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Does anyone have any info on this tattoo fade a way system...

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Answer by bryan
Submitted on 9/4/2003
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I've been using the tat-b-gone product for a month. I'd be more impressed with the company's web site if their pictures of faded tattoos were not photoshop tricks -- i'd also like to see some testimonials that are independent of that web site. The product itself seems to be apricot scrub, some hydroquinone cream, and some other lotion that has stuff like aloe and vitamin e. hydroquinone is used by many people of african descent to lighten their skin. tat-b-gone's "activator" step has a 2% concetration, the maximum dosage allowed in the US. The chemical is banned in South Africa because it has been shown to cause serious skin damage in some people -- note that many people in South Africa apply the cream to their whole body and face. I've read of hydroquinone being prescribed as a supplement to laser treatments to help the process work faster. So, although the product seems sketchy, I ordered a six month supply. One month into it, I can't say that the results are impressive. This tatoo is under a year old, though, and it did have lots of inks in it. The colors in the tattoo have seemed to have gotten dull and less brilliant but that may just be wishful thinking/imagination. The black lines seem to be unaffected. I'd like to see a forum for other users of this product to share their experiences with it.

Answer by Monicalia
Submitted on 12/12/2003
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Hi! I am 21 & have my entire back tattooed -Yeah, the whole thing.. I got the first piece done for my 13th birthday. That piece was done by an amateur & ended up scarring horribly. I mean BAD. To this day the 4x4 tribal piece is easily irritated, always puffy & well.. scarred. I was so self conscious about it that I decided to add to it - aiming to take the focus away from the black scar.. So at 15 I added to it... I was involved with the wrong crowd of people at that time in my life & was exposed to heavily tattooed people so it was "no big deal" - Plus, this was a while ago & the removal procedures/theories were fairly new & extremely pricey! To make a long story short by 19 I had most of my back piece done. It is very colorful, containing: black, white, greywash, violets, turquoise, orange, green, red etc.. I am very very serious about removing it but am terrified of the scarring. Not so much the cost but the chance of a bad heal w/ scarring & tattoo traces unable to be removed. I really wish I would have never began this insane body modification as I am now a mature adult with a great corporate job, family responsibilities & the desire to be more feminine I guess - Not such a freakshow. It's like living two lives with this amount of " permanent art".. Thats just the thing - PERMANENT - Wasnt thinking about that @ 13...I know it sounds dumb & this probably isnt the forum to post my story in but I really want some "real" feedback. We all know that $$ is the name of the game & everyone will try to sell you something - especially when they can take advantage of others in such an emotional desperation oriented way. I was considering this tat be gone - sounds weak though - maybe good on a little tattoo - what about a huge back piece?! Can someone vouch for the credibility of removal on large long lived professional tattoo's?!

Answer by btek
Submitted on 1/2/2004
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I feel your pain, i just got a tat done a few days ago in one of my spontaneous adventures and i'm starting to regret it already, I have been looking at tat fading creams; and tat-bgone looks like a hoax, it doesn't even look like a legitimate company. But i found one product that offers 24hr support with a 1-800 # and offer a 100% product guarantee with money back. It is called dermasals, you can check it out at www.dermasal.com. What is also interesting the parent compay is also incorporated so you can access product information and company operations through their annual reports.. Sounds legitimate to me.. The only downfall is that it is expensive, and I am more interested in the over the counter skin bleach you can buy at the drugstore, so it would be great to hear some more info on that. Additional info about my tatoo it is about a week old.. i stoped taking are of it. I know that this is the point where the tatoo can peel can anyone give me any advice so i can faded at this point or even remove some ink so when it comes to using a fading cream it will be faster.

Answer by btek
Submitted on 1/2/2004
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I feel your pain, i just got a tat done a few days ago in one of my spontaneous adventures and i'm starting to regret it already, I have been looking at tat fading creams; and tat-bgone looks like a hoax, it doesn't even look like a legitimate company. But i found one product that offers 24hr support with a 1-800 # and offer a 100% product guarantee with money back. It is called dermasals, you can check it out at www.dermasal.com. What is also interesting the parent compay is also incorporated so you can access product information and company operations through their annual reports.. Sounds legitimate to me.. The only downfall is that it is expensive, and I am more interested in the over the counter skin bleach you can buy at the drugstore, so it would be great to hear some more info on that. Additional info about my tatoo it is about a week old.. i stoped taking are of it. I know that this is the point where the tatoo can peel can anyone give me any advice so i can faded at this point or even remove some ink so when it comes to using a fading cream it will be faster.

Answer by Matt
Submitted on 1/10/2004
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I got a tribal tattoo done about a year ago and have been researching ways to get rid of it ever since. In my opinion Tat B Gone is a con and even if it did work the results would be TEMPORARY as the active ingredient hydroquinone only whitens the skin over the tattoo but NOT the ink beneath. The effect is slight and will always need 'topping up' just like a suntan. I attacked part of my own tattoo with a blowtorch and can now fully discourage this as an effective treatment! It faded it alright but is hideously scarred. I'm afraid there is currently no way to fully remove a tattoo without leaving some evidence or blemish. If the tattoo is very small you can have it excised obviously leaving a scar and tissue distortion- this may still be the best treatment for small coloured tattoos. Laser offers the only realistic prospects to fade a tattoo but will almost always leave an impression behind. Luckily, i work in a hospital and managed to talk a surgeon into lasering a small test area of my tattoo 3 weeks ago with the only laser type we have- a KTP 632NM. This laser is NOT recommended for tattoo removal so i wasn't expecting much of a result but i am pleased to say that the area has faded by maybe 30-40% with slight scarring. If i'm lucky the surgeon will carry on with the treatment and i think 4 full treatments over the next year should see it much reduced. You can fade your tattoo but it won't be quick, easy, cheap or painless. Please don't get your hopes dashed and waste you money on creams.

Answer by Janine
Submitted on 2/2/2004
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Hello everyone, I am a permanent makeup technician and I also am currently doing tattoo removals with the Rejuvi Tattoo Removal product. Thought I would relate my experiences with the product to date. It is very hard to find any hard core facts on this product via the web. I sent out numerous requests to various sites for clinical results and got zero replies. I have done 4 tattoos and 4 permanent makeup removals. The permanent makeup removals are coming out 100% after 1 or 2 sessions. The tattoos are taking 2 or more sessions. There is about 50 to 75% fading with the first application depending on the age and depth of the tattoo. I am not seeing any scarring. However, I do it a little different from the instructions. The instructions say to use a 3 needle grouping with a permanent makeup machine. I found that the needles were taking out 'chuncks' of skin this way so I switched to a 30 grouping hand tool that I make myself. I am not seeing any scarring with this method. A strange thing that does happen is that some of the areas 'puff' up and get rather stiff. But they do go down and soften (at least so far). I was interested to note one of the above posts had a doctors recommendation of compression after applying Rejuvi. I may try this on my next client but so far I am not seeing any scarring with my method. I have not been doing this for very long yet so I am not able to say what total percentage of removal I am able to get. However, it is much cheaper than laser (at least my rates are, some of those doctors are ripping people off with their pricing) and it is worth a try before attempting laser as Rejuvi cannot be used over lasered skin as you risk more scarring and discoloration. I have one picture posted at my web site of a permanent makeup removal that is 1/2 healed. I will get more pictures up as my clients return to me for their next sessions. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions. Permanent Cosmetics By Janine www.pcbyj.com pcbyjanine@yahoo.com

Answer by DG
Submitted on 2/20/2004
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I feel like I have to take the time to warn everyone about Dermasal. I had first heard of the product through a friend. But when I went to the Dermasal-Selmedica web site to place my order, I noticed dermasal described as a Salt Abrasion Complex. Well I started doing some research and found out a salt abrasion complex is no more than a skin peel! No wonder they said to use less often if you get irritation. HOW MANY LAYERS OF SKIN DO YOU HAVE TO PAINFULLY PEEL AWAY TO REMOVE THE TATTOO? Also, the company that owns Dermasal is known for its BAD business practices. I found this link posted already from the Better Business Bureau: http://www.midsouth.bbb.org/commonreport.html?compid=1200382 If you are counting on their guarantee, you may want to check it out. -DG

Answer by Justin H
Submitted on 3/10/2004
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Bishop are you the sales manager or just the copy writer for Dermasal and selmedica.com? To think you almost had me. When I went to your web site to buy (I really want to get rid of my Celtic) I happened to go find my way to selmedica.com And what a range of hokey products you sell (How do you live with yourselves): 1 Breast Enlargement pill - yeah ah -hah 2 Penis Enlargement pill-yeah ah -hah 3 Penis Stiffener pill- yeah ah -hah 4 All natural Get Pregnant Now pill - yeah ah -hah 5 The best a pill for vaginal odor - I am still laughing After finding this out I went back to the Dermasal site and looked hard. It was then I figured out you were selling SALT AND WATER. You want us to believe rubbing salt on a Tattoo will make it go away. Researching salt abrasion I found out it is recommended for Acne. What do acne and tattoo removal have in common? But what really got me and made me take the time to write this is when I found your posting on the internet. Writing ads and posting them like they are from customers. HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK WE ARE? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

Answer by sunfairy
Submitted on 3/16/2004
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Hi..I've tried a few methods..first is laser treatments, I've had 5 on each tattoo, all the black is gone, and everything is much lighter but the blues, green, yellows and purples are still there. green is the worst then yellow, then blue...the purple is almost gone too. I also tried tat b gone, which really helped lighten, when used in between laser treatments...I also have had 2 applications of tat gone ink, which is tattooed over..unfortunatly, one area was left with a scar from this...I had to stop laser treatments for awhile due to a pregnancy..but I will resume this summer and also use the tat b gone..right now i'musing the tat b gone and i bought some hydroquinone over the counter....I WILL BE RID OF THESE TATTOOS!!! the laser is pricey..I have 2 tats and the dr does both for $180 a session, after 8 sessions, its $50 a session...the tatgoneink was about $100...and the cream was about $60, OTC stuff was about $5...

Answer by strawbrry
Submitted on 4/26/2004
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hey everyone! well i find the tatbgone to be a joke! they have no info on there website about gauranteeing anything.. and i mean cmon its a creamn.. might as well use bleaching cream! im only 20 and got a F*cked up job on my ankle.. had it covered.. and it looked tacky!! i hate it.. well so far ive had 4 lazers treatments and it hurts and is expensive.. but seriously is the best bet. its a lil more then half way gone.. and i had 2 tattoos.. colors from pink, black, green,white, and purple, and their not easy. i mean i have about 4 more sessions.. but theres no scarring involved which is a plus and it will be totally gone.. i get it done about once every 2months.. and by the time im done.. i will have spent $2000. but thats the price i pay for makin such a dumb mistake.. hope this helps with anyone wondering about lazer treatment!

