You needn’t be told the tattoo industry is thriving. You can see that for yourself.
Still, if you’re curious, according to a 2016 report from the research firm IBIS World, tattoos are at least a billion dollar industry in the U.S. Meanwhile, a 2015 Harris Poll of 2,225 adults found that 29 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo.
But before you run out and get inked, you might want to pause. Remember: The tattoo removal industry is flourishing as well. In fact, by 2022, the tattoo removal industry worldwide is expected to reach $3.5 billion, according to a July report from MarketResearchFuture.com.
[See: The 7 Things Interviewers Notice First.]
But tattoo removal is just one of the possible financial consequences of getting a tattoo. As with almost any decision to purchase a product or service, there are hidden costs, and it’s always smart to think about them beforehand.
Here are four you should consider before stepping inside a tattoo parlor.
You may end up paying to remove your tattoo. Again, this is the most obvious unintended cost. At Invisible Ink Tattoo Removals, a franchise founded in 2014 that has 12 locations across the U.S., removal pricing is as follows.
“Prices per treatment start at $125 for the smallest tattoos and increase incrementally based on the size of the inked area,” says Amanda Carter, the Dallas-based director of clinical operations at Invisible Ink. It depends on factors such as “size, density and placement on the body.”
The primary customer base at Invisible Ink? People ages 24 to 40, she says. “Some are just starting their careers, while others want to remove their tattoos before their kids see their ink,” Carter says.
The reasons for removal always vary. “Many people get tattoos at a young age, and as time goes on, their tattoo no longer aligns with their lifestyle,” Carter adds.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
You may have to spend money to “fix” a tattoo. Pamela Gregg, a communication administrator in Dayton, Ohio, says she’d wanted a “delicate” rose tattoo ever since she was 20. When she hit her early 40s, she decided to finally go for it.
“I did a good bit of research and found an award-winning artist who was relatively new to the tattoo scene. But I liked his work,” Gregg says.
That he was inexperienced could have been a red flag; that he tried to talk Gregg out of her design — a simple red rose with a short stem — and into a larger one with thorns was definitely an ominous sign.
“In retrospect, I should have left entirely. It’s just that I was so excited about having it done,” Gregg says.
When the tattoo was finished, Gregg says, “the color of the ink was so deep and dark that my rose — which looked like a rolled newspaper stuck in a bowl — appeared dead … Over the course of the following year, I regretted the tattoo every time I looked at it.”
Gregg wound up getting a tattoo over the existing one, which made things look better but still wasn’t how she envisioned it.
Because the tattoos were small, Gregg says she probably spent about $100 each time, so for her, the cost wasn’t too bad. But there was another cost she hadn’t anticipated: the cost of pain.
“Tattooing on top of an existing tattoo is excruciating,” she says.
You will spend extra on sunscreen and perhaps other miscellaneous costs. It isn’t exactly a devastating financial consequence, but Holly Richmond, a Portland, Oregon-based writer for MasterPlans.com, a business plan website, has six tattoos and didn’t expect to spend so much on lotion and sunscreen. She estimates she spends $15 a month on sunscreen; her six tattoos, she estimates, set her back about $900.
“Tattoo shops tell you to use a certain kind of lotion several times a day for the first few days, and then switch to a different lotion after that so your tattoo heals properly,” Richmond says. Otherwise, your tattoo could get infected, costing you money in co-pays and who knows what else at your doctor’s office.
“And you’re always supposed to cover your tattoos in sunscreen, which means I’m shelling out cash for SPF 70 more often than I expected,” Richmond says. “I don’t mind, because I want my tattoos to look good for a long time, but I didn’t plan on dropping so much money at the drugstore whenever I get fresh ink.”
You should also tip your tattoo artist, says Quinn Brabender, a Seattle-based videographer and lighting designer for rock bands.
[See: The Tipping Bible: Who to Tip and How Much.]
“I usually aim high and give 20 percent on top of the hourly cost for the artist,” he says, adding that he agrees that investing in unscented soap and lotion is also important. “But that cost is usually nominal,” he says.
You could pay dearly in the workplace. If you’re new and just starting out in your career, you might want to hold off on getting tattoos, until you get a sense of how accepted they are in your industry.
For instance, Trent Silver, a millennial career coach in Tampa, Florida, says a close friend of his works in sales and was pulling in $45,000 a year.
“A rival company took notice of his skill and recruited him to the extent of getting an interview for a management position. This position paid around $75,000 per year,” Silver says.
But the friend has a tattoo that extends along his arm to the bottom of his wrist, according to Silver. And that, he says, “made him ineligible for the job due to company policy.”
Eventually, it worked out for the friend, who found a lucrative job — three years later.
“I always joke with him about how he has a $75,000 tattoo,” Silver says.
And the friend undoubtedly finds that hilarious.
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4 Unintended Financial Consequences of Getting a Tattoo originally appeared on usnews.com
