vial using a plastic dropper. This is the maximum strength advised for tattoo removal.
I wiped the tattooed area with an alcoholic swab.
With a Q-Tip I applied the TCA only to the tattoo, carefully covering the tattooed area lightly.
I let it sit for about a minute and applied another layer. I repeated this until I did 2-3 layers. By this time the solution was burning [normal reaction] and itching. This is temporary and subsides. I braved it but the kit comes with a fan to cool the area. Don't touch it!
When the skin goes frosty it means it is working and the skin is reacting with the chemical. Even if it doesn't frost it's working.
Leave on for about 3-4 minutes, and gently rinse off with cool water. I applied wet cotton wool pads to the area as a compress afterwards. The area will still feel sore and maybe slightly swollen even for a few days later. This is normal.
Day 1: 6th February 2009
2 tattoos located on my inner right wrist. I applied 3 layers of 50% TCA. Slight frosting occurred. Area coated with anti-bacterial ointment post washing off with cold water.
1 tattoo on left bicep. 2 layers of TCA. The whole area frosted.
After about 15 minutes the frosting disappeared.
Day 2: 7th February 2009
Still swollen and a tad sore. The use of the anti-bacterial ointment is advised throughout the peeling process. The skin will start to look a little rough. These are the layers that over the next two week that will shed and lighten the tattoo. This process will need to be done over a period of time to remove the tattoo completely. Notice how it looks a little rough, this is normal and a sign you have covered the area with TCA whether it frosted or not. That area WILL peel in the next few weeks.
The next day the swelling has gone down to the point where there is none. Area is flattened out, the skin looks and feels good. I'm more concerned about the peel in this area than the wrists if it goes wrong. It won't because I'm THAT POSTIVE **smile** It favours a mild skin burn.
Day 6: 11th February
I'm still using the anti-bacterial ointment and will continue twice a day after showering for the next 2 days. The tattoos are pretty dry now and the best way to describe it, feels like tissue paper. I can feel the healing going on as it's itching [Good sign]. I must now order some Emu Oil to aid in the healing, which will speed it up. I have Emu Oil capsules which I will burst and use whilst waiting on my order. The slight pain and swelling is gone totally.
I'll be interested to see how those brown edges heal up. It said on the instructions that darker skins will go brown/black, so I'm not worried...for now. Fingers crossed. I cannot wait for this area to peel as it's itching a little bit.Day 7: 12th February
The peeling now begins.
I was so worried the whole area would be pink! I kept on with the emu oil and kept it covered. It looks painful, but it wasn't, flaked off painlessly. At this stage I also washed the area in the bath/shower with my fingertips and patted dry. You may think drying it out is best but keep it moisturised with emu oil or Vitamin E Oil. It will peel regardless.
1st March
The peeling now begins.
I was so worried the whole area would be pink! I kept on with the emu oil and kept it covered. It looks painful, but it wasn't, flaked off painlessly. At this stage I also washed the area in the bath/shower with my fingertips and patted dry. You may think drying it out is best but keep it moisturised with emu oil or Vitamin E Oil. It will peel regardless.1st March
The healing went better than I expected. NO SCARRING! And it healed up pretty quickly. There is no evidence I used TCA on my skin. It took about a week to peel off. At this stage I didn't expect any colour to come off [it states you may not get any colour removal and that the tattoo may look fresher than it did before], that's because you've removed a layer and the colour appears bright and the tattoo sharper. Where I've circled in red [click on pic to enlarge] is the only area where colour is slightly lighter. At this stage I'm happy. I did it right, I wasn't burnt or scared and know what to expect come the 2nd treatment .
This area circled is the only part that noticeably faded. Upon peeling some areas went a little white like too much skin had been peeled off, in a matter of days it turned back to my regular skin colour. That scared me as I thought I may have over did it. Again the tattoo seems darker and sharper. As a layer of skin has been taken off I'm fine with that as that's what's supposed to happen. And look that brown ring around the tattoo in the previous pic...nothing to worry about, no remnants of it postpeeling.What I'm going to do from now until the peeling begins in about 2 weeks.
- Wash the area with Johnson's PH 5.5 with my finger tips only.