Answer by Joey
Submitted on 4/27/2004
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i checked BBB for derma-whatever, and yes, the guy who owns it also sells a bunch of other scam products, and has a really vague contact trail and a huge history of unsatisfied customers and has changed his business name more times than i'vechanged my mind in my lifetime! i certainly won't be buying that stuff. as for tat b gone, i won't buy it either cuz there is no money back nothing! the 50%-50% ratings for both of these products just aren't worth the cash they want. i had one tattoo lasered two times, and it's almost gone. i think one or two more laser sessions will take care of it. my problem is that i have six of 13 tattoos i want to be rid of, so i want to find something that is reliable, and so far, laser is the only thing i'vefound. i haven't tried that tatgone ink, but probably won't since it is merely another tattoo on top of my existing ones. i did talk to a tattooist about it, and that's exactly what he told me. they mix colors to match your skin color and really "dig" the pigment into your skin to try to "dilute" the colors in the skin. whatever. painful and expensive seems to be the only RELIABLE way to go.

Answer by Max
Submitted on 4/27/2004
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I paid a doctor $400 have the letters taken off of my fingers (don't ask). He used a method called dermabrasion, in which he basically freezes your skin and uses a Dremel tool looking thing to remove the skin and ink. It's okay while you're going through it, but achingly painful while it's healing. There's some scarring, but most people don't even notice it, and those that do can't make out what it said unless I tell them, or let them stare at it for awhile (which I don't). I'm looking into alternate methods of removal for my neck, because I'm not about to let anyone near my jugular with a drill. I would for cost and effectiveness reasons recommend dermabrasion for anyone getting a tattoo removed below their neck. I am going to try this hydroquinone junk to see if that works. I tried a home remedy that involved hydrogen peroxide, salt, a rubber eraser and a bottle of vodka. I have a wicked painful cherry on my neck now, and can still see the tattoo under the scab, so no, it didn't work.

Answer by DB1024
Submitted on 4/28/2004
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I'm with Steph in that I have been reading these posts for the past 2 months and still unable to determine what legit. and what's not. So I'm about to find out the hard way--I just placed my order for a 4 month supply. If I don't see some kind of results in that amount of time, then I just won't buy anymore. In case your wondering, my husband has some “trash” tattoos (oddball stuff and unfinished ones) as well as some larger complete tattoos, mostly on his hands and forearms. All are done in black/bluish ink and are roughly 15 years old. I will definitely take before and after pictures and gladly post the results good or bad (pictures if it works). So if you have time to wait, I’ll try to post results monthly. I just couldn't wait any longer. We really need to get this done soon and I’ve already wasted 2 months “researching.”

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 4/29/2004
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Hi.I`ve been reading a lot of these posts, and checking, comparing prices on Dermasal/Tatbgone to laser. The Dermasal stuff is pretty expensive, was something like 250 dollars for the 6month, and it (at best) only lightens the tattoo, it seems. To remove a 2x2 inches tat, it would cost about 300-400 dollars. I have 4 small (1.5 and 2x2 inches tats that I want bleach down and cover with bigger ones (have two big ones, 5x4 inches), as I am a big guy, and the small ones look stupid on me, and they are not the kind of tats that could be extended in size either. What I want to know is: Does anyone know here where I can get my hands on some Hydroquinone in Europe? I travel a bit around the continent now and then, but never to the U.S., so I wondered where I could get hydroquinone (as it is the same ingredient as in tatbgone/dermasal, but much cheaper) over the counter? Denmark? England? Germany? Anyone here knows?

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 5/3/2004
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Here they are. If there are any chemists or lab technicians who has an idea whether they work on tattoos, your responses are appreciated. step one- water, glycerl, polymethacrylates,propylene glycol, prunus armeniaca (apricot) seed powder, dmdm hydantion and lodopropynyl butylcarbamate, polysorbate, carbomer, sodium hydroxide, aloe barbadenis gel, benzophenone-4, disodum edta, phytodine, chamomile, rosemary extract, caleundula, orange peel extract, lemongrass extract, basil extract, sage extract, horsetail extract, eucalyptus extract, honey extract, black walnut extract, benzyl alcohol, fragrance. step 2; water, glycerine, polycrylamide, c13-14 isoparaffin, laureth-7, steareth-21, cetyl alcohol, sucrose cocoate, hydroquinone, stearyl alcohol, salicylic acid, aloe barbadenis leaf juice, anthemis nobilis flower, rosmarinus, calendula officinalas flower extract, salvia officinalis, sodium citrate, citrus medica, cucumber fruit extract, honey, sodium metabisulfite, benzyl alcohol, dimethicone, hydroquinone, phenoxyethanol,methylparaben, butylparabe, ethyparaben, proplparaben, fragrance step three; water, stearic acid, cethyl alcohol, glycerine, sweet almond oil, dimethicone copolyol, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propyparaben, aloe vera, dimethicone, copolyol,diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, fragrance, tocopheryl acetate, disodium edta, dimethicone.

Answer by LINDINATOR
Submitted on 5/4/2004
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Well I totally know where everyone is coming from, I've got the same old story got a stupid tattoo, regret it, want to somehow get this flower off of my leg. I've read every message so far and am pretty much at the same place I started when I first visited this page, in regards to my curiosity off this whole tattoo removal process. I have took every new product name and will try to research all of them, and looked at every posted web site and honestly I'm still not totally convinced either way. And to be honest, I don't know who's real, and who's just working for one of these companys. But the main question of mine is if untattooed skin surrounding the tattoo would be affected (lightened) and would the area where the tattoo was be alot lighter than your regular skin tone, and would be able to tan to the same colour as the rest of your skin? But if there is someone that has any sort of answers please email me at lindinator@hotmail.com

Answer by Jennifer
Submitted on 5/7/2004
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Hi everyone. I came across these posts while I was looking for updated information on tattoo removal. I presently have 5 very large tattoos. 4 of them are coverups of bad tattoos. The "problem" I have is a 9 inch tattoo of Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch) sitting under a palm tree. It's on the inside of my leg. I got it in 2002, and it was to cover a tattoo of a wasp I got when I was 18. The Stitch tattoo got horribly infected (Yes tattoos can, and do get infected) and I missed 2 weeks of work because I could not walk, stand, or hold my leg in it's normal position. I lost enough skin that you could see the fatty tissue (no I'm NOT kidding) on my leg. It was the most painful thing I have ever gone through. How did it get infected? We are not sure. My tattoo artist (a friend) never apologized to me or anything. Maybe it was an allergy to the ink, maybe the needle he used wasn't new like he said it was. My healing took months, and now, two years later, I am left with an ugly tattoo, that is 9 inches high! Where the ink/color came out, I have pink scar tissue, It's really nasty looking. I wanted to remove this "thing" on my leg, so I researched every tattoo removal method out there. Like everyone else, I wanted fast, easy, and cheap removal. I wanted all the things that sound too good to be true. Let me tell you the TRUTH about tattoo removal. You WILL have to spend a lot of money - there is no way around it. (Chances are you have a small tattoo because the big ones were too expensive, right?) And, you WILL have to be patient, because tattoo removal takes a very long time. And if you try to rush it, by getting treatments too close together, you WILL make it worse because you can end up with scarring. I had one treatment of TatGone Ink at Julie Moon Designs in Seabrook, NH. They have a great reputation, and have been featured in tattoo magazines. It cost me $200 for one treatment of the entire tattoo (Not a lot when you figure the ink is $100 a bottle, and he had to use the whole bottle) What they DONT tell you about TatGone Ink is that the stuff "sits" on your skin, after is is applied with a tattoo gun. You don't wash it off. It dries and gets hard, and you have a greyish-green, rock hard scab on your skin for about 2 weeks. I did pick at it a bit (Gross, I know) hoping to pull out some ink, but I just gave myself another scar. When the stuff eventually flaked off completely, after 3 weeks - there was the tattoo. It looked the same, and I was very disappointed. On the website for TatGone Ink, there are pictures of people whose tattoo was gone after one treatment. BUT over the weeks and months since I had the one treatment, the tattoo on my leg has faded. There are some very small spots where the ink is gone completely, and there is also some fading of the ink that is still there.<> The artist using the TatGone ink, even applied it to the areas of my tattoo that were pink scar tissue (I thought that was stupid) I believe the product does work, BUT it depends on the ability, and experience of the tattoo artist applying it. I would definitely go back for another treatment, but I imagine I would need AT LEAST 5-6 more treatments, at $200 a treatment, with 2-3 months between treatments to COMPLETELY heal. I am puzzled at the people here, who wish to remove their tattoo HOURS after they got it. Why did you get it then? Talk about a waste of money! Now that I have bored you all to death...

Answer by DB1024
Submitted on 5/8/2004
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Sorry about that Sacha...I can't believe I left that important piece of info out...I ordered Tat B Gone. I ordered a 4 month supply and it cost $189. We got it the other day and started using it on May 4th. I did take some close-up before pictures so I'll have something to compare to. We started with the writing on his hands and two sm-med. tattoos on his forearm. Of course it's still too soon to tell if it's working since it's only been 4 days, but I will still try to post back after a month has passed. I just happened to be online checking for something else and thought I'd see if there were any new useful posts since my last. I'm glad I did since I forgot to tell you which product we ordered. Also, I thought I'd mention that the 1st step isn't too bad, but the second step you have to apply and wait 10 min. then apply the third step and wait for it to dry and you have to do all three steps twice a day. There's nothing really hard about any of the steps except remembering to come back after 10 mins. and put the last step on. My point being that I can see how you could forget to put it on at night or in a rush in the morning and such and therefore may explain why the product might work for some and not for others. So I told my husband he had to do it religiously in order for us to make an accurate assessment of whether or not it works, and so far he hasn't missed a single treatment (it helps that he really, really wants to get rid of the tattoos) I will update again in June. On a side note, I had heard that the hydroquinon was temporary as well and wondered how this would work as far as permanent removal is concerned and also wondered if the skin where the tattoo was would be lighter than the surrounding skin...but as my husband said "who cares as long as the tattoo is gone, I'drather have a light spot than the ugly tattoo." As for the hydroquinon, perhaps I'll email the company and see what they have to say. If I do, I'll post the results.

Answer by tumbleweed
Submitted on 5/9/2004
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Hi everybody I’ve used tatgoneink twice I have a small cover up that was a hack job. This tattoo is only a year old. I’m not to impressed with this product (tatgoneink). I had one treatment last June, went back for another a few weeks ago. The tattoo Artist has had good luck with this product, however he was a little disappointed with the results of my first treatment. He even gave me a break on the price because of the poor result. The artist asks me to stop back in 3 or 4 weeks to see what it looks like. If it doesn’t look like it’s fading then he recommends not doing any more treatments. So I’ll stop by his shop in about 3 or 4 weeks to see what he thinks. At least he is honest about it. Like I said he has had good result with other people so maybe it depends on what type of ink, your own chemical makeup ect. Good luck I might try something else later if this isn’t working.

