Removal Of Tattoos Is Not For Thin-Skinned

By NATASHA SINGER The New York Times

Published: Jun 17, 2007

BEVERLY - HILLS, Calif. - Kelly Brannigan was suffering from a case of tattoo remorse.

Just a year ago, Brannigan, who holds up Case No. 24 as one of the models on the NBC game show "Deal or No Deal," had been full of hope when she and her fiance had each other's names tattooed across their inner wrists.

But now, when she looks at the letters - P-A-T-R-I-C-K - she is reminded of the failed relationship.

For help, 24-year-old Brannigan turned to Dr. Tattoff, a chain of tattoo removal stores where nurses use lasers in a series of treatments to break down tattoo pigments.

Dr. Tattoff is part of a growing industry catering to people who may not have thought about the implications of "forever" the first time around.

Removing tattoos is costly, uncomfortable and time-consuming, but the affinity for body art is so strong that some people said they do it to clear space to tattoo all over again.

Many dermatologists specialize in laser tattoo removal, and some laser hair-removal centers are adding services. In California, there are removal centers like Dr. Tattoff, Tat2BeGone and Tattoo MD.

Most of Dr. Tattoff's clients are women ages 25 to 35, said James Morel, chief executive of the company, which has given more than 13,000 tattoo laser treatments since opening here in 2004.

"Maybe women are getting more tattoos than they used to," Morel said, "or maybe they just have a higher level of tattoo regret than men."

There are no definitive statistics on tattoo removal, but Catherine A. Kniker, a senior vice president for laser manufacturer Candela, calculated that Americans may have 100,000 laser tattoo removal treatments this year.

A report by the Food and Drug Administration estimated as many as 45 million Americans have tattoos. A Harris Interactive Poll in 2003 found that 17 percent of tattooed Americans regretted it.

"If you are the guy with the big tattoos of Motley Crue and Poison who thought the 1980s were going to live forever, you just want to wear a big Band-Aid over the tattoos that says, 'Whoops!'" Morel said.

A tattoo that cost several hundred dollars could require several thousand dollars and many laser sessions to remove. Dr. Tattoff charges $39 per square inch of tattoo for each treatment.

Many states allow nurses to perform laser treatments. But Kilmer said patients would be better off going to experienced dermatologists who own a variety of lasers and are trained to treat possible complications such as allergic reactions.

Still, last month, Dage Decuir, a comptroller at a construction company, was at Dr. Tattoff continuing treatments to remove a cat from her chest and a pig from her arm, which otherwise would distract from her strapless wedding gown.

Brannigan of "Deal or No Deal" said she was happy to see the name of her former fiance fading from her wrist. She said she had learned an important lesson: "I'm not going to get a tattoo of another guy's name until I get married."