- Keep the areas lotion free.
- Apply only the anti-bacterial ointment to the areas, this protects the old and new skin coming in.
- Keep the areas covered [with clothing] out of direct sunlight.
- NOT apply any bandages or gauze's. As much as I'm applying ointment I need the skin to heal and breathe.
- I am going to purchase some Emu Oil to speed up and aid in the healing. If you don't know about Emu Oil [yes oil from the fat of the Emu Bird] then get ta Googling. I've been using it for years. The facts its GREAT for burns and scarring will be good to use on my skin once the scabbing falls off before the next treatment. Forget about Vitamin E Oil compared to this stuff, and it penetrates deep down to 7 layers of skin.
I will be bumping this blog to the top and add to this one rather than create a new one each and every time, when I have a new update [which will be weekly].
Any questions about how it feels, looks, the application, healing etc then feel free.
I will be praying over this...joking aside. I hope that it works out for me and anybody else that decides to go the same route.
Good Luck whatever your method.
Remember to check for updates or re-read this go to the right hand side of my blog and click on label 'tattoo' that will bring up all blog posts by myself tattoo related. Or you can type in tattoo in the top left hand corner of this page.
Updates:
7th Feb: The 2 tattoos on the inner wrist seem to be itching slightly. I wasn't expecting the itch so soon.
1st April: I'm going to do my 2nd Application tonight!
Any questions about how it feels, looks, the application, healing etc then feel free.
I will be praying over this...joking aside. I hope that it works out for me and anybody else that decides to go the same route.
Good Luck whatever your method.
Remember to check for updates or re-read this go to the right hand side of my blog and click on label 'tattoo' that will bring up all blog posts by myself tattoo related. Or you can type in tattoo in the top left hand corner of this page.
Updates:
7th Feb: The 2 tattoos on the inner wrist seem to be itching slightly. I wasn't expecting the itch so soon.
1st April: I'm going to do my 2nd Application tonight!
29 Dec 2008
Tats Got To Go!!
I have 4 tattoos in total.
One I love which is a big butterfly above my ankle. Two which I don't mind Chinese letters on the inside of my right wrist and 1 is a simply WTF Chinese word for 'woman' my left bicep. I know. I know. I was 17 years old!!
What the **** did I put that there for? In the hope that if one day I forgot what my gender was my non-mandarin reading ass would actually know what it meant?
At least I can honestly be one of the ones that says "yes I regret getting that tattoo done!" Rather than sitting in silence pretending you like it, just to avoid hearing others say "I told you so." The percentage of people who regret tattoos is quite high with 60% of people saying if they could get theirs removed they would.
One I love which is a big butterfly above my ankle. Two which I don't mind Chinese letters on the inside of my right wrist and 1 is a simply WTF Chinese word for 'woman' my left bicep. I know. I know. I was 17 years old!!
What the **** did I put that there for? In the hope that if one day I forgot what my gender was my non-mandarin reading ass would actually know what it meant?
At least I can honestly be one of the ones that says "yes I regret getting that tattoo done!" Rather than sitting in silence pretending you like it, just to avoid hearing others say "I told you so." The percentage of people who regret tattoos is quite high with 60% of people saying if they could get theirs removed they would.
Me & My Houston tan in Chicago Sep 07 grinning HARD AS HELL...I mean seriously WTF is that on my arm? No meaning! No purpose!
I was dumb and followed a trend AND my friends when I was 1 year under the age limit for being allowed to get a tattoo by law at the age of 17 when I got my first one. And yes they are addictive. I've been a bridesmaid twice and any 'fancy' function I attend I go through the Dermablend routine of covering it up.
No More!!!
I want it gone! Whether through chemical peels [TCA] or laser removal I will research the best option for me as a black woman [as black skins are very different when it comes to chemicals and lasers], and keep y'all posted.
I will be most definitely be doing B&A pictures because I could find nothing online of black people who had gone through the tattoo removal process, and you'd be surprised who and from where stumble across your blog just from doing a Google search. That oil pulling blog I did some months back pretty much gets hits on a daily basis.
If we can send man, dogs and monkeys to the moon. We can get rid of that shit off my arm!
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