Answer by Re: Rejuvi Users
Submitted on 5/11/2004
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This past April I had the Rejuvi method (www.rejuvilab.com) of tattoo removal performed by a doctor who has been using it for 3-4 years, and let me tell you, I would not go through it again. It was not the actual process that was painful, because the area (behind my ankle on the inside) was numbed with lidocaine first, it has been the recovery that is painful. The Dr. told me that once the initial scab bubbled-up and came off, that I would see approximately 60% of the ink removed and that in 3 or 4 months we would most likely have to do the procedure again. It has been just over a month, and the good news is that 100% of the ink is gone, but the bad news is that I am now left with a 1.5mm deep, raw, red, secreting indention in my skin that looks like someone carved it away with a knife. When I went to see the doctor recently to make sure that it was not infected, HE was shocked, and said that this was not what it was supposed to look like, and at that point, didn't really seem to know what to do to treat it. He ended up prescribing me some VERY expensive cream called Regranex (thank god my insurance covered it...over $500 for a small tube), that when I picked up the prescription, the materials say that it is made to treat people with lower leg ulcers resulting from diabetes. The other thing is that, even after all of this, he didn't even make me set another appointment to check and see how it is healing. He told me to, "Keep him posted and let him know how it goes." Can you believe that? The recovery is taking a long time and has definitely put a cramp in my lifestyle. Because the tattoo was in an area of my foot that is constantly moving, I was walking with a limp for about 3 weeks and had to wear all flat shoes with no backs, as to not touch the area. It wasn’t until this past weekend that I was able to jog again (with new special tennis shoes that I can slide into and have no backs), but I paid for it later. Forget swimming or doing anything that may result in infecting the area. Needless to say, I am going to see a dermatologist this week for a second opinion. What's done is done, and now all I can do is find the best treatment to lessen the scar that is sure to form. I'd love to hear from others who have had the Rejuvi method of tattoo removal.

Answer by Steph
Submitted on 5/11/2004
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As I had mentioned before, I bought a 6 months supply of TatBGone. I've been using it religiously about 3 weeks now. Sometimes I forget to wait 10 minutes for the 2nd step to dry. I don't know if it makes too much of a difference. On step 2, you can really smell the hydroquinone in it. Since hydroquinone is a proven method for skin lightening, I think I made the right decision in buying the TatBGone cream. Believe it or not, I see my tattoos becoming more dull. I don't know if it's actually lightened of not, but I do finally see a LITTLE change. Plus, my skin surrounding the tattoo has not changed too much. It's only been three weeks, and I'm still 1/2 way into my first month's supply. I'll continue to post updates as I begin to see more results. Good luck everyone!

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 5/11/2004
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Ok, I have just ordered the TatBGone - stuff (4months supply), because some of the people in this forum seems to be believable when they says it works. BUT: Am I the only one here that gets anxious when reading posts saying "Oh I finally got my promotion, the tattoo is now gone after using tatbgone, the product is excellent bla bla bla"? I think some of the posts are from the company-employees, promoting their product (like Darlenes post, I always get susoicious when the post starts with "I finally got my promotion". Ha ha, what a load of crap!). So you people from TatBGone, if you are here, try to make your posts less obvious, some of us are actually interested in seeing if this product works, but reading your obvious posts makes us less eager. Well, I`ll try to take before and after pics on my small black`n greys, and post them. If this stuff is a hoax, it will be out in the open soon.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 5/12/2004
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Well Darleen, if you are for real, I apologize. It was not meant as slandering, but on the TatBGone site all the ads start with "Ahh, I finally go my promotion. I am soooo thankful for getting rid of my tattoo...". Well, if it worked, nothing makes me happier (I have ordered the stuff). What makes me feel uneasy are all the "happy-posts" on this site regarding this product, and they all start with "I finally got my promotion..." - and I suspect some of them are from the tatbgone-people. To those people: I have nothing against a little sneaky promoting of the product, but please make those posts a little less obvious. Perhaps you should take another nightcourse in PR? I was wrong in mentioning your nickname Darleene, because you could of course be for real. Do you have any photos of your tattoo to post (on the website, if you take a close look, you can still see a little bit of remains of the tattoo). Good luck on the removal everyone. And Marilie, if it doesnt work, I can recomment laser removal, I have had some lasering done on a tatto which was poorly done, and needed to be lightened up in some places before it could be fixed. It is expensive, yes, but its not any more painful than getting the tattoo in the first place, and it does work.

Answer by marilie
Submitted on 5/13/2004
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Darlene, i'm sorry that you felt slandered. it's really not about you. it's about having something permanent on your body that (for various reasons) you don't want anymore. it's about the anxiety of getting this thing off you and not wasting a fortune in the process. the encouraging posts that i have read on this website are the reason why i decided to purchase tatbgone. i am so glad to know that you are real person with real results. i still check this site (even though i am currently using tatbgone) to keep hope alive. i hope to be tat free some day just like you. InFlames, did you have any scarring from the laser procedure? i've read so much mixed information about the procedure. most sites say that scarring is inevitable.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 5/13/2004
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Hey Darlene. Well, the skin doesn`t really scar, but becomes "crocodile-like" afterwards...(in lack of a better word). In my case that doesn`t matter so much, because I didn`t want to remove it, just lighten it up so that I could put the right color in (it was a coverup tattoo,I had some amateurish tats from when I was 17, and the coverup didn`t cover it completely). I guess "crocodile-like" skin is inevitable, but the skin heals/reproduce itself with time. The thing with laser is that the results may vary a lot from person to person. Some people experience great results on 2-3 treatments, removing the tat completely withou scarring, whereas others experience scarring and incomplete removal (the older the tat is, the harder it is to remove). Well, what you can do of course, is to try the tatbgone first, see if it lightens it (or maybe even remove, who knows, maybe it actually works =o), and then do some laser, if its not gone. Good luck. I`m expecting the tatbgone any day now. Btw, does anyone here know any site that I can post pictures of before/after on?

Answer by adz
Submitted on 5/13/2004
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yes laser does cause some change in skin texture. ive had only 2 sessions done so far and already i notice my skin is rougher and more scaly feeling than the surrounding skin. it really sucks having to go through this, im hoping my supply of tatbgone is actually doing something to help the process - im using it in between laser treatments once the wound has healed. i would really appreciate if anyone who really has used the cream to post their results - it really does seem like those saying positive things about the product are fake.. as someone above was saying, the wording of these posts is just too obvious to make it real.. i mean come on people its not even written in conversational english most of the time and instead ends up sounding like an ad! sorry to those of you who are real (if you are!), but you have to understand that it DOES look suspicious. maybe some pictures would help if you had any?

Answer by marilie
Submitted on 5/15/2004
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buyer beware: i too ordered dermasal before i found this website. after reading more information about the company and salabrasion, i decided not to use the product. i actually tried to cancel my order. i left several messages with the 800# and none of them were returned. i even tried emailing them. all of these factors played into my decision not to use the product. i mean they should have at least returned my phone call or responded to my emails, right? when i received my dermasal kit in the mail a CHEESY, POORLY DONE brochure was enclosed that explained that they want you to try the product first before they will refund your money. luckily i only purchased a one month supply. i waited my thirty days and called the number on the cheesy brochure. i actually did get a live person that provided me with the refund information and confirmed the return to address. i am somewhat encouraged that i may actually get my money back, but we'll have to see. it's supposed to take 15 days after they receive it. i will let you know how it turns out. these stupid tattoos and the things we do...DOAH!

Answer by missmandy
Submitted on 5/18/2004
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About Tatgoneink, I had my first treatment done (on several old tats)at the very end of March, and yes, there is a hard shell that has to stay on the treated area for about 2 weeks. I think it is a small price to pay, to finally remove these ugly tattoos! I am very satisfied with my results. The tattoos are faded, and they continue fading...and they are even gone in some small spots. I am definately going to get another treatment, and I honestly believe the second treatment will remove the rest of the ink. My skin is healing perfect with no scars. I am going on a cruise to the bahamas for the fourth time, and this time I will finally be wearing my bikini, and nothing else!! :D I am very happy I decided to try this product. By the way I am an everyday person, 26 F (I clean offices for a living) I don't work for the company. I am just posting my story because I also looked for sooo long. I hope this helps.

Answer by armysevoflurane
Submitted on 5/19/2004
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I recommend people take a look into the infrared coagulator for tattoo removal. It will soon revolutionize the tattoo removal field. It is roughly 50 dollars per treatment and up. 50 dollars normally covers about 8 square inches. This involves using infrared heat or coagulation of the tattoo ink and similar to a lazer, but less painful because the area is injected with a local anesthetic prior to the procedure. The process "melts" the ink with heat, unlike the lazors which "break apart" the ink. Anyway, it works on ALL types of ink and was pioneered by Dr. Tolbert Wilkerson out of San Antonio, TX, who is a plastic surgeon, and a worldwide respected plastic surgeon. Normally, 3 treatments completely removes the tattoo, but sometimes, it requires as many as 6. This method was done in Europe in the early 90's and caused bigtime scarring. Wilkerson perfected the method by adjusting the heat used in relation to a person's skin type, and most importantly, the aftercare of the wound with bigtime, and I mean, bigtime compression wraps such as coban or ace bandages that have to be worn for 1 month after the procedure and taken off seldom during this month. This has minimized scarring dramatically. I recommend going to his website. Do a keyword check of "infrared coagulator Dr. Wilkerson" and you will see a link. No, I am not a "worker" of the guys company or anything like that. The guy is a multimillionare and in his late 50's I believe. He doesn't need more money or someone to advertise for him on a tattoo website for God's sakes. I am simply trying to help folks out because I'm in the military, and was stationed in San Antonio and he did my procedure. I had 3 treatments of a 24 square inch tattoo on my left deltoid(6 x 4 inches). It is 50% faded, but I have literally green, yellow, blue, red, and fl flourescent in the tattoo. As for scarring, yes, some, but very, very minimal and not elevated or raised scarring from the skin. I plan to go back next month for number 4. Anyway, let me say that I used Tat B Gone for 3 months and had about 10% fading on my tattoo. To say it doesn't work may be an overstretch, but to say it works completely may be one as well. But, in truth, I did see some fading of the tattoo within about a 90 day timeframe. Best of luck to all, but at least take a look at the infrared coagulator. It's booming in South America and inner city areas particularly due to its cheap cost and "fast" rate of removal and high level of tattoed people in S. America and the inner city areas. Research on the infrared coagulator is out there, but has still received slow success for funding. Why? Because a plastic surgeon or dermatologist can make a ton more removing tattoes via laser which costs thousands for the machine versus the low cost infrared coagulator machine.

Answer by BabyGirlJ
Submitted on 5/20/2004
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I got a 3x2 bumblebee fairy woman done in mexico about 9 months ago. I really HATE this tattoo like many of you on this message board. I gave been looking into every possible way to get this thing removed but i dont know what to do. This message board helped a lot but also may have confused me even more. I was really thinking about getting TatgoneInk done but now i dont know. I'm just so scared of the scars!! I went and talked to the doc about Laser, but that wont work well on my tat since there are lots of Yellows, blues and purples (which are the hardest to remove with laser --as she said "almost impossible"). I guess i might try tattoo-off or tatbgone. Someone said that they basically have the same ingredients so i dont know i guess its a toss up. But Please if someone has pictures please email them to me (xxbabyjameexx@yahoo.com). I'm desperate and i just really want to get rid of this tat without leaving a scar.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 5/22/2004
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Ok, I`v e been using tatBgone for about 10 days now. Sometimes I think it looks like the tats are becoming duller, other times I think it may be that my eyes are playing tricks on me. I did take before-pics thoough, and will be posting before-after pics in 3 months. Some of the people that have participated in this forum says that tatbgone really works, and I`m getting more and more curious (I know I will find out for sure in the coming months, but I dont want to wait...) Darlene, Playmate, Brian, do you have any pics you could post? Doesn`t even have to be before-pics, I just want to see that areas that you have used tatbgone on (on the companies site there are still remnants of the tat).

