Health

Study: More Women Opt To Get Tattoos Removed

DENVER (CBS4) ― The number of people with tattoos who no longer want them is on the rise and the majority of those getting them removed are women.

A new study indicates more women than men are embarrassed about their body art.

"I think people judge you differently for sure," said Angela Lauer, a 33-year-old mother of two. Back in her 20s, she got her toe tattooed with stars and her ankle adorned with a blazing sun.

"You know I was raised around people with a lot of ink so I thought it was cool," she said.

A dozen years later, what was once awesome, Lauer says is now embarrassing and she wants them removed.

"I don't like people staring and talking about me at her school functions and things like that," Lauer said about her daughter.

Lauer's reasons seem to resonate with others who've been permanently inked. The owner of Ink-B-Gone, Shelley Novello, says she treats 8 to 20 people a day.

"Typical client is an educated professional, some between 25 and 39 years old," Novello said. "Most of them are female, some are male that just made a decision and are ready to change that."

A report in the Archives of Dermatology concludes about 6 percent of tattoo wearers seek removal. Most are white women, college educated form 24 to 39 years old. They got tattoos to feel unique, independent, or to make life experiences stand out.

Some of the main reasons given for removal were suffering embarrassment, lowering of body image, or a new job or career.

According to the study, about one fifth of tattoo wearers are dissatisfied with their tattoo although only about 6 percent actually get them removed.

The study also found societal support for women with tattoos may not be as strong as for men.

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