20 February 2011

I mentioned in the last post that I was going to try a new baby oil. I bought some that day and have been using it three to four times a day. I can't say that it stops the itching, but it does help more than anything else I've tried. The itching isn't as bad as it was, but it is still there and I will try whatever I can find that will help. Plus it will prepare me for what to use after the next treatment.

If anyone reading tries out the baby oil, make sure not to use it before going outside. While shea butter does have a small SPF, the mineral oil can cause your skin to burn. Any exposure to sunlight for up to three months after laser treatment can cause hyper/hypopigmentation. If you have to be in the sun, stay away from products containing mineral oil, try to cover the treated area, and use an all natural sunblock, like Soleo Organics or Loving Naturals.

It has been one week and three days since my first treatment. There is still a slight bit of redness, but everything is looking better and better each day.

There is still some bruising at the bottom of this one. It was a lot worse last week, but never painful. You can see a good bit of difference between this and the first pictures I posted.

Because I take these photos myself, this one is a little hard for me to get. The angle is a bit off, but you can still tell how it has lightened.

There is still some redness left to the outline in this one, which makes it hard to see how much lighter it is. Looking at it and the first picture, I can notice a few spots that have almost completely disappeared already.

This is the most shocking to me. I know it was already light before starting the removal process, but I didn't expect the difference to be so noticeable already. There is a slight bit of bruising around the edges of this one, too.

I wanted to do a morphing style image to better show the differences, but I will wait until these have healed more.

I am more than happy with the results thus far. I have well over a month before I have to go in for the next treatment, but I will update soon with any progress I notice on the tattoos or with anything I find that helps with itching, scarring, or anything that one might come across after treatment.