Answer by adz
Submitted on 5/22/2004
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InFlames, the pics on tatbgone and tattoo off's sites are fake... if you look carefully you can see they were done using paintshop pro or adobe photoshop or some similar program. look at the texture of the skin in the shots where the tattoo has been "removed" and you will see that it looks like an edited image. this of course doesnt mean the creams dont work, but then why would they put fake pictures on the site if it really did work? i thought i noticed some fading with tatbgone too, but since im also getting laser i cant really judge too well what fading is due to laser and what is due to tatbgone. i'll be very interested to see how you go with yours, and how others went as well

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 5/23/2004
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Jo, if you want to take the laser removal route, you can't beat bodian dermatology. I've checked out a lot of places and they probably have the lowest prices. I had two tattoos lasered for $300.00 per session. Its a pretty good price but still expensive, especially when you have to go for multiple sessions. That's why I've been trying to find other methods. I'm curious as to how much the infrared coagulator costs. I've read that its less expensive than laser and it takes fewer sessions to remove the tattoo. I'm still trying to find more information on it but there' not much out there. By the way, both tatink gone and rejuvi procedures are extremely expensive. I just brought a bottle of fading creme from Walgreens with 2% hydroquinone. I'm going to see whether this works on my tattoos. I've tried the tatbgone on and off and can't tell whether its fading my tattoos. I'm pretty impatient and the three step procedure is really a nuisance to me.

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 5/24/2004
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Apparently the infrared coagulator procedure is more expensive that laser. I was pretty disappointed by the news. The closes place that does this from where I live is in NJ. I think I'llpass. By the way, I tried the fading cream with hydoquinone for the last couple of days and it seems to be fading my tattoo. Of course, it could also be my eyes playing tricks on me. I'm going to stick with this for a while longer. It couldn't work any worst that the tatbgone since both use hydroquinone as their main ingredient. To tell you the truth, I think if tatbgone actually works, it'll probably be a result of the hydroquinone. I think the other two steps are useless and are included to get people to buy their product for the ridiculous prices that they're charging. I'm going to bet that some person found that hydroquinone can fade tattoos and tried to find a way to make a buck out of it by making it into a three step procedure. If you don't want to get rip off, just go to your local Walgreens or CVS and pick up a jar of fading cream for 4.00. It's more concentrated and will probably last longer.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 5/25/2004
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Petey, if it`s the hydroquinone (solely) that is doing th bleachin, ordinary hydroquinone wouldn`t work, I think. The reason is that the hydroquinon has to someway make it thru the upper layers of the skin to reach the dermis, where the ink is. I think this is what the step one cream is supposed to do, somehow "open up the pores in the skin", or something like that. There is a "sandlike" component in the step one-cream, and when i massage it in firmly, the skin becomes a little redish. Then I rinse and apply step 2, wait 10 mins till its dry, apply step 3 and wait till its dry, then put my clothes on. Only been using it 2 weeks, nothing much has happened yet, but sometimes I think the tat looks more "blury". I noticed this, however, only after a few days of using it, and since then, it doesn`t look to how blurred/faded much more. Like I said earlier, I have taken before pics. Anyone here further into the treatment, seeing anything? (And I need to see pics, just testimony like "oh, I finally got my promotion blah blah blah" doesn`t do it, it could be the company`s people talking). Pics please?

Answer by bohemian
Submitted on 5/25/2004
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THANK YOU THANK YOU SADE. I WAS WONDERING WHEN THAT POINT WOULD BE BROUGHT UP.HYDROQUINONE IS FOR LIGHTENING PIGMENT BUT THE BODY PRODUCES IT CONTINUOULSY(UNLESS YOUR MR. JACKSON..BAD JOKE I KNOW)SO THEREFORE IT IS A PERMANENT INK REMOVAL. I AM A COSMETOLOGIST SO I HAVE PRETTY GOOD BACK GROUND IN COSMETIC INGREDIENTS. THE GOOD AND THE FAKE.I WENT THROUGH EVERY Tat Be Gone INGREDIENT,AND CAME UP WITH THIS CONCLUSION.THE FIRST STEP IS A GLORIFIED (EXPENSIVE )APPRICOT SCRUB.STEP 2 HAS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS THERE IS MORE THAN HYDROQUINONE THAT MAKES IT WORK THE WAY IT DOES.STEP 3 A MOISTURIZER.QUITE SIMPLY. I HAVE DEVISED MY OWN TAT REMOVAL SYSTEM THAT I HAVE USED FOR 3 MONTHS NOW WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS AND ALOT CHEAPER TOO! LOOK UP INTAGLIO.IT IS A PROFESSIONAL SKIN CARE LINE.WITH MUCH HIGHER QUALITY INGREDIENTS THAN TATBGONE.(NO I DON'T WORK FOR INTAGLIO)YOU CAN GET A EXFOLLIATING BRUSH AND BUY A CHEAP APRICOT SCRUB@ THE DRUGSTORE TO "PREP" THE SKIN. YOU MUST EXFOLLIATE 2X A DAY. APPLY THEIR SKIN LIGHTENING GEL DROPS. ADD MOISTUREIZER. DONE. THEIR PRODUCTS CONTAIN AHA GLYCOLIC ACID THAT HELP WITH THE REMOVAL OF SKIN CELLS, BUT IN A MORE GENTLE WAY THAN DERMABRASION.AND NO SCARRING.IT WILL TAKE TIME SO BE PATIENT AND DO IT MORNING AND NIGHT.I AM MORE IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THIER PRODUCTS THAN ANY ONE ELSE. THEY DO NOT ADVERTIZE TAT REMOVAL OR EVEN PROMOTE IT. THEY CAN BE FOUND ONLINE FOR DISCOUNT PRICES I BELIEVE(I ORDER THROUGH A SUPPLIER) THERE IS NO DISCOLORIZATION OF THE SURROUNDING SKIN AND IF THERE IS A BIT IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY. MY TAT SCARRING (RAISED BUMPS)IS ALMOST GONE NOW AND MY ONE TAT IS 3/4 FADED AND THE OTHER ONE 1/4. ONE WAS ALOT OLDER AND ONLY BLACK INK. THE OTHER BLUE/RED TOUCHED UP2X UGG!THE WORST TO GET RID OF.I WILL POST PICS WHEN THERE IS A BIT MORE FADING .I DIDN'T THINK TO GET PICS UNTIL I WAS A MONTH OR SO INTO THE PROCESS. SO I WANT THEM TO BE DRAMATIC.

Answer by BOHEMIAN
Submitted on 5/28/2004
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Hi.to explain this in pin staking deatail would take too much time and space. so i will sum it up the best that i can. first~the first step is just an appricot scrub. the idea is to "rough up" the suface to "prime" the skin to absorb what is going to be put on in step 2. second~in step 2 there are a couple ingredients like steareth21=itis a detergent like compound to again "rough"up the skin.Salicylic acid is an exfollient and also antimicrobial.(preservative) The combination of these ingredients is what makes the hdriquinone more effective. it not the hydroquinone itself alon. Itis a process. Thirdly~ the last step is a moisturizing cream, and from the looks of the ingredients not a very good quality one somew of the ingredients are known acne causers. Now with that all said I am not nocking tat be gone at all. it will work i am just saying that htere are other thingw out there and i am not comfortable with thier ingredients quality. What we put on our skin is absorbed into our system, and ugly tats that i regret or not. i don't whant to wreck my body further. I am not terribly computer litterate as far as posting stuff. i couldn't figure it out. But i did open a yahoo account to anyone whho whanted a tat pic. just email me and i will forward a pic to you. just for the record i am very embarrased about these tats and rarley show any one! www.namebrandbeauty.com carries intaglio products at reduced prices.i recommend get an exfolliating brush / glycolic lightening gel-15/and a moisturizer that fits your budget. of course i like thiers because thier moistur nightcream has a glycolic acid 15% contet to further slough off those pesky skin cell that are holing that ink in their. in flames/petey hope this helps you. babygrilj.yes you could in theary just use step 2 and devise your own exfollient and moisturizer.

Answer by BOHEMIAN
Submitted on 5/28/2004
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Hi.to explain this in pin staking detail would take too much time and space. so i will sum it up the best that i can. first~the first step is just an apricot scrub. the idea is to "rough up" the surface to "prime" the skin to absorb what is going to be put on in step 2. second~in step 2 there are a couple ingredients like steareth21=it is a detergent like compound to again "rough"up the skin.Salicylic acid is an exfolliant and also antimicrobial.(preservative) The combination of these ingredients is what makes the hydoquinone more effective. it not the hydroquinone itself alone. It is a process. Thirdly~ the last step is a moisturizing cream, and from the looks of the ingredients not a very good quality one some of the ingredients are known acne causers. Now with that all said I am not knocking tat be gone at all. it will work i am just saying that there are other thing out there and i am not comfortable with thier ingredients quality. What we put on our skin is absorbed into our system, and ugly tats that i regret or not. i don't want to wreck my body further. I am not terribly computer litterate as far as posting stuff. i couldn't figure it out. But i did open a yahoo account to anyone who wanted a tat pic. just email me and i will forward a pic to you. just for the record i am very embarrassed about these tats and rarely show any one! www.namebrandbeauty.com carries intaglio products at reduced prices.i recommend get an exfolliating brush / glycolic lightening gel-15/and a moisturizer that fits your budget. of course i like thiers because thier moisture nightcream has a glycolic acid 15% contet to further slough off those pesky skin cell that are holing that ink in their. in flames/pesky hope this helps you. babygrilj.yes you could in theory just use step 2 and devise your own exfollient and moisturizer.

Answer by db1024
Submitted on 6/2/2004
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Hi all. 1st let me say that my husband has been using the tatbgone religiously since May 4th and we THINK we see some fading occurring. Some of the areas that had light shading/light lines seem to be getting lighter and the overall tattoo seems duller. But of course it's still too soon. It seems to me that Bohemian is definitely on the right track...in fact I tried to post on the 25th to tell Petey to go get some apricot scrub at the pharmacy since it was so similar to the step one in tatbgone. My husband and I had pretty much determined that step one was apricot scrub (and Petey it does open the pores and scrub off any dead skin cells on the surface) and step two was hydroquinone and step 3 was simply moisturizers, so I went out and bought some apricot scrub and fading cream and my husband has already started working on another separate tattoo using that method (sure would be nice if this $10 method works)In fact the apricot scrub is better than the step 1. (maybe this explains why they can't patent anything, it's all already on the market!) BJS: Try using cocoa butter on the area where the stitches are and it may reduce some of the scarring. Darlene (or anyone who's used tatbgone with success) Does any of this "think it's fading" sound familiar to you when you did this? How long did it take before you knew for SURE? I'd be happy with some after photos as well. Please post and give us all some hope!!! I will continue to keep you posted.

