When Parents Get Their Tattoos Removed...

Check out this great blog entry on a parent (in this case, a famous one) removing their tattoos so that their kids wont get 'em from the folks at Blink Tattoo Removal.  Here at TRS, we run into this reasoning all the time and in fact, sometimes parents will bring their kids in with them (if they're olde nough to handle it) so that they'll think long and hard before getting inked themselves!


"Mark Wahlberg Removes Tattoos to Set Good Example for His Kids" from Blink Tattoo Removal (link above)


"We recently had a post about parents considering laser tattoo removal for their children’s sake. Many parents feel that their tattoo is no longer a reflection of who they are today, especially after becoming parents. They want to set the best example for their kids and feel that removing their tattoo is a step in the right direction.

Family man, Mark Wahlberg, who stars in the new film Contraband, was recently on David Letterman explaining this exact scenario. Wahlberg stated; “I have a lot of tattoos and I’m having them all removed.” When the “Today” show asked the reason behind the tattoo removal, Wahlberg explained that while removing the tattoo is not always the most pleasant experience he, “doesn’t want to set a bad example for his kids.” While this Oscar nominated actor continues to make blockbuster films he is adamant that the most important role he plays in life is being a husband and father. He stated on the “Today” show,  “If I succeed as a business man but fail as a father than it has all been for nothing...”

An Extreme Case

Removing facial tattoos is a delicate and sometimes painful process.  Pain management is of utmost importance to us here at TRS, and, in general, it doesn't hurt (ha) to have clients that are as dedicated to the process as Bryon Widner and his wife Julie - former white supremacists.

Read more here.

(via Today Health)

One of the Perks

"While working toward that plan, Zimmerman is having an adventure getting to know her customers. (One of her most memorable clients: the guy who came in to have the word "slumlord" removed from his knuckles.) As she says, "Every tattoo has a story behind it." 
-via CNN.Money

Tattoo Concealer Makeup

Concealing a tattoo is a fairly easy but extended process so about halfway through, when the tattoo gets to what we here at TRS like to call "the bruise phase" (where it could pass for one) some people like to use a little makeup for special occasions like weddings or holidays. A "bruise phase" tattoo might look like this:

©TRS

There are many different kinds of concealer that clients here usually use, and some are even geared specifically towards covering up tattoos like Kat Von D's line at Sephora which features a "highly pigmented, transfer- and water-resistant, multitasking concealer" as its centerpiece.  The collection also includes a light-pink pencil aimed at counteracting the dark blues and blacks of some people's tattoos.

Photo via Sephora.com

Another form of cover-up for tattoos with an added bonus of powerful sun protection (which is important in avoiding scarring from the laser treatments) is the Colorscience line, a powdery, mineral-based product.  It brushes on (yup, the tap-tap-swirl method) and, according to some reviews, stays put well with the right amount of natural looking coverage.  It seems as if a liquid concealer might provide more coverage, but that's just conjecture on my part.

Photo of Colorscience Sunforgettable Mineral Powder in Fair-All Clear via Dermstore.com

Lastly, there's a product full of coverage power called For Ever Full Cover Extreme Camoflauge Cream by Make Up For Ever.  A client has used this before for a tattoo on her chest during her wedding (she had chosen a strapless, sweetheart style neckline) and she reported back that this product completely concealed what otherwise would've looked like a half-gone rose tattoo.  Seems like the heaviest-duty of the three products spotlighted here but again, in-office testing will have to be a future endeavor!

Picture via Totalbeauty.com

In any case, concealing a tattoo with makeup should be a small step in the removal process about halfway through (at treatment 5-7 depending on the color, intensity, and age of the initial tattoo) and give a sense of how the full removal will look in the future.  Questions?  Have your own experiences with covering up a tattoo with makeup?  Have at it in the comments!

Unemployment and Tattoo Removal

The correlation between tattoo removal and the unemployment rate is a direct one, at least very unofficially from behind the desk here at TRS.  It seems that as the unemployment rate goes up, so does the "rate" of people wanting to get their tattoos removed (or maybe just the desire/necessity.)  It makes sense-if two candidates are applying for one job and have, theoretically, the exact same experience and skill-set, the one with a fire breathing dragon on his neck is probably going to be the one to get the boot.  In fact, a non-profit tattoo removal center in the Bay Area has taken it upon themselves to provide for ex-gang members that want to disassociate from that part of their pasts and look for employment.  Or, as this article from the Times Colonist shows, visible tattoos can have effect on your upward mobility at the job.  Sermonizing aside (and I promise, I still like well-done, well thought out ink) tattoos and their removal can definitely have an effect on your personal prospects in the job market and, I suppose, vice versa.

Photo Credit: New Skin Adult Tattoo Removal

"Tattoos" That Can Measure Vitals

Removing this "tattoo" would be a little different from what we do here, but an amazing technological breakthrough nonetheless.  Follow this link from the Daily Mail UK to learn more about a new medical device that can accurately monitor vitals like temperature and heart rate, and is the size and shape (about a hair's breadth wide!) of a child's temporary tattoo.

Photo Credit: Associated Press, DailyMail.Co.UK

*Top Five Most Popular Tattoos to Get Removed...

5. Loony Tunes characters

4. Party dots on hands

3. Tribals around the bicep

2. Another person's name

1. Chinese characters (hanzi) or Japanese (kanji)

(*All photos are from actual clients before being treated here at TRS.)