How to care for yourself during tattoo removal
Tattoo removal is an expensive and painful process. Each treatment only takes minutes, but the whole process can take months to years.
It doesn’t exactly sound like a loving and caring thing to do for yourself, does it?
But it is.
The tattoo is not you, and in making a choice to have it removed, you are making a choice to be more you – more of who you truly are.
So, how can you care for yourself during this process?
Your intention – why you are having the tattoo removed – has a great effect on the treatment process.
If you are choosing it as a caring and supportive thing for you, then that will influence the choices you make around it.
It will determine:
I have found that each treatment is different for everyone – not only because each tattoo is different, but because people are unique, and can change and grow during the treatment process.
Tattoo removal is usually not a one-off affair – several treatments, spread over months to years, are required to completely remove any tattoo – although some of my clients are finding that their tattoos are continuing to fade months to years after only one or a few treatments.
There is a formula we can follow that gives us an idea of how many treatments it will take to remove your particular tattoo, based on:
These can include:
In essence, tattoo removal is a surgical procedure – using light energy, rather than a scalpel – and it is great to prepare for it in the same way.
This means:
If you are considering having your tattoo removed, rather than signing up for a pre-paid plan, which will cost you a lot of money up front and commit you to staying with a particular clinic, why not just sign up for one session with us and see how it feels?
I have found that some people have had only one treatment, and their tattoo is continuing to fade. Others find that their tattoo fades for a few months, and then they feel it is time to come back for another treatment. And some find that they feel less affected by their tattoo for a while after the treatment, but then they become aware of it disturbing them again, and that is when they come back for the next treatment.
It doesn’t exactly sound like a loving and caring thing to do for yourself, does it?
But it is.
The tattoo is not you, and in making a choice to have it removed, you are making a choice to be more you – more of who you truly are.
So, how can you care for yourself during this process?
Your intention – why you are having the tattoo removed – has a great effect on the treatment process.
If you are choosing it as a caring and supportive thing for you, then that will influence the choices you make around it.
It will determine:
- who you choose to have the tattoo removal with
- when you do it
- how you care for yourself before, during and after the treatment
- how often you schedule the sessions, and
- how you care for yourself financially too.
I have found that each treatment is different for everyone – not only because each tattoo is different, but because people are unique, and can change and grow during the treatment process.
Tattoo removal is usually not a one-off affair – several treatments, spread over months to years, are required to completely remove any tattoo – although some of my clients are finding that their tattoos are continuing to fade months to years after only one or a few treatments.
There is a formula we can follow that gives us an idea of how many treatments it will take to remove your particular tattoo, based on:
- your skin colour
- where the tattoo is on your body
- the size of the tattoo
- the amount of ink
- the colours of ink
- whether the tattoo has been tattooed over, and
- whether there is any scarring,
These can include:
- Your willingness to go through the process
- Your ability to see it as a support for your choices
- Your commitment to care for your body generally, which affects the health of your immune system and your body’s ability to clear the ink particles once they are released by the treatment
In essence, tattoo removal is a surgical procedure – using light energy, rather than a scalpel – and it is great to prepare for it in the same way.
This means:
- bringing someone with you for support, especially the first time, in case you don’t feel up to driving yourself home
- scheduling sessions so you can rest and care for yourself afterwards
- taking care of your treated skin and your body in general, to help your lymphatics do their job
- following the advice we give on how to care for your skin after the procedure, so it does not get burnt or infected or scarred
- having the treatment when you have the time and money to do so
- being willing to feel any old hurts or other feelings that may come up at the time of the treatment
- getting support if uncomfortable feelings come to the surface and you don’t feel able to deal with them alone.
If you are considering having your tattoo removed, rather than signing up for a pre-paid plan, which will cost you a lot of money up front and commit you to staying with a particular clinic, why not just sign up for one session with us and see how it feels?
I have found that some people have had only one treatment, and their tattoo is continuing to fade. Others find that their tattoo fades for a few months, and then they feel it is time to come back for another treatment. And some find that they feel less affected by their tattoo for a while after the treatment, but then they become aware of it disturbing them again, and that is when they come back for the next treatment.
If you are considering having tattoo removal, why not book in for a consultation and one treatment, and see what happens?
Your tattoo won’t fade so much after the first treatment that you cannot keep it, if you change your mind, but you may just feel a whole lot different about your tattoo...and you.
Your tattoo won’t fade so much after the first treatment that you cannot keep it, if you change your mind, but you may just feel a whole lot different about your tattoo...and you.
