Here’s a riddle: What is expensive and painful to get; even more expensive and painful to get rid of; a common source of infection and allergies; and something that you will probably want to have removed some day? Answer: a tattoo.

I value free speech and the freedom to apply body art.  But, buyer beware. . .A study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine revealed about 50 percent of people with tattoos seek medical attention to have them removed. Technology is trying to meet this demand with laser ablation, dermabrasion (scraping the top layer of skin with a wire-like brush) and excision of the tattooed area of the skin. While all methods of tattoo removal leave scar tissue, researchers point out that some results are worse than others.

If you think you might change your mind about your tattoo, don’t get it or at least consider not having  red or  yellow –they’re the hardest to remove.

More about tattoos to come. . .