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?

Groupon usually have loads of vouchers for removal on a budget - mine was about 2 inches square, took about 6 sessions, and none cost me more than £20 through using Groupon.

For a 1x2.5cm tattoo I probably would try to lighten it myself.
Use an aspirin based verruca treatment for a few days to 'fix' the surface tissue. Allow to dry out completely before using a microdermabrasive/exfoliant really gently over the area. Don't do it while the skin is waterlogged with the aspirin gel.
Then do the same thing the following week. Very gently, very carefully.
Certainly no dremel or rough abrasives: use products aimed at skin.

Today 12:54 senioritabonita

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

Not true, OP, Black is easy, it’s the red shades that are hardest, strangely. Creepy removal guy not to be trusted, as you said.

X post with Storm, sorry

Would you be prepared to say whereabouts you are, OP? Someone on here may be able to recommend someone for removal, if so.
In the meantime a tattoo concealer is a much better idea than sandpaper or acid! Dermablend is good.

Keep an eye on Groupon for 3 sessions for £30 and the like. I did this and it's nearly gone after about 12 sessions - it has taken over a year though so it might not go as quick as you'd like. Especially blue ink!

Obviously I agree with everyone else saying please don't do anything to it yourself and feel concerned about you suggesting such extreme methods, I don't think it's healthy to have so much self hatred. However I have to take issue with the person who said you would get less sympathy if you went to A and E with an injury because it would be a self inflicted injury - I would hope self harmers, people who attempt suicide, alcoholics and a whole host of other people whose actions have led them to needing emergency treatment would get the care and support they deserve, not only those who are there through no fault of their own.

Please do not sand it off. It would be terrible and also dangerous to get a skin infection. It would end up being a very deep infection.

Get it removed properly even if it is expensive you might get payment terms. Probably a good plastic surgery clinic would have someone less creepy. Perhaps your GP could referr you to someone good even if it is private. For instance in the following link it mentions tattoo removal by specialists from tge Royal College of Surgeons: www.cosmeticsurgeryuk.com/tattaooremoval.php

Painless Laser Hair Removal, Candela Yag Gentle Laser, Free Consultation
12345
Cosmetic Surgery

Liposuction Techniques
Face
Silhouette facelift
Female Breast
Male Breast Reduction
Fat Transfer
Varicose Veins
Minor Operations
Cosmetic Treatments

Face Rejuvenation
Body
Laser Hair Removal
Chemical Peels
Dermal Fillers
Muscle Relaxants
Products
Surgical Tattoo Removal

Carpal Tunnel | Ganglion | Lipoma | Surgical Tattoo Removal | Sebaceous Cyst | Moles | Scar Revision | Sweat Glands Removal

Tattoo removal (Surgical excision of Tattoos)

Overview

At Doctors Makeover, our cosmetic surgery clinic is inspected and registered with the UK regulatory body, Care Quality Commission (CQC). Doctors Makeover is a provider of “Surgical Procedures” in the United Kingdom. Our experienced and highly qualified doctors are Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) and/or specialist plastic surgeons and are fully registered with the GMC in the United Kingdom. When you attend your initial free no obligation consultation for surgical removal of your tattoo, we will explain surgical excision of tattoos in detail and possible risks and complications of surgical tattoo removal, and answer any question you may have. The surgical excision of tattoos involves cutting out the entire tattoo under local anesthesia and is considered to be safe, effective, quick, affordable and straightforward procedure.

For more information on surgical excision of tattoos, we have provided answers to some common questions, please click on each question below.

Expand All | Collapse All
What is a tattoo?
What are the reasons to have a tattoo?

How common are Tattoos?

Where should I go to have a safe tattoo, and what are the common tattooing side-effects?
What are the main reasons for tattoo removal?

What are the options for permanent tattoo removal?
There are several options for permanent tattoo removal:

1. Cover-up the tattoo. When an individual has not made a decision on permanent tattoo removal, the tattoo can be covered by a wide variety of techniques, depending on size, shape and colour of the tattoo. There are some people who might cover-up the tattoo by another tattoo.
2. Dermabrasion and salabrasion are methods of tattoo removing by rubbing off the tattoo physically using sand-like coarse surface. Salabrasion tattoo removing involves using a mixture of water and glandular salt particles which are used to rub the tattoo to the point of bleeding and softening the surface of the tattoo. Dermabrasion tattoo removing and salabrasion tattoo removing need to be repeated on many occasions over a relatively prolonged period of time and it is not effective against deep tattoos. Dermabrasion and salabrasion non-surgical tattoo removing are painful and need local anaesthetic before their application. Both dermabrasion and salabrasion techniques of tattoo removing are ineffective with many side effects including tendency for infection and extensive scar formation.
3. Laser tattoo removal is one of the commonly used methods. The laser breaks down and burns some of the ink and other parts of the ink will be absorbed and exposed by the body. The colour of the tattoo and the nature and wavelength of the laser machine are important factors in the laser ability to remove the tattoo. Black, dark and blue tattoo colours have a higher success rate when treated by laser compared with other colours treated by the same technique. It is necessary for laser tattoo removal to be repeated under several sessions; the most commonly used laser machine is Q-Switched Laser but like other similar methods, has been attributed to scar formation because laser only destroys and burns the ink of the tattoo, therefore, leaving a permanent outline of the tattoo with scar formation. In comparison, surgical removal of tattoos in skilled hands most probably leaves less scarring with a speedy recovery time.
4. Manual tattoo removal which uses a specialised gel mixed with a normal saline to be applied to the tattoo area causing the ink to bond with the gel and be displaced to the surface of the skin (epidermis). However, there is a high risk of scar formation with scar Keloids formation, infection, prolonged healing, changing the colour and texture of the skin and discomfort and pain. The overall manual method is not very effective and has been replaced by different laser equipment and surgical excision of the tattoo.
5. Tattoo removal by Cryotherapy and Thermal Injury has been practiced but the results are unpredictable with several serious side effects, such as infection, extensive scar formation and prolonged period of recovery time.
6. Surgical excision of tattoos. Surgical excision is a permanent removal of the tattoo by using a surgical knife under local anaesthetic agents. Surgical removal of tattoos has been practiced since tattooing began in ancient times. The reason for tattoo removal are different, the main reason is cosmetic but some are worried about the prospect of their employment or they have become fed-up with the sight of their tattoos, many simply regret their youth decision. Surgical removal can deal with variable sizes of tattoos regardless of their colour, site and even size, provided that enough skin can be utilised to compensate for the area from which the tattoo has been removed.

