DETROIT (AP) 鈥� Colin Farrell’s had it done 鈥� many times. So have Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox. Heck, even Bart Simpson did.
Whether it’s Marilyn Monroe’s face, Billy Bob Thornton’s name, a sultry rose or even Bart’s partially inscribed homage to his mother, some tattoos simply have to go for one reason or many others.
But the process of taking them off is longer, much more costly and ouch 鈥� extremely more painful than getting them put on, according to professionals in the industry.
Also, due to health reasons, some souls who braved the ink needle, should be wary of the laser when having their body art erased or covered up.
Tattoos have been around for centuries
were found on remains of a Neolithic man who lived in the Italian Alps around 3,000 B.C. Many mummies from ancient Egypt also have tattoos, as do remains from cultures around the world.
Tattoo removal likely is almost as old as the practice of inking and included scraping the skin to get the pigments off or out.
A more 鈥渃ivilized鈥� method evolved in the 1960s when Leon Goldman, a University of Cincinnati dermatologist, used 鈥渉ot vapor bursts鈥� from a laser on tattoos and the skin that bore them.
Many choose tattoos to honor someone
A 2023 determined that 32% of adults in the United States have tattoos. About 22% have more than one, according to the survey.
Honoring or remembering someone or something accounts for the biggest reason Americans get their first tattoo. About 24% in the survey regret getting them.
Tracy Herrmann, 54, of Plymouth, Michigan, just west of Detroit, has eight tattoos and is in the process of getting four phrases, including 鈥淥ne step at a time,鈥� 鈥淪urrender,鈥� and 鈥淭hrough it all,鈥� removed from her feet and arms.
She started inking up about six years ago and says she doesn’t regret getting tattoos.
鈥淢aybe a different choice, maybe,鈥� Herrmann said following her fourth tattoo removal session at Chroma Tattoo Studio & Laser Tattoo Removal in Brighton, Michigan.
鈥淭here was a period in my life that I felt I needed some extra reminder,鈥� Hermann said. 鈥淚 thought I would just embrace the period in my life, so that helped and then just to surrender and give it over to God. So, half of them were really, really pivotal to getting me over a hump in my life.鈥�
Boredom among reasons to remove tats
Herrmann says the four getting lasered are part of her past and that’s where she wants them to stay.
鈥淣ow, I just want to move forward and go back to the original skin I was born with,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut the other four I鈥檓 going to keep. They still mean a lot to me, but they鈥檙e more hidden.鈥�
Reasons for getting a tattoo removed are as varied and personal as the reasons for getting them in the first place, says Ryan Wright, a registered nurse and owner of Ink Blasters Precision Laser Tattoo Removal in Livonia, Michigan.
鈥淎 lot of people, when they get a new tattoo that makes some of their old tattoos look bad they get (the older tattoos) removed or reworked,鈥� Wright said.
Chroma owner Jaime Howard says boredom plays a role, too.
鈥淭hey got a tattoo off a whim and they鈥檙e like 鈥榟ey, I鈥檓 really bored with this. I don’t want this anymore,鈥欌�� Howard said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about hating their tattoo, it鈥檚 about change for yourself.鈥�
Like snapping a 鈥榬ubber band鈥� on your skin
Howard and Wright, like many who perform laser removals, use something called a Q-switching, or quality switching, laser. It concentrates the light energy into intense short bursts or pulses.
鈥淚t’s very painful. Nine out of 10,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚t kind of feels like a rubber band being snapped on your skin with hot bacon grease.鈥�
Howard has had some of her tattoos removed and admits the procedure is painful.
But 鈥測ou get through it,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 couple of days later you鈥檙e still feeling the sunburn, but it’s OK. If you want it bad enough, you鈥檒l take it off because that鈥檚 what you want.鈥�
Light heat from the laser breaks the ink into particles small enough to be absorbed by the body and later excreted as waste.
It’s not a 鈥渙ne and done.鈥� Wright said. Tattoo removal can take eight to 12 treatments or more. A new tattoo can go over the old one once the skin has had time to sufficiently heal.
Howard consulted with Herrmann as her fourth session at Chroma began. They spoke about the previous session and how far along they were with the ink removal. Both then donned dark sunglasses to protect their eyes from the brightness of the laser. Herrmann winced. Seconds later, it was done. But she still has more sessions ahead.
鈥淥h gosh, it鈥檚 a 10 when you鈥檙e getting it done,” Herrmann said of the pain. “It鈥檚 pretty intense. It鈥檚 doable. I know price is sometimes an issue, but it鈥檚 worth it.鈥�
Removal can be costly
Howard says the minimum she charges is $100 per session. Wright says that on a typical day he does about a dozen treatments and that cost depends on the square-inch size of the tattoo.
鈥淭he cost is really the technology in the laser,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚t’s not like a time thing. Most treatments are under a minute. You’re paying for the technology and the person who knows how to use the technology. You can damage the skin if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Tattoo removal not safe for everyone
Using lasers to remove tattoos comes with some risks. Skin that bore the tattoo can be left lighter than surrounding skin. There also can be temporary scarring, infection, redness or soreness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Consultations on the procedure’s complications should take place before laser tattoo removal. Wright says his clients have to sign a waiver that they understand possible complications.
People who have diabetes and are not controlling the diabetes should be wary, he said.
鈥淎nybody with autoimmune disease or any immune deficiencies,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淲e can’t do it if you’re on blood thinners. I go over the side effects with everyone.”
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
