7 reasons why people have tattoos removed

For many people having a tattoo is a pretty impulsive decision, involving little thought or hesitation. A couple of hours’ pain for a lifetime of artistic and emotional gain is the approach adopted by most with no regrets.

When it comes to reasons for having one removed though, you could say there is a list of reasons as long as your arm, an arm which also sports the name of your ex-partner and a discoloured anchor.

Here are some of the most common factors when it comes to people deciding to ditch their designs once and for all.

A Lost Love

One of the most common reasons for tattoo removal is the breakup of a marriage or relationship. It sounds like a bit of a cliché, but many people still insist on having the name of their partner tattooed on various parts of their body. The problem being that love doesn’t always last forever and tattoos do.

Poor Design

Unlike most fashion faux pas, a tattoo is for life and not just for a season. What you think looks good one minute can quickly become a major embarrassment – and in this case, one that’s not easy to shift. Like with any fashion fads, tattoos change and evolve with time; something to think about when it comes to choosing what for many is a design for life.

The Location

If it’s not the design of the tattoo that’s the reason for having it removed, then where it is on your body can also be a major issue. Anything that stands out above clothing or even the face and neck area can lead to regret, especially if your circumstances change.

Sheer Embarrassment

Let’s face it. Sometimes a tattoo can simply be embarrassing. Something that seemed funny at one stage of your life suddenly isn’t that amusing a few years down the line – particularly if your lifestyle and circle of friends have changed. This is often the case with those who have served in the armed services; who then face a lifetime of explaining various obscure messages and designs when they return to Civvy Street.

Employment

Although they shouldn’t, many employers are known to discriminate against candidates who have visible tattoos. OK, maybe not discreet designs or images that are barely visible beneath clothing, but prominent tattoos that can’t be easily hidden will always raise concerns for some company bosses.

Wrong Spelling

If you intend to ink something onto your skin potentially for the rest of your life, you’d better make sure you get the spelling correct. Every year thousands of people have their tattoos removed due to grammatical errors, poor punctuation or just good, old fashioned, wrongly spelled words.

Discolouration

Depending on where and when you had your tattoo, they can become faded and discolored over time; usually due to the quality of the ink used. Some people opt to have the tattoo re-coloured but for many this is the perfect opportunity to have it removed completely.