LA Direct Magazine

June, 2006

Tattoo Regret

50% of Americans with a tattoo would like to have it removed

Sure, that pixie on your shoulder may have seemed like a good idea a decade ago when you were a sophomore at Spring Break, but now you're just self-conscious when you wear sleeveless blouses. Not to mention the humiliation when you discovered the Chinese characters etched on your back actually mean "Sleeping Cow." But the damage is done and unless you want to spend thousands of dollars on laser treatments you're stuck with your tattoo forever, right? Wrong.

Due to advancements in laser technology and increased competition among facilities that provide laser tattoo removal, the procedure has become increasingly accessible and affordable. "Most tattoos can be eliminated in an average of 5-15 treatments," says James Morel, CEO of Dr. TATTOFF, a chain of laser tattoo removal clinics with locations in Beverly Hills, Encino and Irvine. The Dr. TATTOFF clinics, which are staffed by licensed medical professionals including dermatologists, registered nurses and medical technicians, offer tattoo removal at a cost of $39-$49 per square inch per session.

Morel started the company two years ago after re-thinking his own ink and realizing there was a lack of providers and even fewer that were affordable. His idea to take the service previously only offered at great expense behind the closed doors of a dermatologist's office to a more consumer-friendly, less intimidating clinic has allowed for greater efficiency and lower patient costs. To make the entire experience more pleasant, Dr.TATTOFF's waiting rooms are equipped with widescreen plasma TVs and high-speed internet access, so patients can check email and surf the web. In just two years, Morel's clinics have removed over 12,000 tattoos.

"People come to us for many different reasons," explains Morel. "Most clients at one time thought their tattoos were cool or meaningful but no longer do. Sometimes they're ashamed of them, sometimes they're embarrassed, but usually they've just grown out of whatever they were into when they had it done." Names and bad cartoon designs top the list of the more common tattoos Dr. TATTOFF's clients wish to have removed. "We also see a lot of Calvins, Tasmanian Devils and Tweety Birds" he says with a chuckle. Whatever the reason for wanting a tattoo gone, many people are desperate and Morel has seen clients who've tried everything from sandpaper to Brillo pads, to bleach and safety pins to remove their tattoos themselves before coming to his clinic.

"There's really a lack of awareness of how easy it is to do it the right way, but we're hoping to change that," says Morel. The process, generally described as equally painful to getting a tattoo involves numbing the area with both a topical anesthetic cream and very cold air before directing small bursts of laser energy at the tattoo for a fraction of a second.

"The biggest misconception people have about laser tattoo removal is that it will leave scarring," explains Morel. "If it's done right, it won't leave a scar. But it does require patience. People often come into our office and want their tattoos gone right away. The laser can be turned up, but it might burn and that's how scarring occurs. It's not how we do business."

With the demand for laser tattoo removal showing no signs of slowing down, Morel plans on opening 3 more clinics this year. "Every time I see teenagers and twenty-somethings with tattoos, I realize my business will still be sustainable in ten years when a lot of them regret it."

Encino, 17609 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 201 888.TATT.OFF