There's an old (well, reasonably old...) saying - tattoo in haste, repent at leisure. The countless stars and celebrities who have adorned their bodies with less then well planned body art are now finding that, although tattoos may still be as popular as ever, tattoo removal is now becoming almost as common as 'inking up'.

Celebrities turn their backs on body art

During the latter part of the 20th Century, it became far more acceptable for tattoos to be on display. Proud declarations of everlasting love for a partner and trendy tribal or Celtic designs were seen even on Hollywood A-list celebrities. Their fans dutifully followed suit, getting a tattoo not because they wanted it and had thought carefully about whether it had any actual meaning to them personally, but merely because their favourite star had the same design.

But then things started to change, and tattoos went out of fashion in Hollywood. More and more celebrities started paying for laser tattoo removal to remove ink that no longer had any meaning for them or, even worse, displayed the name of an ex-partner to the world. Suddenly, tattoos were 'so last year' in the star-studded world of the beautiful people. To appear more sophisticated, more grown up or just to get that big role, celebrities turned to laser tattoo removal to rid themselves of unwanted ink adornment. Consequently, the rise in popularity of laser tattoo removal has followed suit.

Technology brings new options

Development in the technology used in tattoo removal has come a long way from early attempts to erase body art mistakes. For years, the only way to get rid of an unwanted tattoo was to either have a 'cover up' (where another tattoo covers an earlier design) or opt for surgical removal. The development of laser technology finally meant that an unwanted tattoo could be removed (albeit with some scarring), but it was painful, horrifically expensive and not an option for most people. Today, laser technology has moved forward in leaps and bounds, making safe, relatively painless removal available for everyone. The name of an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend can now be removed with little or no scarring at all, and the process is about comparable in pain levels to the initial tattoo itself.

Celebrities have always acted as role models for their generation, and the advent of body art amongst the great and the good boosted the popularity of tattoos for two decades. Tattoos are like any other adornment or fashion statement - they're cyclical in nature and undoubtedly their popularity will rise again in the future. But for those who are regretting their impulsive decision to 'get inked', skin treatments and laser tattoo removal have meant that a tattoo is no longer as permanent as before.

Tattoos are an intrinsic part of many cultures - the earliest found so far have been over 5,000 years old and show that the art has been around for almost as long as mankind itself. But a groundshift by the glitteratzi of Hollywood towards a tattoo-free body, promoting that sophistication and a desire to be seen as more mature or 'grown-up' means that, for the moment, body art has dropped out of fashion a little. The advantages of safe, reasonably priced and effective tattoo removal methods such as laser tattoo removal means that, even if you have got a tattoo that you now regret getting, it doesn't have to be a permanent reminder of your wilder impulses when you were younger.