Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Day One (Third Application) March 29, 2009

I finally broke down and applied the third layer of Nuviderm today. I did the application quite different this time around.  Instead of sticking with 50 some percent strength like before I increased the strength per layer. Also instead of putting on 12-20 layers of TCA I put on 3. Instead of leaving it one for 3-5 additional minutes like before I washed the TCA off after I finished the third layer.

The First layer I applied was 46% strength.

The Second layer I applied was between 46% and 56%.

The Third layer I applied was 56% strength.

Surprisingly the area didn’t really frost when I was applying the TCA. It also didn’t sting much at all when I was applying the peel which was different then the first two application I did. After rinsing the area with cold water the stinging started.

Once I finished the application the area started to slowly frost. I had a hard time getting the legs frosted, similar problem that I had during the second application.

It has been about a half an hour since I applied the solution. The stinging has completely stopped.

Supplies! (Small Glass, Nuviderm, Measuring spoon (don’t know where the dropper went), Vaseline, alcohol wipe (provided by Nuviderm) and Neosporin. I also used Q-tips -Not Pictured-

-I used the Vaseline around the tattoo to help prevent dripping.

*Before Third Application*

The Process:

–The last three pictures were AFTER the application of TCA.

***HAHA I have to share my thoughts on this one!

So, Nuviderm has an ‘official’ wordpress blog now. Apparently they are trying to get everyone to ask their questions to this site. Now, what I find hilarious is I am curious how many of the Nuviderm reps have actually used the product???

Personally, I would rather talk to Joe Schmo who used the product for advice than some corporate employee whose paid to sell their product.

Hmmm…Just had to throw in my two-cents.

And…I did post the ACTUAL directions Nuviderm sent me…I did not just make those up (Previous Blog Entry).

**Thank you everyone who has followed my Nuviderm journey so far!**

UPDATE:

After about 5 hours the frosty white turned to pink. It looks and feels like a bad sunburn. Not painful. The area is warm to the touch.

Update! February 2009: Nuviderm Tattoo Removal Process. February 12, 2009

It’s been a few months since my last update, so I thought I should take some time to do that today. I would have to say that the draw back right now is: no matter how much lotion I use the tattooed area always looks dry and scaly (only visually not to the touch). I have been pretty forgetful with the Mederma, but have been applying that off and on too when ever I remember.

Before Nuviderm………………………NOW (2/12/09)………………………November 08′

As you can see there has been quite a bit fading since before I started Nuviderm, but it also has faded more since November. I am having a little bit of trouble fading the legs and arms for some reason, but the wings seem to have faded the most. (Maybe because black is harder to fade?)

I WILL be doing another application of nuviderm soon. I can’t say when exactly but I am hoping sometime within the next couple of weeks.

I noticed that it has been almost ONE YEAR since I’ve started this process. This is no where near a quick fix, and personally besides a skin graft I couldn’t imagine any type of tattoo removal as quick. Therefore I would highly NOT recommend using any higher than 45% Nuviderm. Nuviderm says that you can go much higher for quicker results…but those results will be a lot of scarring…trust me!

Note: I am in no way affiliated with Nuviderm.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Week Seven (First Application) May 22, 2008

………Before………………………………….Day 48…………………………………Day 34

I was planning on re-applying the TCA this week, but late last week I went swimming in a pool and the chlorine made my tattoo sting. The stinging was surprisingly pretty bad, which made me really nervous; so, I decided to hold off a week. The directions says it should be 6-10 weeks before one should re-apply. I’m right within the time line to re-apply, and as of right now I’m planning on re-applying sometime next week.

After inspecting my tattoo this week I have noticed that my tattoo is becoming to appear blotchy. There are little sections in the black area that are fading. I haven’t been able to notice any change or fading to any of the colored areas yet. The scar-like area around the right hand side of the tattoo is less noticeable as the days pass. I think I’m going to pick up some scar ointment at the store for the next application.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Week Five (First Application) May 7, 2008

………Day 19………………………………Day 34…………………………Before Application

The colors are still darker than when I started, which is unfortunate. The redness is nearly gone. The distinct line around the right hand side of the tattoo is clearly visible and could very well be a permanent scar, we’ll see. All the drip marks are barely noticeable. The areas that are reddish in color on day 19, are more of a pale tan color (close to skin color) now. There isn’t anymore peeling at this point.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Week Three (First Application) April 22, 2008

Day 19 V. Day 1

Most of the scabs have peeled off by now. The tattoo seems to be brighter and darker than it was before, as you can see in the before and after picture. Most of the skin surrounding the tattoo is just a little pinker than my normal skin color. Half of my tattoo has a distinct dark red outlining as well. I remember reading that after doing a initial TCA peel the tattoo will look darker and brighter since the ink is closer to the outter layers of the epidermis, that sounds good to me, I’ll stick with that.

