Demand for Tattoo Removal Growing

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY - Many people are finding it difficult to find a job in the current job market.

Many job seekers are doing everything they can, including tattoo removals, to look as polished as possible.

"A lot of people are coming in for something work related," said Dee Dee Ball of Advanced Aesthetics.

The Oklahoma City-based company specialized in the removals of tattoos, and has seen an increase in people wanting to remove permanent ink on their body.

"Right now we have a young man coming in who's in law school. He has a tattoo on his hand and he just thinks his opportunities may be a little better when he goes looking for work," said Ball.

Tattoo removal is most commonly performed using lasers that react with the ink in the tattoo, and break it down. The broken-down ink is then absorbed by the body, mimicking the natural fading that time or sun exposure would create.

It's estimated that over 45 million Americans have tattoos and nearly 17 percent of those people end up regretting it.