Well, I had treatment number five as scheduled on Friday the 19th. From that experience, I have a couple things to clear up. The first is that when I asked about the max heat the PA said it was not the highest heat possible as far as the laser goes, but it was as hot I was going (that is the 755). Secondly, she mentioned the "textural changes" might diminish or go away all-together. This does not mean it is not scarring - just that it is not permanent.
So here I am on day three post treatment, and the healing process is not the same as it has been. I can say from these five treatments that the healing process is never the same even though nothing changed from session 4 to 5. One thing I was told early on is that the laser responds to ink, so perhaps the healing process will never be the same from treatment to treatment, because the ink concentrations and locations are changing. I think about this with the image of those uniform blisters in mind which in retrospect was a sign of even ink. Now, I get massively large blisters where the ink is darkest, and yet, I don't get any blisters in some areas, even where the laser hit it. Very interesting! Also, this time around and to date (day 3), I have had almost no bleeding and no oozing. The cleanest bandages so far, which is helping me make a change in wound maintenance.
Now, I am only changing my bandages once per day. During the last heal sessions, I was changing them twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening after my shower), but I started to get blisters from the tape I use to keep on the tefla pads. The paper tape was ripping and rubbing at my skin causing reddness, blisters, and pigment changes. Changing the bandage only once per day wouldn't have been possible if I had been bleeding and oozing like before, so I am glad to have this opportunity. My skin needs it! The only caution I have for doing it once per day is that it requires more polysporin/bactatracin (spelling?) to keep the tattoo from drying out.
Here's to hoping for a short heal time!
