Sunday, May 03, 2009

I was eighteen. I had just joined the Navy///” everyone was doing it”/// It was small, about 2 inches by 2 inches. What could it hurt?????

That was in 1952, and I have hated it ever sence. Don,t bother with the math, I'm 76.

For the past few months, I have been removing a 58-year-old tattoo on my right forearm. I have over the years experimented with several methods to remove it including burning it with a soldering tool, microscopic amounts of nitric acid, and I have even tried removing it with wart remover. The results til now have been disappointing. Which has left a scar for each attempt.

My dermatologist recommended salabrasion, ;NOT FOR ME ;

I thought about a scapel, Making small parallel incisions across the lines of the design. ;.Couldn't do it ;.

I have been building a model ship, and had a lot of modeling equipment on hand. One day my thoughts went back to my tattoo and how it could be removed. I tried sandpaper discs in my rotary tool ; not enough results ;.

I found that I had a new stainless steel Dremel brush, still in its package. After soaking it in isopropyl alcohol overnight, I chucked it into my rotary tool, smeared the tattoo with antibacterial ointment and began the removal process. At first I was very apprehensive and did not know what to expect. That would have been the perfect time to start taking photos of the tattoo, but I didn't know that it was going to be so effective. After the second procedure, I knew this was going to work. That is When I started this journal.

I barley touched the rotary brush to my skin. There was no pain, so I touched it again a little harder. Still no pain but this time I saw a little line of blood barely visible in the ointment. I was encouraged and went over the entire tattoo. My purpose was to place the incisions as close together as I could as long as the width of the lines of the design .The bleeding which I experienced would not have soaked a q-tip. The little microscopic parallel incisions heal individually and are too small to form visible scar tissue.

My self-inflicted scars from previous attempts went away with my tattoo.

I have not caused any scaring. When my tattoo is gone I intend on trying my technique on a large scar on my left wrist.

The ;Professional ; horror stories which I have read have bothered me to the point that I just wanted to see if I could do it without the trauma and heartache. I also wanted to prove the people wrong who declair that Lazer is the only way, the cost of which can reach into the thousands of dollars.

I have posted several photos of the progress of my removal at

www.flickr.com/photos/37197293@N03/3551461468/

I will continue posting updates until it is completely gone.

Wal mart sells a battery operated tool similar to mine for less than $20.00, And the brush is less than $3.00.

This is a journal of the procedures used in removing my tattoo. I am not suggesting, advising or encouraging anyone to attempt to use my technique or procedures themselves.

Don

dfrankg@yahoo.com