Think before you ink.
That’s the advice of cosmetic laser technicians across Wyoming who erase bad memories of customers who impulsively got tattoos and later regretted them.
“A lot of people will come in and say they are embarrassed by their tattoo,” said Rachel Watson, a technician at Sterling Skin Care Casper. “I tell them don’t be embarrassed, because they were young and dumb, but now have grown up and are trying to get a job and can’t have tattoos.”
Watson treats as many as 25 clients a week.
Some of them have been unlucky in love and want tattoos bearing the name of a former spouse or partner eliminated. Others are just dissatisfied with how the tattoo looks.
In the case of face and neck tattoos, some say those hold them back from getting jobs or socializing. Many are also impulsive.
“A lot of younger kids are doing tattoos with their friends, and they misspell words,” Watson said.
She recalls a client who came to her after she had tattooed herself while looking in a mirror, which rendered the wording in the design backwards.
“I was like, 'What were you thinking?'” Watson said.
Other clients want tattoos removed due to their employment or because they intend to join the military, which has strict regulations about visible tattoos, their content, and placement.
Tattoo Regrets
A quarter of tattooed people in the United States say they regret getting inked up, or a particular tattoo, according to the Pew Research Center.
Mario Harris of Casper, who was one of Watson’s clients, said one drunken evening when he was 21, he and a friend used markers to apply fake tattoos to each other.
The next day, they went to Ink Spot in Casper to get the real thing for $30 during a "Walk-in Wednesday” promotion.
Harris’s tattoo consisted of a cross on his forehead above the bridge of his nose and “In God" in script over his right eye and "We Trust" over the left.
In hindsight Harris said the tattoos were a poor decision.
“At the time, it sounded like a good idea, but after it wasn’t great,” he said. “The forehead is a focal point. Some people would have the courage to ask me how I got it.”
Harris underwent a series of laser treatments from February 2023 to August 2025 to remove the tattoos.
He praised Watson’s work, but advises anyone considering a face tattoo to think about the possible ramifications.
“If you get a tattoo on your face, you’ll face consequences,” he said, adding that removal cost much more than the $30 for the original tattoo. “Make sure you are settled in life and have something going on (in a career) so it doesn’t affect that.”
Removal Can Be ‘A Journey'
Jill Girany, 46, of Cheyenne, said she is presently undergoing treatment to remove a tattoo that she got to match that of a girlfriend years ago.
“After way too many jokes about this tattoo, I decided it’s time,” she said. "Now it's faded, outdated, and honestly (getting rid of it) should have been gone years ago.”
The time it takes to remove a tattoo can be lengthy, and the cost is high.
Each treatment for a finger typically is about $105, while a medium-sized tattoo is about $315, and a full sleeve is about $750, said Watson.
Some tattoos require as many as 12 laser sessions, with a six- to eight-week break between each treatment to allow healing.
Jackie Koch, office manager of Sterling Skin Care in Cheyenne, said customers who come to the business for tattoo removal are dumbfounded by the cost and the time it takes to complete the process.
“It’s not one and done,” she said, adding that treatment clinics are under the supervision of a medical professional. “There are a lot of components, such as how fresh the tattoo is and the type of ink used."
If the ink was applied by a heavy-handed artist who used too much pressure, went too deep with a needle, or overworked the skin, the process can be even longer.
“If the ink was applied heavy-handed, we are looking at a journey," Koch said.
Individuals who don’t want full removals often opt for tattoo cover-ups.
“Usually they (customers who get a cover-up) have a crappy little tattoo,” said Jeremiah “Germ” Carlson, owner of Lost Souls Ink in Cheyenne. “I make it pretty. That’s what I do.”
Most unwanted tattoos can be easily corrected, added Dalton Capozza, an award-winning cover-up artist who owns Capozza’s Custom Ink in Green River. “There is always a way to fix it,” he said.
Conversely, Lylith, who declined to provide her last name and is the owner of Veil & Ink Tattoo and Body Piercing in Casper, does relatively few cover-ups.
“It’s becoming less and less,” she said. “Hopefully, people are making better decisions (when they get tattoos).”
Scott Schwebke can be reached at scott@cowboystatedaily.com.
