Tattoo removal may help to reduce violence and trauma in East Los Angeles, according to study results being presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2023.
Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of traumatic injury in the United States.* Tattoos identified with gangs or sex work can make individuals a target for violence, according to a study led by Damon H. Clark, MD, FACS, a general surgeon and assistant professor of clinical surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.
Damon H. Clark, MD, FACS, general surgeon and assistant professor of clinical surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC Removing a tattoo typically costs between $200 and $500 per session. Removing a tattoo done by a professional can require six to eight sessions. However, more than half of the clients get their tattoos from amateurs, often while incarcerated. In prison, for example, tattoo artists use improvised ink, such as paint scrapes, pen ink or pencil lead, and improvised tattoo machines. These tattoos are often more difficult to remove, and may require 15 to 20 sessions, he said.
One of the earliest clients of the program, which started in 2016, was a high school dropout when he began getting his gang-related tattoos removed, Dr. Clark said. After going through the program, the client finished high school, attended a four-year college, and is now a Secret Service agent in Washington, D.C.