Answer by sunpharee
Submitted on 6/3/2004
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well..I have been using the dermabrasion cloths I bought on ebay and drug store bought 2% hydroquinone for about 2 wks when these pics were taken, http://photos.yahoo.com/corcunningham the first 3 are before and the rest after. To be honest, I didn't think it was doing anything and I quit my method, but I went back and looked at the pics, it looks like the blues and greens got a lot lighter in just that short amount of time. I think I'll keep on doing it and take more pics to see if its not just my camera playing tricks on me. At least until I can resume laser treatment after the baby is born. After scrubbing with the cloth, my skin over the tats get flaky for a few days, almost a little crust forms over it, I guess a really light scab, but not enough to leave a scar I don't think...(and I scar easy) well, hope this helps someone :) I have some tatgone ink, I bought it cuz hubby has a tattoo gun, we've used it twice and I don't know how much is left...but if anyone wants to make me an offer before I put it up on ebay... sunpharee@yahoo.com let me remind everyone the tatgoneink is the stuff that caused the scarring on me, but in all fairness, I picked at it.

Answer by Tatbgone
Submitted on 6/5/2004
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Greetings to everyone in the forum! I found this forum probably like everyone else here, trying to get some solid info on how to effectively remove a tattoo - right? My tattoo is a "Black Panther" 7in. long & 3in. wide. It was put on in January 1980 at "Fay's Tattoo Parlor" in Waynesville Mo., during my training in the US Army. It has faded naturally since that time. It originally was all black with red "scratch marks" that could be felt for at least the first two or three years, and red eyes and mouth, but the color faded out years ago... On May 6, 2004, I ordered a "Trial Version" of Tat B Gone for $65.00. I have been using it for three weeks now. I started to see very minor results in just one week after using it. Now after three weeks of use, I can see that it is "fading". In some places like the outline around the feet and in the center where there are sparse areas of ink, it is starting to fade pretty well. I have only missed two applications (not concurrently) but it is still fading more and more with each passing week. I have taken pics before using it, and every week since. I will continue to do so until it is completely gone. Tonight, I ordered a 4 month supply. I am that confident it will completely remove it all. I estimate that by the end of the year it "could" be completely gone. That's six more months. The depth and type of ink that was used I'm sure is different that what is being used today. I don't know if it is a positive or negative, all I know is that I can see a very noticeable difference. I am glad that I took a chance on Tat B Gone. I waited nearly a year before I actually ordered it, due to being out of work and on a tight budget and all. You all can draw you own conclusions...I am using it and I can honestly tell all of you that it is definitely doing something that can be seen. I realize that it will take time, but it will be gone within a year of everyday use. Just reading what you all have stated makes perfect sense. I would be cautious too and have been myself. Who wants to be scammed? Not me! When I have been using it for 3 months I would like to post the pics for you all to see, then you can make your own decision to try it out. I have had absolutely no problems of any kind with the system. It is very easy and fast to use. It even smells ok too! I wish you all success in losing your tat's!

Answer by Tatbgone
Submitted on 6/6/2004
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haste wrote: "hmmm? Not more tat b gone sales reps" adz wrote: "man that is SO obviously an ad for the product... you'd think they would be able to do a better job than that" ============================================ I don't care how skeptic you two are. . . I am just a person trying to loose a tattoo that I no longer want, and thought that I'd share my experience with the product with those that were interested in it, because like yourselves, they are weary of getting scammed as I am too. If this is going to be the tone of this forum, then I will gladly move on and not share my progress with those that share your perspectives. I don't need to defend my own experience to paranoid skeptics like you two. . .

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 6/7/2004
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adz, I was curious about that too, but I read an interesting post by a chemistry student (further up the thread). If it is true that the "step 1" actually opens up the skin, then the "temporary effect" of TatBGone shouldn`t matter, because the temporary effect is only due to the fact that the body`s pigment grows back. Hydroquinone was originally used to bleach bad pigmentation of the skin (like liver spots and such, I assume). Now, if the pigmentation is "put" into the skin artificially (as in the case of tattoos), the temporary aspect of hydroquinone should`nt matter. The ink cant grow back, once it has been removed. Therefore, the only thing I`m curious to, is whether the "step 1" actually opens the skin up enough to get the active stuff down in there, and whether hydroquinone actually is able to break down ink as it does with other pigmentation. Well, I`ll find it out soon, I`v e been using it for over a month now, and well, my eyes could be playing tricks on me, but I think I may see some more bleaching going on (jjust not as much as I had hoped...). Hey you, the guy (or girl) calling him/herself tatbgone, do you have any pictures to post, so we can see your progress?

Answer by Tatbgone
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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InFlames wrote: "Hey you, the guy (or girl) calling him/herself tatbgone, do you have any pictures to post, so we can see your progress?" ============================================ Not at this time. I am using a 35mm camera that has to be developed in a lab. I have taken two pics over two weeks and I am ready to take a third tomorrow. I started with a new roll of film and don't want to waste it just to post 4 pics, I'm sure you understand. . . I will post my progress as soon as the roll is used up. I don't want to get scammed by this company, as you all don't either! From what I can see, it seems to have "lightened" the areas where the ink is not so concentrated, and in the areas where the ink is highly concentrated, it seems to be "punching" tiny holes into the ink, as if it is starting to "erode" the ink. The tail on my panther tattoo was very black when I first got it, but as I stated in my first post, having my tattoo for nearly 25 years, it has faded due to doing construction outside in the sun and normal fading. By the way, to answer your other question, I am a man. Like all of you, I hope that this is not just a "bleach job", because I just ordered my first 4 month supply after trying the "Trial Kit". So I have a vested interest in the final outcome of Tat B Gone. Believe me, if it is a scam, I certainly will let all of you know about it! There is strength in numbers and I won't be taken for a fool or allow myself to get scammed by this company if they don't deliver! But remember this, there is no guarantee that laser removal, chemical or any other tattoo removal methods will work 100%! Each individual may get a better result than the next person. I figure after using it for a total of 5 months, it should give me a clear indication if it's legit or a farce. When I develop my pics, I will post them for you all to see what it is doing for me. Good luck!

Answer by db1024
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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Jo: That's terrible news, but if it's the truth I guess we'll all have to face it soon enough! But we will continue until we run out of tat b gone and the other products we bought and make a decision from there. InFlames: I did take some pictures back in early May but when I went back to do a 1 month comparison I was not happy with two of the photos. The flash created somewhat of a glare on his skin so it was hard to see (they didn't look bad on the camera but when I downloaded to the computer it was more obvious) So I took some over when I was taking before pictures for the tats he's working on using the $10 method. So two of the befores are 1 month into treatment, but overall if this stuff works they will serve their purpose and I do plan to post pics at some point. Probably around the same time as you. Also, the apricot scrub does a much better job of "roughing up" the skin, it's much more textured than the step 1 product. You should try it in addition to the step 1...that doesn't make me a sales rep for apricot scrub does it? :o) (sorry, couldn't resist, there's so much skepticism in this forum, but it's completely understood)

Answer by blueone
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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Thank you guys! I confirm again that researching is best when skeptical of Internet ads. I have a small cosmetic tattoo on my eyebrow I want gone, but did not want to resort to high cost lasers as the first step(although most promising). Instead, I've tried a tattoo removal solution 5 years ago (I don't remember the name now, but it works like tatgoneink), but like others I was left with a very thick scar that did not go away for at least two weeks and it left the skin scarred and hypo-pigmented. Yes the tattoo is gone (on smaller "test" area I've treated), but basically the solution removed past mid reticuler dermis (deeper part of skin) and I've got scar tissue raised up instead. On a good lighting & makeup I guess you can't really notice the small scar now, but on sunlight the scar is definitely noticeable in color and texture difference. Basically a chuck of skin was lifted off and healed with scar. Needless to say, I've never treated the full area due to long down time and in fear of further scarring. This forum saved me money that I almost spent on the Tat b gone under "what the heck" approach, but now I find the product as a definite scam in marketing (especially on price) on little potential benefit of hydroquinone and minor medical principle of skin healing. I've tried many different hydroquinone products in the past for treating minor skin discolorations, and NO it doesn't erase even the faintest freckles but it does fade JUST-a-tiny-bit if you're REALLY faithful in daily regime. I highly and completely doubt that it'll erase tattoo as the only active ingredient, which I find out on this forum (what a disappointment). They even seem to have collaborated scam link that advertise the cream as if non-involving party (please~). Judge it for yourself, but that link actually made me a doubter leading me to further search to this forum. https://www.host-manager.com/stores/tattooremovalinstitutecom/default.asp?pageid=23425 Anyhow, for those who have experienced benefit - congratulations - but I'd rather save myself hundreds of dollars and invest on a good scrub (removes extra surface skin for best product absorption), 2% hydroquinone (strongest over-the-counter strength since higher concentration shows carcinogenic evidence, but I've even tried 4% prescribed without much luck on minor skin discoloration), and some moisturizer or petroleum jelly (moist environment helps wound healing). Then your skin MIGHT regenerate itself enough to somewhat fade some of the lighter very surface amateur tattoos. The deeply embedded tattoo ink that goes all the way down to the dermal layer, I'm afraid, will never be reached by hydroquinone applied at epidermis - so definitely save yourselves from spending ridiculous amount of money tat b gone or other manufacturer charge to innocent hopeful people. I wish all of you the greatest of luck, and I hope this posting helps some people to make best decision for yourself.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 6/9/2004
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db1024: Yes, I know, I`ve realised that if the point of the step1 is to rough up the skin, the apricot scrub in step1 isn`t very effective. I now use the roughest scrubbing cream I could find, a cocoanut-butter cream with grinded particles in it, which I use first, and then the step1 afterwards, then step2 and 3. The cocoanut-butter-cream is really rough, I rub it in hard, till my skin goes really red. I hope it helps. I think I`m seeing some more fading again, and like TatBGone over said, I now think I see some "puncturing" of the ink in the places where the black lines are. Another month/month and a half and I`ll post (the supply will only last 3 months in my case, as I have several small blackn`greys)

Answer by tathater
Submitted on 6/10/2004
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Thanks for all the info everybody. I think that I will try the fading cream method, prepping with a good soughing scrub. Bohemians post mentioned salicylic acid and its properties as an exfolient and microbial. There is a medicated apricot facial scrub by St. Ives that I have used that contains salicylic acid in addition to being a good rough scrub so I'm going to start with that. My tattoo is mostly black and I've had 3 laser treatments on it already that are working but I would like to try and find a more cost effective method. Ravenkaya - Don't worry that you're not seeing fading the day after the laser treatment and don't do anything crazy like scrubbing at the open wound! You will certainly risk scarring if you do. The breaking up by the laser of the ink happens right away but it takes time for your circulatory system to remove those particles through the blood stream. The most fading that I saw was about 3 months after my 3rd laser treatment.

Answer by Tatbgone
Submitted on 6/10/2004
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blueone stated some excellent points and the "non-involving party" web link is a joke. Ok, now I'm getting skeptical myself and I'm using the stuff right now! I just ordered a 4 month supply last week...this crap had better work! I do see some fading or what ever the heck you want to call it, but dang it, it seems that everytime I check back, there is new evidence that this company may be a ripoff! If it is a scam, I can only blame myself... Don't anybody buy anything until I finish my 4 month kit, that way none of you will be out of $189.00 + the $65.00 I spent on the "trial kit". Oh, by the way, I got my pics developed yesterday and they look like crap! My wife took the pics, but I don't blame her, I don't know why they look so blurry? I will have to try it again. Thanks for all of your input! Maybe the power of positive healing will make it go away?

