More and more people are getting tattoos, so perhaps it is not surprising that more and more people are getting tattoos removed.
This near-permanent form of body art demands dedication. You have to go through pain to receive a tattoo, and then you also have to feel devoted to the tattooed image, which will draw all sorts of attention your way. The message a tattoo conveys is seen as your message.
Many people find that eventually a tattoo they once felt very enamored of no longer feels like it belongs on their skin. This is particularly true of tattoos acquired when very young or very drunk. Other sorts of tattoos carry a stigma with them -- gang or prison tattoos fall into this category.