Tattoos have officially gone mainstream. Roughly 32% of Americans have at least one, according to a 2023 Pew study, and that includes 13% of baby boomers. Here on the Suncoast, ink is as common at a spring training game or a farmers market as it is anywhere else. But a growing number of people are deciding that the tattoo they loved at 19 isn’t the one they want at 35.
Laser removal clinics report a surge in business, particularly from younger clients undoing tattoos they got between ages 16 and 22. The process isn’t easy: it takes anywhere from two to 15 treatments with weeks of healing in between, and pricing starts around $150 per session. Color matters too. Black ink is the easiest to remove, while blues like ocean blue and teal are among the hardest. Career is another driver. Hand and neck tattoos are still considered “job killers” in the industry, and one Louisiana police officer is removing hand ink and covering arm tattoos to keep his promotion prospects alive.
So whether you’ve got a flamingo on your ankle from a Sarasota vacation or a name you’d rather forget, you’re in good company. Removal specialists say most clients see it as closing one chapter and starting the next. Would you ever pay to erase a tattoo? Tell us on our Facebook page.
