Recession-Proof Industry? Tattoo Removal. Seriously

Put 'em on, take 'em off - and get paid either way. As many as 25% of people under the age of 50 now have a tattoo.

It should come as no surprise that some are finding that what seemed like a good idea one night when they were 19 doesnt, in the harsh light of a 29 year old's day, seem quite so awesome.

With advent of new technologies that make tattoo ink easier to remove, this may spur industry growth both ways: add a new one with the foreknowledge that it can be removed later - then git 'er done. Approximately 16% of tattoo wearers attempt to have their ink removed, with women having more second thoughts than men. Heightened fashion consciousness or just a more well-developed sense of regret? Whatever the reasoning, there appears to be a future in servicing the demand. JL

Loren Berlin reports on AOL:

Caroline New, a 28-year-old grants coordinator in the development department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was a 20-year-old college student when she got five Asian characters tattooed down her arm. Written in ancient Korean script, each represented an attribute that New "wanted to remind myself of and incorporate in my life ... courage, acceptance." However, as the years past, and she transitioned from a young museum intern to a busy employee, she grew concerned about the body art.

And so, two years ago, New underwent eight laser sessions -- at $250 each -- to remove the characters, though she opted to keep her other, less-visible tattoos. "Now I have a little bit more flexible wardrobe." New's experience is not unusual. According to Time magazine, roughly 16% of people with tattoos eventually elect to have them removed. And that number is growing.
"I didn't dislike [the characters]," she said. In fact, I very much liked them. I just disliked how I thought other people would perceive them." Specifically, New was concerned that the tattoos appeared unprofessional. "I work in fundraising. There's definitely a culture in my department, a little bit more corporate than the rest of the museum. So while I've certainly seen plenty of art handlers and people across other departments that have tattoos and are showing them quite openly, and while it was never indicated that I couldn't, I never saw anybody else [from my department] with them."

Which isn't necessarily surprising. Sometimes, the love of our life, whose name we permanently inked across our bicep, turns out to be a fling. Or that image of the Tasmanian Devil that looked so cool after a night of drinking is a little less appealing in the sober light of day.

Additionally, in today's challenging economy, when unemployment continues to hover near 9%, people are also choosing to remove tattoos to appeal to potential employers. At least, that's half of the story. At the same time, others see the recession as an opportune moment to get inked, arguing that it's not only a relatively cheap splurge, but that the unemployed no longer have to conform to an employer's standards.

In either case, the end result is the same: The tattoo industry continues to thrive, seemingly recession-proof.