Or you could end up in hospital with an infected wound if you remove it yourself. Why don't tattoo artists do skin colour cover ups? People have said try a coverup.

I'm feeling that this has more to do with self harm now I've read your updates.

The man is wrong black is the best colour to remove. Blue isn't, that is true.

OP - you can't sand it off. The ink isn't in the top layer of skin, so it's much more complicated than that and yes, you would be seriously injured.

You have a few options. Either cover it with make-up, or a patch, get a proper artist to cover it, learn to live with it, or any of the above while you save for removal at a proper salon.

have u tried tipex :)

I'm in very rural Yorkshire - no where near any other laser removal places.

I wish I had time to reply to the incredibly insightful and kind posters who have made me cry and reflect on my feelings and calm down. I work very long hours and block out a lot of feelings/thoughts which bubble up in unexpected ways when I'm off work (half term this week)

You have shown me so much kindness I feel like a different person. I've baked some bread and DS and I are off to the cinema now. I feel like a different woman.

I will research removal and be sensible. I have self harmed in the past, yes, I will not do it now.

I will reply properly later. Thanks

Don't know if this would work for you, but when I got horrible fucking scouse brow eyebrow tattoos that had to be removed they injected saline.. kind of like a reverse tattoo.. and it did remove the tattoo.

Not sure if cosmetic/eyebrow tattoo ink is different though

Why do you hate it so much? I've got barbed wire on my back and a Chinese symbol on my hip. All very naff now, but they were cool at the time and remind me of good times in teens and early 20's. I'm quite fond of them.

There are excellent waterproof cover up creams, try that for now.

Probably very outing but I work at a very reputable laser tattoo removal clinic. Unfortunately there's no way around repeated visits for removal - we advise between 8-15 for full removal and have one of the best lasers in the world.

The reason it takes time is because it's your body that does most of the hard work. All the laser actually does is shatter the pigment molecules so that the small fragments can be removed via your lymphatic system. It's your white blood cells that remove the ink and this unfortunately is not a quick process.

Please bear in mind that to remove blue ink you need a particular kind of laser that operates at a 694nm wavelength called a 'Ruby laser.' We have one in clinic but there aren't many around so do your homework.

Please don't try and remove it yourself. We've seen many people who have attempted this who have been left permanently disfigured.

Lots of good advice and lovely MNetters on this thread. I've got a tattoo- a small symbol on my lower back. I don't care if it is 'uncool' now. It was something i wanted and i did it. It was a big deal in my family, friends and job and it was part of a rebellious stage in my life. You could get it covered up with your children's names or initials?

Glad you are not doing anything silly, would only leave you with a different reminder.

There is some amazing makeup now that would work when you are in a bikini

If you are in west Yorkshire I might be able to recommend somewhere? Near holmfirth

I've not read the full thread and my phone is about to run out of charge so just wanted to quickly post this in case I forget, sorry if it's already been mentioned! I use Dermacol foundation which is used in studios and theatre. It is also used to cover up tattoos. I tried it on mine to see if it works and it actually did cover it up. Just a recommendation if you ever want to hide it while in swimwear etc.

Groupon sometimes has laser tattoo removal deals

OP the few of your posts I've read are concerning tbh.
Do not attempt to remove a tattoo by yourself, it really is that simple.
Yes laser treatment is expensive but it's expensive for a reason-the person doing it is trained in removal & unlikely to leave you maimed.
I've had laser & 2 cover ups done-painful & expensive but more than worth it. Both mine were predominantly black ink & took 8 sessions each to fade down enough to put anything over rather than having to choose a larger darker piece which is the only option without laser 1st.
Coloured ink is harder to remove so reds & greens are worse than say black.
Find a reputable place & keep going back for the treatments.

I did some stuff in my past I deeply regret and feel ashamed of.
Immoral stuff . It’s not a tattoo you can see but it’s inked on my brain.
I have to just mentally let it go , and if I do stop to think about it I use it as a reminder of how far I have come.

I totally understand how you feel. It's a big step to take but - you could excise- not yourself but privately via a plastic surgeon- I'm talking from experience. It depends what you want ultimately. That's extreme though. I didn't have the patience for laser although if you don't mind a cover up that's prob your best option.