More people are getting tattoos removed

Availability of Removal & Technology Changes

• Several commenters see rising removals as a mix of:
  • More people having tattoos in the first place.
  • Cheaper, more available laser equipment and clinics.
• Older removal methods were described as bloody, painful, and scarring; newer picosecond lasers are likened to a short, intense sunburn with quicker recovery and fewer sessions.
• Some argue the article overstates a “trend” that is partly just technology catching up to longstanding regret.

Permanence, Identity & Regret

• Many emphasize that personalities, tastes, and lives change; tattoos don’t. This fuels both hesitation and later regret.
• Others say they don’t regret old tattoos at all; they treat them as:
  • Snapshots of who they were.
  • Narrative markers of experiences, mistakes, or commitments.
• A recurring view: regret often comes from fashion-driven or impulsive choices, not from deeply personal or thoughtfully chosen designs.

Fashion Cycles, Class & Cultural Signaling

• Long arc noted: tattoos once linked to sailors, “lower class,” or counterculture; then became mainstream among professionals and youth.
• Some claim it’s now more “rebellious” not to have tattoos; tattoos themselves are seen as conformity in some circles.
• Several anticipate tattoos may be past peak fashion, likening the cycle to stretched ears or to the “Sneetches” story of adding and removing marks for status.

Quality, Placement & Bad Work

• The boom created:
  • Too many undertrained artists and weak apprenticeships.
  • First tattoos in highly visible areas (neck, hands, face).
  • A realism trend that ages badly and exposes technical flaws.
• Many removals are attributed to:
  • Poor healing and “blown out” lines.
  • Old 90s/00s pieces that have turned into blurry smudges.
  • Desire to replace, not just erase, visible sleeves.

Temporary & Ephemeral Options

• Commenters mention a middle ground: long-lasting temporary tattoos and sticker-style designs for events.
• One “ephemeral ink” approach reportedly failed to fade as promised and is harder to remove, leading to additional regret.

Aesthetics, Judgment & Social Consequences

• Strong disagreement over whether tattoos diminish attractiveness or professionalism.
• Some keep tattoos in easily covered areas due to persistent workplace and social bias.
• Others intentionally use visible or unconventional tattoos as a filter to repel people who judge on appearances, accepting reduced opportunities as the trade-off.