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Megan Fox
Katie Price with the crossed-out 'PA' on her left wrist
September 13, 2009
VOL 26 NO 37
Tats all folks
Once, when a celebrity displayed a 'tramp stamp', thousands wanted one too – but not anymore. Claire O'Mahony on the painful truth about tattoo removal
Nicole Richie's wrist
Angelina Jolie, who sports a dozen tattoos
50 cent
Tommy Lee
A fashion faux pas or an ill-advised haircut is easy to remedy. You can always remove any piercings. Tattoos, on the other hand, are a little trickier. While copying Angelina Jolie or Cheryl Cole might have seemed like a good idea at the time, moods – and fashions – change, which is why the tattoo removal business is looking very healthy right now. Brian Barrett, MD of Laserway, one of the biggest tattoo removal service providers in the country, says that about 25% of clients come to get their skin art removed and they're equally split between male and female.
Men in their forties, who mightn't want their kids looking at Dad's tats, form a large part of the clientele and Barrett says one of his clinics' busiest periods is after the Leaving Cert when students get a celebratory tattoo and arrive home to face horrified parents. But it's a case of tattoo in haste, repent in leisure - clients must wait until six months after they get a new tattoo before it can be removed and even then it is a far from quick process. Laser is commonly used and it certainly is the preferred means for celebrities who, after leading the tattoo charge, are now queuing up to get rid of them.
Your standard tattoo could require over ten sessions, with one month's downtime between each treatment – and at €100 a go, the removal will end up being significantly more expensive than the original tattoo. Plus, you'll never entirely get rid of it because you'll still be left with a faint shadow and scarring is a risk.
According to Jack Kelly, a consultant plastic surgeon, colours such as orange, yellow and green are difficult to remove (something to bear in mind, perhaps, if you're thinking about getting an Irish flag). And he says that it's not usually the actual tattoo itself that leads people seeking its removal. People may want to get rid of a very visible tattoo that might be at odds with their current lifestyle – that little smattering of stars on your wrist might no longer be appropriate now that you work in corporate banking. "The location on the body is often the reason people wish to remove a tattoo," he says. Laserway's Brian Barrett says that wherever the tattoo is positioned and whether it's of the 'I love Mum' variety or an exquisite Celtic symbol, clients always give the same reason for getting rid of it: "I just want it gone." As for the pain factor? "It's no more painful than actually getting a tattoo done in the first place but it can nip a little. It really depends," says Barrett. Yet another factor to remember before you commit to a Bengal tiger on your back, à la Angelina.
Celebrity tattoos
* Megan Fox
There are a number of things to consider before permanently marking your body. Such as: are you sober? Is the tattooist sober? Megan Fox failed to tick the second of these boxes when she went to a stoned tattooist who etched an abominable tribal design into her arm which she had removed in 2007. Fortunately she put more thought into having 'Brian' tattooed on to her pelvis in 2005. It is the name of her long-term on-off boyfriend Brian Austin Green. Asked what she would do if they split, she replied that she'd name one of her children Brian.
* Katie Price and Peter Andre
Poor old Katie and Peter. Peter showed his "pure love" for Katie, by having her name inked on his ring finger in 2007. It is now very visible. Katie, for her part, was spotted leaving an Ibiza tattoo parlour in June with a dark square of ink on her wrist where the name of her husband had been printed just three months earlier. Alas for these star-crossed lovers, they only have to pick up a tabloid to be reminded of each other.
* Nicole Richie
Tattooing is easy, right? Any fool could do it? Well, not quite any fool. Lionel Richie's daughter has half a tattoo, the result of an accident while playing with a tattoo needle gun at her friend's parlour. Along with her other nine pieces of body art, the former best friend of Paris Hilton is second only to Angelina Jolie in a list of the most heavily tattooed celebrities. One of them is the inscription 'virgin' on her wrist. This apparently refers to her star sign of Virgo rather than to anything else. The socialite also has a rosary tattooed around her ankle and a cross on her foot.
* Denise Richards and Carlie Sheen
Nobody wants to see a photograph of their lover's ex-partner still in its frame on the TV set. So the name of an ex-lover emblazoned on the skin is equally likely to prove a passion killer. Who can blame Charlie Sheen's wife, Brooke Mueller, then, when she ordered him to erase the name of his ex-wife, Denise Richards?
Richards and Sheen had their names tattooed on each other when they married in 2002. Four years later it was all over. Richards covered up Sheen's name by turning it into a fairy design. If only real life were as simple.
* Angelina Jolie
Jolie takes the title of most heavily tattooed celebrity, with a reported 12. Considering the kind of appeal the actress brings to the screen, most of these have to be covered up by make-up as she doesn't tax the wardrobe people too much. One tattoo that doesn't appear in its original form is her tribute to her ex-husband, Billy Bob Thornton. The tattoo, on her upper left arm, was replaced with the co-ordinates of her children's birthplaces after the couple divorced in 2002. Thornton, replaced Jolie's name with an angel.
* 50 cent
In the macho world of hip hop a body emblazoned with tattoos adds to that bad-boy gang aura, which shifts units. Graduating into film is a bit like getting your hair cut after university: for some it's time to be presentable. Hours in make-up was not for this US rapper, however. Instead, the rebooting of Curtis Jackson required hours of laser surgery. He has retained some of his favourite designs, however, with his signature 'South Side 50' back piece remaining intact. It proved to be a painful but positive procedure for the star, who captured roles in the upcoming movies Jekyll and Hyde and Twelve as a result.
* Tommy Lee
Who, in their right mind, would have a swastika tattoo? Apart from a Nazi thug? Step forward Tommy Lee, drummer of 1980s US rockers Motley Crüe. The tattoo was visible during a court case and his lawyer advised him that this Hindu symbol of peace was no longer viewed in that light due to its association with Adolf Hitler – and so might prejudice the jury against him. Lee did the only thing he could and had it removed, later describing it as "a stupid tattoo obtained several years ago". The word 'Mayhem' remains on his stomach.
September 13, 2009
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