To remove this stupid, immature, ugly tattoo myself.

[senioritabonita]

I got a tattoo when I was 17 - a standard transfer one, loads and loads of people got it at that time - yes, a stupid dolphin. It is behind my hip and I can't really see it, DH doesn't care. My kids both think its stupid and ugly. I hate it. I don't know why my hatred for it has grown so much. I love dolphins, wildlife, all animals but this fucking tattoo..... I really don't want it there when we go abroad for the first time in 4 years this summer.

I went for laser removal (only place within 50 miles of here) and the man was incredibly creepy so I left. It will apparently take a minimum of 8 sessions at £50 each - WTF?! This fucking tattoo cost £10 and is only 1x2.5 cm in size! WIBU to just numb it and sand it off with DH Dremel whilst everyone is out. Yes, it will hurt like a bastard but I want it gone and that would do it.

Does anyone have a better idea?

I think the suggestion up thread of reprogramming your feelings about the tattoo and that time in your life might be less painful and less expensive. And better for you mentally too in the long term.

Obviously it was a painful time in your life and you got the tattoo as part of that. But look at you now. Successful, happily married, lovely bright funny kids, planning a holiday. You are not the person you were then. Instead of the dolphin taking you back to that negativity try to reframe it as a symbol of how far you have come. Reframe your feelings about that time in your life.

And maybe research a few more removal places and start the process if you still want to. But accept it will be slow going. And it doesn’t all have to go at once. Having it gradually removed while you mentally reframe things might be quite therapeutic.

And just thank your lucky stars it was only a dolphin on your hip! Could have been sooooo much worse.

Right, get a lick and stick dolphin tattoo and stick it to your forehead.

Get up in the morning breezily showing off your new art to your kids. Drop them at school, wave wildly to their friends, pop on a bit of MC hammer and bop around the house manically.

Own it

@senioritabonita

I've just seen how small you say the tattoo is.

There's no way it would take 8 sessions to remove a small, faded tat. I think he was just trying to get more money out of you.

As I understand it tattoo removal does take longer, cost more and hurt more than tattooing. If the UK whoever tattooed you committed an offence, tattoing a 17 year old is the same as tattooing a baby and you were assaulted. Not your fault.

please don't risk an infection and hospital costs by going at it yourself.

BTW your kids should learn the rule 'nothing nice to say? Say nothing'.

Have you ever spoken to anyone about that period in your life?
It’s such an extreme reaction that I think even removing it safely would mean that the issue would still be there.

I haven't read the whole post so someone may have said, but you could use waterproof full cover foundation, the kind that people use to cover burns and scars, do you dont have to rush into expensive removal or a hasty cover up. I have a loreal one but I know that there is one with great reviews that actually advertise as a tattoo cover up.

Tattoos are unsightly, anyway.

Not all of them.

Dermacol! It's called dermacol

OP, I'm the same age as you, and I've got a blurry dolphin on my hip as well. It's not great, but There are worse reminders of a slightly foolish decision in the past. I've got to say, your reaction to it seems a bit OTT- why are you being so hard on yourself? Just laugh it off and move on. I doubt it's THAT ugly. And don't ask your kids for their opinions on your appearance. They are kids and you're an adult, you shouldn't be seeking their approval.

Oh that's a great idea Blonfe

Glad you've had a change of heart OP I was genuinely alarmed

Maybe you can look at your Dolphin as a symbol of what you have overcome rather than what you have endured. You and the dolphin have come out of the other side together. Just a thought anyway

Hey OP - look at this cream which you could buy for your holiday so you don't feel self conscious whilst you enjoy your well deserved break.

You can then spend some time debating next steps but, as everyone says - don't DIY

Aha - BlondeBombSite beat me to it.. but that's the stuff

Google tattoo removal creams, there are a few available. Might be worth a try.
https://tattooremovalcream.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9qG1n4e82QIVhWp-Ch3OFgJ8EAAYASAAEgKfVDD_BwE

Or could you have it inked over with white ink to try and make it less obvious?

I don’t think anyone else would ever notice or care about it, it’s just me. I don’t need to cover it in make up or anything, but thanks for all the suggestions.

