Answer Woman: Tattoo regrets? Removal options? More tattoo stats, facts?
A reader has follow-up questions to a previous Answer Woman column about tattoos that delves into behaviors and removal procedures. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Interim Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.
Question: Recently there was a fascinating question and answer regarding appropriate protocol in talking to strangers about the stories behind their tattoos. I have a couple of follow-up questions. What is the breakdown between percentage of women and percentage of men who come in for tattoos? What percentage of individuals at some point choose to have a tattoo removed? Can the removal procedure be done in a tattoo parlor? What is the percentage breakdown between men and women for tattoo artists? What is the most common location for a first tattoo? Finally, and what I'm most curious about; is there any research that points to significant differences between individuals that only have a small number of tattoos and individuals who tattoo extremely large portions of their skin?
More:Answer Woman: May I ask a stranger about their tattoo? Is there tattoo etiquette?
Answer: One could survey groups of 10 or thousands of people about why a person does or doesn’t elect to get a tattoo ― or two or 10 or 100 ― and why they choose a large or small design, and the reason will vary case-by-case.
Research groups have conducted polls and compiled data from focus groups to determine factors such as the number of tattoos people have, as well as if they regretted getting them.
In 2021, Statista Research Department conducted a survey asking respondents about their tattoos or lack thereof. Of the 1,016 U.S. residents surveyed, 74% stated they did not have a tattoo and 17% of the people reported having more than one.
In 2017, Statista found that 33% of females said they had only one tattoo compared to 27% of males of 426 survey respondents.
The tattoo industry is male-dominated but more female tattoo artists are reported to be entering the profession.
Zippia.com, an online job search website, reported that in 2021, 70% of tattooists were male and 29% were women in the U.S. The company shows an upward trend of female tattooists in the field, as the percentage ranged from 14%-16% in the years 2010-14.
Tattoo removal warnings
In 2019, of the 450 people surveyed by Statista, 12% of the respondents said they considered having one of their tattoos removed.
Most people didn’t share regrets about their tattoos, according to a study the company conducted in 2019. In the cases when people do, tattoo removal and coverups are options.
Belle Mia Laser and Skincare Center in Asheville offers services including laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation. Tattoo removal is one of the popular requests.
More:Answer Woman: What separates popping corn from other versions of corn?
Morgan Courtney, registered nurse and anesthetic nurse injector and tattoo removal specialist at Bella Mia, highly recommends tattoo removal by a trained medical professional.
People may try various injections or other tactics to attempt to lighten the ink pigment that may not be effective and can potentially be damaging. Do-it-yourself methods should be avoided altogether, Courtney said.
“I’ve had people try to do it at home themselves, and that never goes well,” she said. “There are a lot of different tattoo removal devices on the market. What I strongly say is, ‘Do not try this at home.’ I’ve had a lot of people who say they’ve tried lasers for laser hair removal, and they’ll try it on their tattoos, and they come in scarred and it’s a huge problem.”
Clients’ reasons and regrets
At Belle Mia, Courtney sees tattoos all over people’s bodies ― from the face to the feet ― and said there’s no one common area.
Clients’ reasons and requests to have a tattoo removed may be from their ring finger after a relationship dissolves or because they no longer like where the tattoo is located on their body, she said.
“A lot of what I get is, ‘I was 18 and dumb,’” Courtney said. “What makes me really sad is when I have patients come in and they say, ‘I went in for a tattoo and we agreed on a design, and when I got up and looked it was something completely different. This is not what we agreed on.’”
The number of male versus female clients who visit Belle Mia for tattoo removal is split evenly, she said.
“A lot of people don’t like their tattoos or want something different,” she said. “I’d say it’s pretty equal.”
Tattoo removal breakdown
Tattoo parlors may offer removal service; however, a customer should inquire about the skill, legality and safety of it. Operating a laser removal machine requires extensive training, and North Carolina law requires a medical professional to be affiliated and present where the procedures are done, Courtney said.
A skin care clinic, such as Belle Mia, offers the expertise to go through extensive procedures and how to avoid scarring, infections and other health risks.
Belle Mia uses the Enlighten laser by Cutera.
“It’s one of the better lasers on the market for tattoo removal because it has the ability to remove color ink,” she said. “Once you get a tattoo, your body wants to get rid of it, but the ink particulars are too big for your body to attack. What the laser does with its wavelengths is it targets those ink particles specifically so that way it starts to break that ink up so that way your body can begin to attack it.”
More:Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship' to feature WNC pastry chef
The immune system responds and begins to help process the ink so it can be excreted through the digestive system, urinary system and sweat.
“It doesn’t mean you’re going to sweat out ink but that how your body starts breaking it down,” she said.
Black ink is the easiest ink to remove because it absorbs the wavelengths of the laser better, she said. Color ink takes longer because of the different pigments and requires the use of a different laser wavelength.
Removal procedure
The response to treatment, how long the process takes, and how many sessions are necessary depend on many factors from the age of the tattoo, the age of the person, their overall health, where the tattoo is placed, and if the ink was applied professionally or at home.
“All those factors go into how the removal process will work, Courtney said. “Young, healthy people, they’re going to respond a little bit better because their immune systems kick in and are more active.”
Tattoos that are 10 or more years old have had wear and tear over time, so the chances are better that they’ll lighten faster, she said.
Tattoos closer to the heart lighten faster, typically, because there’s better blood flow, she said.
Multiple sessions are needed, preferably with several weeks or months in between to allow the body to process the broken-down ink pigments.
Some people request the ink to be lightened but not fully removed if they plan for a tattoo artist to cover the art.
Painful farewells
There’s good news and bad news that comes with getting rid of that regretful tattoo.
A large tattoo takes more time than a smaller tattoo to remove, but on average, a session takes less than five minutes, Courtney said. However, it’s not a pleasurable experience.
“It is uncomfortable. It is a laser. It hurts. It’s worse than a tattoo,” she said. “Some people say it’s like a hot rubber band, some people say it’s like being popped by bacon grease, but the removal process is actually really quick.”
Topical numbing is an option.
Consultation with a tattoo removal specialist is encouraged to receive a personalized treatment plan.
For more about Belle Mia Laser and Skincare Center, visit bellemia.net.
Craving more tattoo content?
If still interested in the behind-the-scenes world of the tattoo industry and want a bit of entertainment, consider binge-watching the Paramount reality competition series, “Ink Master.”
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Tattoo regrets, removal, warnings from an Asheville skin specialist
