To Ink or Not To Ink

Aired on Lifetime Television
April 20 and June 1, 2008
Show 509

Tattoos date back thousands of years and are incredibly popular today.  They're meant to be permanent, but about half of all tattoos eventually become targeted by their owners for removal, and that's not an easy process. Since it involves embedding ink into the skin, tattoos are not without health risks. Be sure to visit a reputable tattoo studio where safety is paramount, especially because the FDA does not regulate tattoo inks. For those wishing to remove their tattoos, effective treatment usually requires a series of laser treatments. They break up the tattoo ink to the extent possible during 10 to 15 visits that cover a year or two and can cost anywhere from seven to twenty thousand dollars—and it's not covered by health insurance plans. New technologies are working on easier removals, but in the meantime, before you get a tattoo, do your research and decide if you really want the tattoo to be permanent.