The Laser Chronicles

The real story here is that The Enigma and Serana drove up from Austin to have a tattoo removed from her foot. But in true Enigma fashion this story deserves a bit of embellishment. So for reading pleasure I give you, “Attack of The Enigma!”

It was an average day here at Fade Fast when a strange thing suddenly appeared in our office.

It seemed friendly and curious so we decided to let this strange blue creature stay and observe.

Suddenly it became extremely agitated.

But the gift of protective eyewear seemed to soothe the savage beast.

The creature became inquisitive. What was about to happen?

Its native language was strange, but I swear it said, “Why Would She?”

Questions soon turned to Confusion…Confusion turned to Horror.

“Why remove tattoo???”

“OOOOO Evil Green Light!!!”

It poised to attack.

I had to think quickly…or I new I was doomed!

Of course his only weakness.

Threatened by the awesome power of the laser, the giant blue puzzle stood quietly and watched.

Would the laser have stopped the Enigma? I guess we’ll never know.

In all seriousness, I would like thank The Enigma for making the trip to Dallas and trusting us to do a removal and his lovely girlfriend Serana Rose.

And of course thanks to Stacey Potter for coming in and shooting the photos.

Channel 11 news was in the shop two days ago doing a story on story on Lilly and now it’s exploding all over the internet. I heard it even made the front page of Yahoo News and CNN.

span class=”cbstv_attribution”>DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ― According to Lilly Hibbs, tattoos are a way of life. Her mom works on body piercing and her dad is a tattoo artist. The 9-year-old said she just wants to follow in his footsteps.

“Monkey see, monkey do,” said Stephen Hibbs, Lilly’s dad. “I guess she watches us everyday she wants to be a part of it.”

Stephen said he just couldn’t be prouder. “Most parents would say, ‘I can’t believe your kid wants to be a tattoo artist.’ Where I say, ‘I can only be lucky if my kid turns out to be a tattoo artist,’” he said.

Lilly spends her day at Suffer City Tattoos in Dallas, doing what she says comes naturally, learning the skill of body art.

“When I was 7, my dad asked me if I wanted to tattoo him and I said yes,” she said. So, Lilly tattooed her dad with a picture of Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants.

The video was posted on YouTube. “One person saw video of me tattoo. They just stopped in saying they wanted a tattoo by me,” Lilly said.

One person even drove from North Carolina to get a tattoo by Lilly. “He wanted an anchor, so she drew him an anchor,” said Stephen. “He loved it.”

But Lilly has a little help. The needle is heavy, so her dad holds on while she draws.

At only $5 for each tattoo, Lilly realizes that she won’t get rich any time soon, but she is saving up for something a little zany: a gigantic plastic gingerbread man.

“I don’t think I will ever buy her a plastic gingerbread man, she will buy it for herself,” said her dad.

Lilly has drawn about six tattoos and says she realizes she has a lot of art classes to take before she can perfect her skill. Meanwhile, her dad worries that, like most kids, she will rebel — throw in the needle and run off to join a sorority.

So you’re stuck with a dark tattoo. You want to get it covered but your options are limited. In most cases, your choices are bigger and darker. Well, what about lightening the piece first? Below is a great example. With just 3 laser treatments, Caleb was able to cover his old tattoo with no sign of underlying tattoo. (Click the image for close-up view…you will see NO TRACE of the old kanji!)

“His neck tattooed normally.
I didn’t notice any adverse effects from the laser treatment at all.
You do good work.”
Artist: Tom Yosenick – Fine Line Tattoos
Client: Caleb Barnard – Hold Fast Tattoos

We have several things going on right now. Testing a new post treatment gel, honing pain reduction techniques and further research into topical tattoo removal products, but today’s blog is all about results.

Of course everyone wants to see a portfolio, and laser removal technicians want to display their best work. We agree, however, there is more to laser tattoo removal than just final results. It would be fantastic if tattoos were removed in just one session, but that’s rarely the case. So, what should you expect after one, two, three treatments? Below is a collection of photos in different stages of removal.

Click Images for Larger Photos

Tattoo removal is more than just science
At Fade Fast better artwork is our passion

These last few weeks have been hectic with all our traveling. This past month the crew of Fade Fast attended the Masters of Tattooing, Philadelphia Tattoo Arts and Association of Professional Piercers annual conventions. We were out there speaking to the tattooed community about the science and art of laser removal, pigment reduction and tattoo editing. Until recently tattoo removal was thought to be the last option for poor quality and/or unwanted tattoos. Now, people are starting to accept and embrace the use of lasers to lighten existing artwork. In fact, the technology has improved so much that tattoos can now be easily covered in as few as one to four sessions. It’s truly amazing the options and flexibility laser treatments can give people when they choose to fix, rework or tattoo over an existing piece.

With over 16 years experience in the body modification industry, Fade Fast is one of the few tattoo removal clinics that has earned the trust and respect of the tattoo community.

Tattoo removal is more than just science. At Fade Fast, better artwork is our passion.

Still waiting to post the Masters of Tattooing convention blog. I just need a few photos to complete the entry. Until then, here are some recent treatment result photos:

Click for larger image

In other news, Fade Fast may soon be offering laser removal treatments in Austin, Houston and other Texas cities. More info soon to come.

Just another quick photo update. The two tattoos below have both been treated twice and are good examples of tattoos that are almost ready to be covered with new tattoos.  The kanji was treated a third time today…so look for an updated photo in six weeks

Click for larger image – Caleb – 2 laser treatments.

Click for larger image – 2 laser treatments.

I snapped a couple of really nice photos this evening. The first image is a simple composite showing the difference between treatments. The second image shows a really nice contrast between the tattoo and an existing piece.

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

The tattoo above has been treated 3 times.

Fade Fast has officially made a permanent move from part time Hold Fast / part time Suffer City to full time Suffer City.

Why the move? Honestly, Hold Fast just doesn’t have the room any more. AND just to answer everyone’s questions…(yes I have been asked twice now)…do I still recommend that artists at Hold Fast? The answer is a resounding YES! As with my former shop, Obscurities, the artists at Hold Fast are top notch. Plus, the vibe in their is great. On my days off, I still hang out in Hold Fast. What can I say? I love those guys!

People commonly ask, “What is the ‘whitening’ or ‘frosting’ on the surface of the skin produced during laser removal?” The answer:  As the tattoo pigments absorbs the laser energy it fractures the ink into smaller particles and releases heat into the surrounding dermis and epidermis. During this rapid, localized heating of these skin cells, steam or gas is produced creating the “crisp whitening” optical effect.

Normally the frosting disappears within the first 10-15 minutes as the body reabsorbs the gas bubbles