It should be another couple of weeks before I am able to apply my second application of TCA.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Week One (First Application) April 12, 2008

Day 8: The blisters dried up. The skin is now hard and beginning to feel scab-like. The skin is dark pink/reddish in color. My skin is starting to peel around the tattoo. On an itch scale I would rate the past couple of days a 7 out of 10. The itch is insane, and hard to resist.

Day 10: The scabbed area has turned from reddish in color to a light tan. The itch isn’t quite as bad as it was before. Its hard to not have the scabs get ripped off from just normal day activities. I would recommend wrapping the area to decrease the possibility of ripping the scabs off.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Day Six (First Application)… Swelling April 8, 2008

I was going to wait until the one week mark for an update, but I noticed pretty major swelling of my ankle. I cant say I even know why it’s swollen, since it’s not the actual tattoo itself, but below it. I am going to ice it, elevate it and take some Advil. The positives? The swollen area doesn’t hurt at all.

Whats more fun than a huge swollen ankle? Huge blisters!

The whole bottom half of my tattoo is one big blister, there is also little blisters along the outside of the tattoo. It doesn’t hurt too bad, but it can get pretty uncomfortable.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: Day Four (First Application)…Blistering April 6, 2008

Today and yesterday I have noticed that my tattoo is increasingly sensitive, and quite uncomfortable, especially if bumped or touched. I wouldn’t say it is extremely painful by any means, though. The purple/red outline has darkened, and there has been little areas outlining the tattoo that have started to blister. The picture I included shows the blistering. Note, the bumps within the tattoo are from the bandage, not blisters. In the directions it says that this product should not blister, but I’m not too worried, I have basically just burned myself with the TCA acid application, so a little blistering seems reasonable.

Nuviderm At Home Tattoo Removal: First Application April 3, 2008

* This is why you should never let anyone practice and pick out tattoos for you, ha. You will only regret it in the end!

After much procrastination, I finally applied my first application yesterday.

Before:

I started with 46% strength, I ended up being impatient waiting for my skin to frost, so I ended up adding one more part TCA which would bring it up to around 50% strength. I had to put on quite a few layers of TCA solution, between 5-7 for my tattoo to become totally frosted. The stinging wasn’t too bad, I would rate it a 3 out of 10, it’s more uncomfortable than anything.

Hour and a half after rinsing the TCA solution off. There is a whitish tint around the tattoo. After having a cold compress on the area for about 5 minutes, the stinging was barely even noticeable.

Following day, the whitish tint turned to a more reddish purple. I have been putting Neosporin on the area throughout the day, and will do so for a week. There is absolutely no pain or stinging at this point. From what the instructions said, I should experience peeling of the area in the next couple weeks.

*Note- I would be careful about drippage. The solution is very thin and water-like, I ended up dripping the solution around my ankle. Next time I will make sure to absorb a little less solution within the Q-Tip.

Nuviderm Directions:

Note: These are the exact directions Nuviderm sent me, when I lost the ones they originally sent me. Common sense, I wouldn’t recommend following these directions when using a product besides Nuviderm.

At Home Tattoo Removal-Nuviderm- March 17, 2008

I had a really hard time trying to research different tattoo removal methods, and there were very few forums and blogs exploring and sharing the tattoo removal process. After a little research, I concluded that $300.00 per visit, and around 5-20 visits needed towards completion for professional laser removal was out of the question. My search then pointed me in the direction of either Nuviderm, or Wrecking Balm (home removal methods). Turns out Wrecking Balm had numerous negative reviews as well as it is rather expensive. I chose to try Nuviderm.

I purchased the Nuviderm Double Deluxe Kit, which cost $69.95, shipping was an additional $9.00, which brought my total to: $78.95. I Purchased this Today at 11:37am and my purchase has already been shipped, I should be receiving my package in about 2 days.

My goal is to keep a picture diary of the in-home tattoo removal process, as well as being able to share the final outcome of the product chosen.