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 6/12/2004
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The 4.00 jar of fading cream is working great for me. I pretty much smear a glob of it on the tattoo and cover it with a napkin and tape it up. The extra cream gets soaked up by the napkin and keeps the tattoo constantly covered by the cream over night. This works 10 times better than just putting a thin layer on. Anyway, I've only done it for a couple of weeks and I can see the fading. When it gets light enough, I'm going to put some wort remover (high % of salicylic acid) on my tattoo and hopefully it will take the rest of the ink off. I've done this once before on a smaller tattoo and it worked. However, I don't recommend using the wort remover on a solid tattoo that hasn't been faded because the amount of ink that it takes off is not noticeable.

Answer by missmandy
Submitted on 6/14/2004
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If Tatgone ink is applied by someone who is familiar with it, it shouldn't leave a scar. Now there could be a chance of maybe being allergic to the product, which maybe could leave scarring ( I'm not a professional, so I can't say for sure), if you pick at it, it will scar, just like picking at a big scab. From my paperwork, and talking to the professionals, I learned that it works by being injected into the ink area, then absorbing ink pigments, and the body rejects it. If the ink is dense, old, or deep, it may take a couple of treatments. As I stated before I had it done, and think I will only need one more treatment. My tats were over 10 years old done by a friend with a homemade gun ~EEK! You KNOW they were ugly, but I was very young. I would be skeptical of trying the fade cream, it seems to me like it works by slowly scrubbing of the layers of skin that contains the ink, but I haven't tried it, so I can't say.

Answer by missmandy
Submitted on 6/15/2004
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The cost (of tatgone ink) really depends on where you go, I got lucky and was a demo model for the company who owns the product. I found them at a tattoo convention, and I only had to pay the artist. It was $125. My tattoos were not huge (Biggest was about 3 sq. in.), and they contained no colors, just black, but they were DEEP, and DARK! The fading varied, I had soo many treated. One has areas that completely removed all of the ink, but they all are really alot lighter, and they keep fading over time. You have to wait until the skin is back to normal before you can go back in for another treatment. When it is first done, there will be a crust of the product that must stay on, and stay dry, it is ugly and itches like crazy! But you can't pick at it. Mine started falling off after a week. Then it will be red & shiny, you have to keep the skin moist with a product they will give you (aftercare). Keep in mind that nothing guarantees removal after the first time, not even expensive laser. Tatgone is supposed to work on all ink colors equally.

Answer by Yesi
Submitted on 6/15/2004
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Hey, I have been using the tatbgone, so far it is fading my tattoo, is not an overnight thing, but I am sure it is going to fade, no scars, no skin discoloration. I know the price is high, and another thing, you have to be patience, I have a tattoo the size of the palm of my hand, and is only black, And it is fading! I don't use it everyday twice, ( sometimes I forget ) but I am sure that if I did it would fade faster. I have had my tattoos for eight years, and I am 24 !. I know that if I had them for 8 years, I will surely give tatbgone a 1 year chance ! I am sure it works ! And another thing , I wouldn't do laser, by the size of my tattoo, I know I wouldn't want a scar that big ! If some1 wants to try tatbgone I would encourage you to do so!

Answer by Steph
Submitted on 6/15/2004
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Hi All, I'm back to give you guys an update of what I've noticed so far. I've been almost using it for about 2 months now, and I'm also in that mode where I "think" it's working too. I totally agree with all of you about the scrub though. It just feels like it's not getting deep down enough, so this is what I've started doing. I bought one of those nail bristle brushes at any drug or grocery store....The ones that you usually use to clean your nails, and after I apply Step 1, i use the brush to gently scrub it in a little more so the skin turns red. I'm hoping that'll help get Step 2 into the skin a little more. Sometimes, I don't think it's working at all, but maybe it's because my tattoos are black. For sure, I notice it get much lighter after i put Step 3 on it. (Maybe because the cream is so thick). I think after I'm finished with my 6 month's supply, I'm going to go the Medicated Apricot Scrub and Hydroquinone. From what I hear, Hydroquinone is commonly used for pregnant woman who is going to hormonal changes where certain parts of their skin is a little darker than they'd want it. Your doctor can prescribe this to you, and it is WAY more concentrated. Also, if anything happens, at least your doctor is aware of it, and can monitor it for you. I won't take pictures for another month. By then, I hope I'll see a more significant difference. Best of luck....

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 6/15/2004
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At this point, I am 100% positive that the fading cream that I brought from Walgreen's works. My tattoo is getting lighter. I would estimate that its faded by 10 to 15% percent. And this is from using it on and off. The fading cream that I'm using is called Palmer's Skin Success, Eventone fade cream. I got it for $4.00 and it came with a bar of soap. I though the soap away. Anyway, I don't think it matters what type of cream your using just as long as it says 2% hydroquinone. Also, I believe there are prescription creams with double the hydroquinone. I think the fading on my tattoo is working faster because of the way I'm applying it to my tattoo. Like I said before, I don't think it works as well if your putting just a thin layer on the tattoo. I don't like sleeping with a glob of cream on my tattoo and a napkin and tape wrapped around my arm, but it does seem to work really fast.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 6/18/2004
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Well, ok, yes, it may take up to 20 treatments to remove it, depending on colours and age. However, I wouldn`t compare laser to hydroquinone or tatbgone, because laser has a well-documented effect. I have had 2 laser treatments on parts of a tattoo that was poorly done, and that I want to fade down so it can be done the way it should have been done in the first place, and after 2 treatments half of the black ink is gone. It scarred/changed the skin-texture a bit though, and that was the part of laser treatment that I didnt like. I am now using tatbgone on that area + a couple of other small blackn`greys, and I can assure you all that it is no miracle cure. I THINK it works a little bit, but just a little bit. It looks to have faded a bit, but I have only been using it a month and a half. By the rate this is going, if it actually DOES work, it would take like 2 - 3 years to remove it with tatbgone (and I dont even think that it would remove it completely). Im gonna use it 1 1/2 month more, then post pics. The point I was trying to make is that laser has a well - documented effect, it has been used for tattoo removal by docs and dermatologists for many years. But there are side-effects of course, like scarring and an emptying of your wallet/bank account...=o( By the way: Has anyone here tried salabrasion/dermabrasion? Rubbing the skin with sandpaper, then putting some salt on the wound, leave it there for a few hours, then wash it off? I have heard that it may remove quite a bit of ink... Any thoughts?

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 6/22/2004
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I had some cracked lines and fading. You're not going to able to tell whether it's fading or not immediately after you stop using it because it'll be a tannish color. you're going to have to wait three or four days till the tannish color goes away to notice whether it's working or not. Even then, I don't know if you're going to notice that much of a difference since you're doing it to a solid tattoo. I had mine lasered three times before I tried the method. However mine wasn't that much faded from the laser treatments when I started the fading cream so you might be able to see a difference in the little time that you've used it. Anyway, I think my tattoo has been faded enough so I can use the wort remover to take the rest of my tattoo off. By the way, the best work remover that I've come across for this is Tinamed wart remover that I purchased from Walgreens.

Answer by Yesi
Submitted on 6/25/2004
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I was doing some research cause I read Pete's suggestion about a Walgreens cream, and I found something that has almost the same ingridients that TatBGone has. It is called Vita-K and also has 3 steps as TBG. It costs 20 U$S and it is sold at CVS pharmacy. I am almost done with my TBG supplies and I am going to try this thing for at least a month see what happens. I just read the ingridients out of my TatBGone and compared them to the ones listed in this Vita-K cream, It is almost the same, if you have the step 2 jar of TBG you can compare yourself. I am also going to try that Palmer's ... cream too. Pete, do you rub your tattoo with something before you put on the cream? . My tattoo is too big and I feel like it is never going to go away. Here is the link to the product at CVS.com, you can also find it is you search for Hydroquinone. http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/detail?prodid=212763&previousURI=/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/search?ActiveCat=499^Query=hydroquinone^Click+to+go+to+search+results..x=15^Click+to+go+to+search+results..y=4 Is any of you afraid that in the long term this products may cause skin damage? I am , hopes nothing happens. Good Luck. Yesi

Answer by jayem
Submitted on 6/27/2004
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I've had 3 tattoos removed and I am now working on the 4th. The first 3 I had laser treatment which was AWFUL. It was painful, cost thousands of dollars and left me with no skin pigmentation and scars. For the 4th I decided to use Tat B Gone. What a joke. I used it for almost 2 years and THERE WAS NOT ONE TINY BIT OF FADING. I gave up and went back in for laser treatment. This time I went to a new place, had almost no pain and is MUCH less expensive than the fancy Santa Monica doctor I went to for the first 3. This is the second day after treatment and I was in yoga class this morning - stretching and bending with no pain in the tat area. Don't bother with the creams. They are a waste of time and money. If they do anything it will only be to bleach the top layer of skin - they cannot penetrate into the layers. Simply not worth it. We all make mistakes.....pull out your credit card and get laser treatment. Yes, it's an expensive mistake....but better than an unwanted tattoo that can cause embarrassment, shame and low self esteem!

Answer by Tara
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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I just bought TatBGone and I really hope it works! I have been using it for a few days, and I am anxious to hear how the other people on this forum who are using TatBgone are doing on it. I was also wondering if anyone using the same method as I am has any pictures!! I would like to see some pictures of real people using TatBgone, because I'm sure the ones on their website might be cover ups. Also, I was wondering if anyone using TatBgone has a lot of bright colors. In my tattoo I have bright pink, yellow, blue, green, red and purple. So I am wondering if anyone else has a lot of bright, dark colors and if they do and are using TatBgone, I was wondering if it was working! Thanks!

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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Nope Truth Teller, Jayem is not full of bull. I`ve been using tatbgone for a while now. I bought the 4month-supply, and am done with 3/4 of it by now, and there has been almost-none/no fading. I took before pics, but I don`t think I`ll even bother posting them. At first I saw (a minimal) fading, I thought, but then it stopped, and has faded nothing or little since then. If theres any ink gone at all, I`d say it has to be something like 5% or less.TatBGone is a SCAM, or at least very close to it. I think that people still believe it works, because you actually DO see a slight fading at first, (+of course the fact that you will WANT to see it happening, you WANT to believe its true), but then, after 3,4,6 months, the tattoo is still there. After almost three months, the 3 small black`n grey tats I have been treating are still there, pretty much as black and grey as they ever were. The difference between TatBGone and laser is that laser has a WELLDOCUMENTED effect! - it actually removes ink (although is scars), whereas TatBGone is a shady, internetpromoted supposed "wondercream", and I`m inclined to put it right up there with penis-enlargenment-pills and diet-pills, at least when they promise that the tattoo will be REMOVED, instead of just slightly lightened up. And Allison, that site yyou are reffering to is old news (it has been mentioned previously in this thread), and it is obviously a scam, a site the tatbgone and tattoo-off company has made to promote their crappy product. THIS is the truth about TatBGone (truth teller,take it from someone who has tried the product): Yes, there is a slight fading of the tattoo, and this fading can be seen from very early on in the process, but then the fading completely stops (probably because the hydroquinone just bleaches the upper layer of the skin), and no matter how long you keep using it, the tattoo is not gonna lighten any more. Yup, thats my conclusion. I have half a jar left, gonna use it up (as I`m only lightening up for a coverup anyways, its not that important to me), then I`ll go have a dermatologist run over these little tats with a laser, then go get my coverup. I`m definitely done with TatBGone. People, dont waste ur money and time, go get laser.

