PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — More and more people are getting tattoos, but that decision may not be something you like years down the road.
Now, there’s growing demand for ways to cover up or remove those unwanted tattoos and there are some new ways to do that in the Pittsburgh area.
Randi Hoffman of Bethel Park is getting married in the spring and she wants to look her best in her dress, so she’s having her two tattoos removed.
“We were all out and some of the girls got them and it sounded like a good idea; and now, I don’t want to walk down the aisle with a tattoo down the back of my neck,” said Hoffman. She’s also having another tattoo on her wrist removed. It’s not allowed where she works.
“To cover them, I use make up and it works,” she said. “But it’s just sort of a pain, and on a hot day, it can run.
So, she says she is willing to go through pain and money to get them off.
Hoffman went to
Body Beautiful, which has 10 locations in Western Pennsylvania. Tattoo removal is one of many face and body rejuvenation treatments they provide.
She’s starting with the traditional laser removal.
“It’s pretty painful but i want it gone,” she said.
Mike West of Crafton, a tattoo artist himself, is also getting laser treatment.
“I’m getting this whole sleeve removed,” he said.
West says he wants a new tattoo put in its place. He says this happens a lot in his shop.
“I’d say half the clients that come in either had bad work and want it fixed or want it covered up,” said West. “That’s probably the most common is a boyfriend’s name, but there’s a lot of bad work.”
Lasers can get most of the tattoo removed, but sometimes, some color remains.
Laser technician Marcia Hale is doing a new treatment, using the same machine used to put on a tattoo but with a special chemical solution going into the skin instead of ink.
“This solution is able to find the ink still locked in skin and able to lift it to the surface,” said Hale.
Hale even got a tattoo near her foot, just to test out the new treatment.
One of the benefits of this treatment is that it’s not nearly as painful as laser.
“Our number one and two questions are how bad does it hurt and how much does it cost,” said Mark Fleis, the manager at Body Beautiful. “Usually, during the first visit, we give them a test spot so they can see exactly how it feels.”
Fleis says for a softball-sized tattoo it would cost an average of $250 a session for laser removal and $150 to $200 for the chemical solution. Four to seven sessions are usually needed – often a combination of the two types. But consultations are free.
That usually adds up to at least $900 to get it completely removed.
With the holiday season officially underway, most people will be going to a lot of parties during the next few weeks. What’s more, as these affairs will be characterized by high levels of glow, glitter, and glitz, many may want to show up sparkling as brightly as the Christmas lights. 
If this is your concern, we may be able to smooth things out for you with a 10-minute BOTOX treatment. In this procedure, we’ll make a few, tiny injections into the muscles that are responsible for creating frown lines, thus blocking the chemical that causes them to contract, and enabling them to stay relaxed. 
With the approach of the holidays, and all of the related get-togethers with family, friends, and colleagues, you’re going to want to shine, in every way. Therefore, besides brushing up on your social skills and party etiquette, you may also wish to make sure that your teeth are as dazzling as possible.