I thought about a tattoo birth mark or bruise as a cover up - a ‘non tattoo’ and once DH said he’d get a matching one so we could be idiots together with idiotic matching tattoos but he can’t because of his work.

It could be an awful lot worse, yes, and my life is so so good now. You are all right and I have seen sense. I just had a moment of insanity and you talked me down. Thanks

I still hate this tattoo thou

It’s badly done, blue and black which according to the creepy man are the worst to remove.

£50 a session seems steep, but a minimum of 8 sessions seems right.

Attempting a DIY removal would be utterly moronic.

Look for another place that does laser removal. It will take time though as you need to leave 4 weeks between sessions.

I got a black one lasered off years ago, was told black was the easiest colour to remove so perhaps creepy guy was wrong.

The tattoo artist Kat Von D came out with a concealer with the intention of covering tattoos. It's called Lock In I think and is sold at Sephora!

The picture is Kat Von D with and without the concealer on

I'm in the process of having mine removed, have had 6 sessions but only £20 per session (mates rates). They have faded a lot but I thought they'd be almost gone by now so a little disappointed. Will keep going but I reckon it'll take at least 4 more sessions. Hurts like fuck tho!

Look, it's not as bad as you think - my 'regrettable' tat is on the top of my arm & it's quite bloody big. Had it done 20 yrs ago, when I was 24 ffs. It looked brill when it was new but 20 yrs later it's a bluey-black spidery looking mess. I really don't like it & have spent what I reckon the best part of the last 15,16 yrs covering it up! I don't really wear sleeveless tops, I avoid them.

The mental torture of it being there, if I really let it get to me is sometimes too much. But I can't afford to get rid of it. I do like tattoos, I just wish I'd got it somewhere where it wasn't so visible, if it had been on my back, it wouldn't really bother me, I know I could cover it up. I've thought about getting it covered with something else, but it'll have to be even bigger - something I don't really want. I can just about get away with shortish sleeves now. So I try my best to just ignore it!

I really do cringe when I see the young pop stars, especially the girls getting all these tatts on their arms & hands - they may look really good now, but it will take more than 5 years for them to regret it.

I remember going to a zoo on a family day out last year. There was an older lady walking around, it was a blazing hot day. She may of been about late 60's, early 70's at a guess. She was wearing shorts & t-shirt. She had multiple tatts, a load on her legs & arms. In all honestly, it didn't look good, you couldn't tell what they were. But she was obviously happy to show them off & had no regretts.

Please don't try and remove it yourself. It'll go wrong, you'll leave yourself vulnerable to infection and then you'll walk into my A&E dept (or any other A&E dept) and expect us to feel sorry for you when there might be other people in the waiting room who had no choice but to seek emergency care.

Suck it up.

Either get a really nice cover up - do your research! Find a new place to get it removed or ignore it.
Don't go on Tattoo Fixers, I know someone who worked on the first season, while the artists are ok the conditions in the 'studio' are disgusting and a few people have had issues with the ink after (plus you don't really get to pick what cover up you have)

I feel that way about one I have. Look on Groupon sometimes they have laser removal that's a bit cheaper

tattoo removal is a slow process. the laser breaks down the ink within the cells - causing a small burn- and as the cells repair the ink is absorbed into the blood and filtered out through the kidneys. It is done slowly so the damage is minimal and the absorption process is safe. Appointments have to be far enough apart to allow cellular repair between sessions. The end result is a safe and more aesthetically pleasing result. Darker inks remove quicker and more readily - pale colours like yellow or light green and blue are the worst.

I have a similar faded flash cartoon bird which i am in the process of removing. I was told at the outset that 6-8 sessions would be required - 6 to be fit for cover up and 8 for more complete removal although it may require more. It is £30 per hit, 1 hit per month.

There is no need to do it all in one go. I did 4 hits and I haven't been back in the last 8 months. I will likely go for another 4 hits before deciding whether to leave it or cover up.

Do shop around, and do find someone you feel comfortable with, it is an expensive procedure (because it is a private cosmetic procedure and driven by market forces). I do it as finances allow.

"It’s badly done, blue and black which according to the creepy man are the worst to remove."

Nope - blue might be tricky, black is easiest. Red is the hardest to remove.