Answer by Jbro
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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Here is a story that im sure will make all of you feel better about your situation! I have a full sleeve of ink from my elbow .. to my wrist .. going ontop of my hand.. it started out when I was about 16.. some so called 'friends' wanted to tattoo me with their rigged up machine.. and I was -very- heavily into drugs at that time.. so I let them do it.. well.. I went in for laser treatment about 2 years later.. I paid $25 for the lady to measure my arm, and $550 for the first treatment. It faded the indian ink markings left on my arm a little bit after healing for about a month.. and as time went by nothing else happened with it.. she used the Nidec YAG system (garbage! at least thats what i thought then).. so a different 'so called friend' talked me into getting it re-tattooed over after hours of her 'dragging it out of me'.. so i did.. im such a dumb ass.. but it doesnt end there.. the tattoo artist did a horrible job.. about a year later i went in and had it colored in.. and cleaned up trying to gain SOME sort of confidence in wearing short sleeves anywhere.. going swimming... whatever.. another huge f*cking mistake.. now If I go to get zapped anymore Im going to have to really shell out. I recently talked to the makers of the GentleLASE/YAG Laser. This is the same system used for HAIR removal. But.. its -very- powerful.. and very 'clean cutting'.. it completely removes the top layer of your skin in about dime sized shapes.. it hurts.. it really does.. I had a test spot done .. wasnt as bad as all the drilling done to my arm.. but it would be worth it.. well.. the only places (besides in CO and NY) that have this laser ARE in fact HAIR removal places.. Ive been talking on and off with a guy at a place right down the street from here about all of this (obviously).. ANYWAYS (sorry i know im skipping around to much).. a NURSE that i talked to at GentleLASE today gave me some very very interesting info.. There is only one real way for it to all work.. there is a power.. that is mixed with a cream similar to neosporin.. that has to be applied to the lazered area directly afterwords and left on and reapplied when it dries out for 5 days.. (you definelty have to have a dressing).. she also told me you cannot have more than a 2x2 in. area lazered with this system at one time.. because the risk of infection is very high.. and the risk of scarring for my situation is very likely.. well.. Im saving my pennies..doing everything I can to get them.. so I can have this treatment so I can once feel like a normal person again.. I am now 20 years old.. and have been dealing with this for 4 years.. and Im at rock bottom.. this processes is basically a skin bleaching.. I am 'white' .. so my arm may look normal again someday.. Its all been very depressing.. and nobody out there (until recently) has been compasonate enough to try and really help me.. they just want my money.. well there isnt much left.. heh.. and its very hard to get a good paying job in this world anymore with huge tattoos covering showing parts of your body even when i wear extra long sleeved shirts.. Trust me its not fun.. I think schools are doing a HORRIBLE job of informing teens of the bad things out there that will really mess up your life.. I went to a public school .. and was never ever once told how much it could affect my life.. like alot of other things.. Yeah .. I feel very stupid.. but anyways.. not trying to get away from the point of this message. Tatbgone, whatever.. may work if you apply it directly after lazer treatment.. especially using the GentleLase/YAG setup.. after just one treatment.. Im hoping it will.. if i ever get to that point. Good luck everybody and best regaurds. -JJ

Answer by Jbro
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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Another thing to add to my above post is.. also Hydroquinon my do a better job if applied directly after the lazer session.. the Lady at GentleLASE said the powDer (sorry about the confusion on that one) .. its very pricey.. and your basically bleaching your skin.. Another thing I want to clear up is the place that makes GentleLASE/YAG is called candella (www.candella.com) .. a canadian based company. (which btw im pretty sure canada offers this for free considering their free health care.. lucky them.. heh) And the place Ive been talking to the guy with a GentleLASE/YAG is not at candella.. its at a hair removal place.. and this is very risky of me.. considering he has never done it before.. he has only removed hair with it.. but im willing to do what it takes at this point.. Another thing.. the NiDec YAG laser just "raised" the top layer of skin at full power.. didnt make it loose and peel off .. When i had the test spot done with the GenteLASE/YAG the top layer of skin literally feel off on the spot.. Its been about 2 days since I had the test spot done.. and by friday he will know more about the cream.. if he is aloud to do it all.. and what it will all cost me if i take the chance of my arm blowing up with him.. heh .. and we dont even know yet if we can get the cream.. I thought about putting the hydroquinon on the spot but im just scared to use something not meant for internal use.. anyways.. im out.. peace, JJ

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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Man, I feel really bad about reading all these stories especially the last one. Makes you think how many people are regretting getting tattooed on a daily basis. I think it's alright if you're some kind of rock star or entertainer making huge amounts of money. if you ever regret it, you could always remove it. Anyway, there's a lot of tattoo places springing up these days and the pop culture is influencing kids at a very young and impressionable way that getting tattoos is a cool thing to do. It's pretty messed up to be getting tattooed when you're really young and could care less about what the world thinks. But when you become an adult, and start to understand that the world works really differently than how you thought, it could be really devastating. If I ever get rich or get into any position of power, I'm gonna try to set up a program where people who don't want their tattoo can get it removed. That last story sure bummed me out and I don't even know the guy. I worst part is that he's only 20. If I were you, I'd try to join the army and ask to see whether they could help you out. I'm sure they have connections to some kind of laser or whatever.

Answer by Tara
Submitted on 6/29/2004
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Hey everyone. I just wanted to let you guys who are using tatbgone, or anyone wondering about tatbgone, that I just wrote them an email because the skin around my tattoo is getting red and sore. I asked if this was normal and I also asked why they don't have a phone number. I added that this didn't look good on their part, and that I just spent almost 300 dollars on their products and have heard mixed reactions about their company and products. I said that if they did not email me back with a response I was going to let everyone who was wondering about their products know that and I was also going to report them to the BBB. I told them that I was not threatening them, but that I am just serious about getting good results from their products and I gave them business so I expect to have a response to my question. So I will keep everyone posted on whether or not I get a response.

Answer by JOSIE
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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Tara Id like to give you a pat on the back, fair play to ya. I hope you get a responce and let us know if they say anything. Ive been using TatBgone for the last two weeks and so far nothing is happening at all except that its a bit sore at times but I put it down to real hard scrubbing before applying step 2. And like you I have bright colours like pink, orang, light blue etc....., I would hate it so much if the stupid tattooist didnt make it so uneven. My 7 year old cousin would have done a better job. Remember we all in this together, we made a big mistake but hell to what we did. Us humans are put on this earth to do stupid things and many different ways. Us daft folk must try not to feel down about ourselves. GOOD LUCK

Answer by Jbro
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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yes we all definetly make dumb mistakes, and almost everybody out there that is -able- to help hasnt been through it and just wants to get rich off of people trying to once again for like a normal person. The lady from candella called me back today to tell me not to even get a test spot done with the lasers they use at the hair removal places.. because it isnt the right kind.. and she didnt even think about asking me where or what type modle of the gentle lase they were using.. well its a few days too late .. i already had several test spots done.. it hurts like hell.. its not healing.. the depression has been at least 500x worse than when i had my whole arm zapped with the right kind of lazer.. i wish the guy at the hair removal place owuld have warned me what could happen if its not the right kind of lazer.. and i wish he would have looked into it before he tried it on me.. Ive called several dermatologists all over the US in the past day or so.. all of them unfortunetly telling me that they think my best bet would be to have a skin graph.. ugh.. im not giving up on the lazering.. I am unemployeed and have been for some time now.. thinking about going to school for some time now.. but just dont feel comfortable.. now I understand why states like OK have completely banned tattooing.. I just wish there was a way .. I dont have any parents or family.. so im the last of the pick.. if anybody out there knows of anybody that can help me.. please let me know, .. im so tired of being so young and not being able to get anywhere in life.. and im about to recycle myself. peace jj

Answer by Tara
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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Hey guys. I just want to let you know that I got a response from TatBgone. They basically said that their products are hypo-allergenic, so redness is rare and it could be that I am scrubbing too hard. They also said that if I wanted a refund that I could get one. They didn't mention a thing about the question I had about why they didn't have a phone number, so I asked again. I thought that the remark about giving me a refund was a good sign. But then I got thinking and realized that they might be doing that because I threatened that if they didn't respond I was going to go to the BBB and give them a bad report. So they are either just trying to be nice and keep a customer satisfied, or they are trying to save their asses because they know they are fake, and by giving a refund to one customer beats a BBB report and a bad report to you guys on the forum. Let me know what you guys think about it!

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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Hey, Jbro, I'd seriously join the army if I were you. I'm sure while you're serving your country, you could probably get your tats removed from some army hospital base. If not, you could also save up that army money to get it removed bit by bit so when you get out, not only will you have some skills, you will also be tattoo-less (that is if you don't get anymore tattoos while in the army). And if you die in the army, your life wouldn't be a waste, because you'd be serving your country. You could also go to school and put 100% into getting a degree and graduating so you can get yourself a job that'll pay you enough to get your tats off. There are lots of things you could do. It takes sacrifice, but its not all that bad and neither is life. Just think, if you were able to turn your life from where you are now to being a successful person, you'd truly be a warrior. To give up without trying is cowardly.

Answer by C dizzle
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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hey guys.... first off, i tried petey's method for a week, and i have been off it for a week. since then, i have noticed "bb" sized spots on my tat that are fading out... completely. the hydroquinone DOES work, you just have to keep the tat saturated. On another note, i feel really bad for you guys that have full sleeves of tats, and regret your tattoos so much. personally, i think tattoos are still cool... just depends on what you get, where its positioned, and how well it's done. in my case, mine sucks all around... but luckily, i am able to have mine covered by a larger tat, which is much more attractive, and professionally done..... Tattoos are only big mistakes if you let them be.... and sometimes its not the tats that are holding you back from jobs or success, it's just you, and you're confidence issues. maybe you will never be president of Microsoft, but there are many opportunities for success everywhere. i'm sorry this is so drawn out, but point is... why hideously scar yourself, or waste vast amounts of money... just to have a tat removed? tats really are cool... just dont let your friend Zeke do them in his basement.... get them PROFESSIONALLY done. for example, dont go to a place that has "flash" on the walls... go to a place that employs ARTISTS, not just people with tat guns. also, in alot of cases, your tattoo is not as hideous to others, as it is to you. you just obsess about it too much.... letting it take over your life. MORAL of the story: forget paying for surgeries and scars, get a real ARTIST to hook up or cover your old tat, with something better. If you do keep trying to remove it... follow petey's method. that hydroquinone will work... over time.

