A SCIENTIFIC LOOK AT THE PRICE OF REGRET

brutjournal science-and-art contributor David Bjerklie is a science writer and editor, and former science reporter for TIME magazine. He is based in New Jersey and Minnesota.

by David Bjerklie

According to tattoohealth.org, a website that describes itself a “the leading online directory and resource for those seeking information on removing tattoos and tattoo removal center locations,” wine, lime, and garlic were all once used as permanent-ink removal agents — along with pigeon excrement, too.

Other options have included a surgical procedure in which an offending tattoo was excised with a scalpel, and a patient’s surrounding skin was pulled tight and stitched together. Some inked individuals have been known to take wire brushes or sanding discs to their bodies in attempts to vigorously erase tattoos. An acid solution that peels away skin layers might be worth a try, too.