A while ago I blogged about a tattoo I had laser removal treatment on, and the subsequent devastation it left on my skin! There was infection and it left me with a cavity on my shin and on steroids. After a long recovery and lots of research I got the all clear from dermatology to tattoo over the now healed skin.
The tattoo I got when I had just turned 18. I was naive, stupid and full of regrets instantly. It was a huge tattoo that covered all of my leg, shin to calf. I didn’t really think about the designs or what they meant or even if they suited me. I just wanted to tattooed because I was finally 18 and I could get as many as I wanted.
I am fully aware of how ridiculous and stupid this was.
I have an appointment to begin the cover up this month, it’ll be a big job and will take up to 20 hours of work to complete. I am so ready for this. I am 23 and every time I get undressed I see that tattoo and the scarring and hate it. Every summer I hide it in jeans or leggings, I am subconscious about it and when people ask about it no words come out my mouth. It holds a huge point of anxiety for me and getting it corrected will be a huge moment for me.
I feel like I have drained myself financially and emotionally getting it removed as much as possible, the physical recovery from the infection was painful and horrific. Through this, I feel like I have earned the cover up now, its the right time to do this and my skin is healthy enough to heal properly afterwards.
A lot of my tattoos do not mean anything sentimental, no tributes to dead relatives or partners. I liked the designs and they suited what I already had. I do love my tattoos though! They are all carefully chosen and positioned by artists that I often go on waiting lists for after months of research. The cover up will mean more than any of the others could because its the last part of my past that I am constantly reminded of. It marks a time in my life when I made a lot of mistakes and hurt people, and listened to people I should have stayed away from. The first session may not cover a lot, but its a start and it will give me a good idea of what the finished tattoo will be like.
Next summer I will be in shorts come rain or shine. I cannot wait to have a tattoo I can be proud of.
I will of course be updating after my first appointment!
I will end this with a final snap of the tattoo as it is now. I cannot wait to see what it becomes next
apricotkid 