Answer by Josie
Submitted on 7/1/2004
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Jbro I feel so sorry for you. Try not to do anything rash, I know how you feel, I had such a deep feeling of regret and its still lingering inside me now. I hated myself so much for setting foot in a tattoo parlour, I knew the risks, I knew there would be a chance I would regret it. So I ask myself WHY? I was told laser wouldnt work for me as I have all colours in it. I have to wear sleeved tops every day. Im using Tatbgone but im at the early stages to tell if anything is working. Its my only hope. If that dont work...........Im F***ed. I was getting silly thoughts in my head on how I could remove it myself. Its Bizarre. Remember Jbro, your'enot alone. x

Answer by Jbro
Submitted on 7/1/2004
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I definetly appriciate all of the support.. its really helps.. I found a tattoo parlor about an hour away.. just so happens to be the same city we are moving to in about a month.. the wife does the tattooing, and the husband does the removals (via laser) and peircings.. its very affordable.. because the area is a pretty low income area from what he told me.. im going to give it a whirl and see what happens.. hopefully i can at least get the darker colors out and just be left with some yellow spots on my arm.. i can go thru with this IF the places the guy (at that place i went to a few days ago) actually heal up .. it was pretty scary to be honest.. that laser was meant to burn hair off of skin.. and he turned it up higher than normal. .. and it burned my skin off in those places.. literally.. down to the third layer.. i have to admit seeing your third layer of skin is quite gruesome and scary.. anybody have any ideas on how i can get these areas to heal up good? (keep in mind these spots .. theres no more ink.. heh .. it worked just not how i wanted it to).. so i can have the areas around them lazered??

Answer by Yesi
Submitted on 7/2/2004
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I have been using TatBGone and it did some fading. I am now using the cream that Petey mentioned, and it did some fading too, but still my tat is there. I am unemployed right now too, so I am in no condition of spending $200 in another 4 months supplies of TBG, I am broke, he he. I would like to try laser, but is not only that I have no money, it is that I am so scared to get a huge scar in my back, that I don't know what to do. I am thinking about using the Palmer Hydroquinone cream for a while, I think that that may fade the ink a while and after that, if I take laser It won't take as many treatments. I think that might be a cool option too. As some one else said, I think that Tats are cool too, just depends on where you make them. If mine was a little bit more to the center of my back I wouldn't want to get rid of it, the problem is that if I wear sleeveless shirts it will show, and I hate having to wear shirts with sleeves when it is 95 degrees outside. And for those who are getting another tattoo over another one. I did that I have two tattoos done on the same area, one on top of the other, and two years later you can actually see both tattoos. So if you are getting that make sure that the second time the ink goes deeper than the first, I mean in the skin. Jbro, don't feel so bad, we all feel the same.

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 7/4/2004
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Tara: I have used it for 3 months, 90%of the time twice a day, as you are supposed to...and the few days I only used it in the morning, what difference should that make, if the product ACTUALLY removes ink deep down in the skin? (because that is what actually has to happen, you know, for the tattoo to fade away). I`m not going to say with 100% certainty that there is NO effect in this product. I have also seen this (minimal) fading, and for a while I even thought it worked. A funny thing happened today: My girlfriend had seen that I had these bottles and jars on a shelf in my bathroom, and asked me what those creams was, that I`ve been using (I hadn`t told her that I`v e been using TatBGone). So I told her that I had read somewhere that if you scrub ur tats with a scrubbing cream, then moisturise them, they would fade over time. I then made her take a close look at my tats, and asked her if they had faded. She laughed and said no...and she`s right. They haven`t faded much, I`d say maybe 5% if anything at all , and if I used it for 3 more months, or 10, they would still be here. Jayem over here (earlier post) had been using it for 2(!) years, and it didn`t work!This is the truth about this product! It`s a scam, and the people you see here post positive responses are either quite early in the treatment and BELIEVE they see some fading (like I did), or they see the actual (minimum) fading that DOES happen, but it is EXTREMELY minimal. Either that, or they are from the company, promoting their product (that post above,by Larry.S, about the cross he had faded, sounds a lot like the TatBGone ads, there is a celtic cross supposedly faded on their website). Read thru the posts here, Sara. Did you notice that not ONE of these supposed "happy" customers have posted a pic?! Right, I`m on my last jar of the 4monthsupply, and I`m gonna finish this one, then I`m done with TatBGone. I`m gonna finish it because I did actually see a MINIMUM fading (like 5%), so I`m not saying here that the stuff is a complete hoax, only very close to it. I`m not gonna waste any more money on that crap.

Answer by Yesi
Submitted on 7/5/2004
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LiamG, I thought about that too, but when a tattoo artist uses colors, they only use them not very skin deep, my tattoo was a sun the size of the palm of my hand; underneath it, i had an angel. When I had the sun done to cover the angel, he used black and white, the white ink is totally gone, as if i had never had it, the black ink is starting to fade, and now I can see both tattoos, it is awful. I the problem i think might be that what happens if the ink mix and then it turns out awful? I would say use any cream with hydroquinone. I am using one that Petey recommended, and it working better than tat b gone, unbelievable, I spent $200 on tat b gone, and $6 on Palmer's skin success, and the $6 jar is working better. I don't have any skin discoloration from any of them. I'll keep you posted. Another thing, for everyone, not all inks are alike, i am working on 2 tattoos at the same time, one faded, the other one, not even bit, and the one that faded in newer than the one that did not. Just be patient, I think that the cream may work for some and not for other. Bye

Answer by crwells
Submitted on 7/6/2004
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Hi guys. I started using Tat B Gone in early March -- about four months ago. I just finished up my supply. As for results, I can only reiterate what others have said here so many times: the stuff does not work. I too thought that I saw some fading about a week into the process, but after that there was nothing. I'm thinking that whatever fading all of us think we are seeing may just be from rubbing on the tattoo so much to apply the Tat B Gone...I don't know. Unfortunately, as long as there are desperate marks like me, the company that sells this (very probably) bogus product will continue to get rich. Even if Tat B Gone does work, it would take YEARS to fade a tattoo like they show on their website. Considering their prices, if you just have a small black or grey tat, it would be cheaper to just get laser treatments. I surprisingly found out that prices for laser removal in my area are relatively affordable if you only need a few treatments to remove a very small tattoo like mine. That's about all I can say. I just wanted to share my experience and am hoping that it helps someone. Thanks to all the people who have provided info on here for the last four months. (I do have before and after pics, but like I said, there is no difference in my tattoo after using Tat B Gone.)

Answer by smackdowner
Submitted on 7/6/2004
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I also bought tatbegone back in april of this year.A 4 months supply of it and been using it twice a day for two months on my forearm.I have a cross with barbwire and skulls it only has black ink.I have notice some fading in it the eyes of the skulls are fading nice and the cross has faded a little.I think this product is something you have to use more than any 6 months.My tattoo is 13 years old and has no colors in it.So with the age of the tattoo it may take alot longer.IF anyone has pics of there tattoo before and after tatbegone please put them on here for us to see.If I have better results in the next couple of months I well let you know as of right now Im just hoping this works and is not a scam.

Answer by Jbro
Submitted on 7/7/2004
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Hey everyone.. jus a little update on me.. I went to that place an hour from here.. the guy was very nice.. and NOT a dermatologist/doctor.. he was a tattoo artist that does laser removals. he was very nice about everything.. and even zapped my whole arm form elbow to hand .. and even going onto my hand.. for $65 .. im talking about my whole arm.. yeah . im gonna have to go prolly 4 or 5 more times.. maybe 6.. but that is very affordable.. considering you can only go every 6 weeks.. this is a big breakthrough for me.. and btw.. the laser he is using works very well.. it is a polamar Q-YAG .. and he knows how to use it very wel.. how ever.. if you remember back about a week or two.. i had went to a hair removal place to see if they did tattoo removals.. since their sign said "Louisville Laser" .. they said they had jus opened that store a few weeks ago and hadnt done any in that store yet but they could do them.. well he did a free "test spot" on me.. five of them actually.. and i have permanenent skin damage.. i am going to go see a lawyer tommorrow.. and I am suing the f*ck out of candella and louisville laser. They need to pay for the rest of my treatments PLUS the skin grafting im going to have to have on those spots where i no longer have skin.. people please be careful with lasers.. they can be a deadly weapon, and are powerful enough to cut metal (i know this as this is what my father does for a living, cuts peices of steele for frames of large buildings/skyscrapers with HP lasers) .. I made a huge mistake by taking that chance with that place.. but guinea pig I will not be.. Ill let everybody know how it all turns out.. and if your near southern IL and need a good affordable, safe, and efficient place ot get zapped.. let me know. Peace, Jason

Answer by InFlames
Submitted on 7/8/2004
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Before you do, Bernadene, I want you and everybody else here to know that TatBGone is a scam. I`ve used it for over 3 months, and the tattoos are still there. The pics on their web-site is a cheap photo-trick, you can learn how to make your own faded pics here...: http://www.cockeyed.com/science/tattoo/sue.html ...and ALL of the "people" in this thread going: "oh, I`m so happy,I had a huge flaming skull tattooed on my neck (or whatever), but tatbgone got rid of my tattoo and I finally got my promotion..." etc. are people from the tatbgone-company. They are SPAMMING this board to fool more people into buying their product ((and this is the part that ticks me of the most, I tried to post another post here, telling these people to go .... themselves, but I guess I was censored (no wonder, btw, my language was foul)). It`s a scam, I wasted 289dollars on that crap (pluss a lot of TIME, putting the creams on), and I`m mad as hell. (btw, I also took before-pics, but there`s no point in posting,as there is none/almost no change.)

Answer by wasabihead
Submitted on 7/9/2004
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DON'T WASTE UR VALUABLE MONEY! Although the cream does fade the tattoo it will not COMPLETELY fade it away. It will fade it to a point then stop. So ur tattoo will look worse when you should have spent that money to get it lasered off. I just got back from my laser surgery doctor and told them that i have been using these creams. They said that I should stop using them because it will not COMPLETELY remove the tattoo and will cause thinning/weaking of the skin. I have about 12 tats that I can't stand and am SICK of looking at. I used to be an apprentice at a tattoo shop and my friend taught me everything. I inked some of my friends and even myself...that was ten years ago. And now I am at my breaking point of having these tattoos on myself. I did 6 "beginners" tats on myself...so basically my legs look like a sketchpad!!!!lol I miss wearing shorts and skirts!!!! So I am going to take the brave steps in getting all of these laser removed. It is going to eat all of my income but in the end it will be worth it. I used Tatbgone for about a month and a half and i did notice fading, such as pockets of lightness, but i was tryng to get rid of 12 at a time so my 6 month($300.00) supply was gone after a month and a half. So ultimately it would cost me about $3600.00 for a years supply with the knowledge that it may not work and that the cream is a "scam." I really don't have that kind of money to just throw around on something that is a "mystery" My doctor also said that you SHOULDN"T use of hydroquinone/tatbgone over 3 a month period. So when I got home i threw the little bit of tatbgone away. I admit I was a sucker when I saw the tatbgone site and purchased the cream right away without researching. I should have researched it, asked my doctor and read this site before purchasing it...oh well live and learn.

Answer by Petey
Submitted on 7/9/2004
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Twelve tattoos? Jeezzzzzzzzzzzz. At this point I think they should have some restrictions on getting tattoos. I think if you're going to put that many tattoos on yourself, you're probably into the hobby for life. What's the point of getting that many tattoos and then stopping and then reversing everything? I'm definitely not criticizing you because people especially young people make mistakes. These days its so easy to get into the tattoo thing because its everywhere. What made you get that many tattoos and why are you taking them off now? Seriously, I think anybody who's thinking about getting tattoos should read this board before they go forward with it. Good luck though. It'll probably be a really long and painful process. I really wish there was a magic cure for this problem.