Jon Lexcen poses for a photograph during the first National Tattoo contest in Panama City June 16, 2012
Credits: REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
Tattoos aren't just for convicts anymore. It's now commonplace to see them on celebrities, pro athletes and the kid who serves your latte.
But a British study says nearly a third of people with tattoos regret them, the BBC reports.
The findings, which will be presented this week at the British Association of Dermatologists' conference, are based on a survey of nearly 600 people over a six-month period.
Nearly half (45%) of respondents had their first tattoo done between the age of 18 and 25, the report says.
About one in three said they regret getting inked. Men were more likely than women to regret their tattoos. But only half of those who'd had second thoughts said they would have their tattoos removed if they could.
Just this week, a Nova Scotia court ordered a tattoo parlour to pay customer Marie Huckle nearly $9,000 for misspelling her tattoo, which reads "See You at the Cossroads" instead of "crossroads." Huckle has had eight laser removal sessions and needs 15 more.
