Tattoos: A Survey of Patient Satisfaction

Over the past several decades, the number of people with tattoos has increased substantially. Q-switched lasers represent the standard of care for people who remove their tattoos. A survey was distributed to 2493 patients registering at a private dermatology practice. The survey consisted of 9 questions to determine the number of patients with tattoos, their satisfaction level with their tattoos, and whether they would be willing to spend $1000 or more to achieve removal. Two hundred forty-six patients (10%) had 1 or more tattoos, but only 5 patients (2%) were willing to pay for laser removal. This study supports the theory that most people either enjoy or tolerate their tattoos. There is a growing number of people in the population with tattoos, and even if only a small percentage were to opt for removal, that number would still represent a substantial number of people who are willing to pay for the procedure. Therefore, purchasing Q-switched laser systems may be financially advantageous to a physician who has a laser referral center and is willing to aggressively market a laser practice.