Tatt who?

Tattoos aren’t for everyone, and it appears more and more women are either having them removed or covered over.

Australian-based laser tattoo removal specialists Removery recently reported an increase in people wanting to remove their tattoo in the lead up to their weddings. They say 70 percent of customers are there for a tattoo removal, while 30 percent want a cover up of a tattoo.

The most common areas that women are having tattoos removed from are the back, neck and finger. Getting rid of ill-fated ink is no quick fix however. Laser tattoo removal technicians recommend at least two months of treatments for complete removal.

What you need to know

• Red and yellow are the hardest colours to remove.
• It can take up to 8-12 sessions to remove a tattoo depending on the size, ink used, skin tone and after care.
• You will need to wait 6-8 weeks between treatments.
• A session takes 30 minutes.
• The laser removal itself takes 1-2 minutes.
• It is less painful than having a tattoo applied but the area will feel tender afterwards. Christchurch has several laser tattoo removal specialists.