A whole slew of stars have jumped on the tattoo bandwagon. In Korea, tattoos started to be a much talked-about fashion accessory among the younger generation some years ago. For guys, the most popular tattoos are arrows or other symbols and letters, while women prefer flowers on the ankle, or a butterfly somewhere on the lower back. And with the exposure of flesh that comes with the enduring fashion for miniskirts and a surge in displays of patriotism accompanying the World Cup, fashion watchers are expecting that the country is headed for a golden age of tattooing.

But even in the midst of the fad, many are already sick of their permanent decoration, mostly because their tattoo has failed to stand fashion's test of time. Kim Ha-na, a 19-year-old university student six months ago thought a colored butterfly tattoo on her shoulder would be pretty hot, but her parents felt differently, and now she is on the way to hospital to have the image removed. According to statistics from the U.S., more than 50 percent of people in their 40s or older regret their decision to get a tattoo in their salad days.

Chief of Dream Dermatology & Laser Center Lee Ho-gyun says it is possible to remove a tattoo with a laser, but getting rid of a color tattoo is much more difficult than erasing a black tattoo, so that is something people should consider at the tattoo parlor. The method currently in use for such procedures is called "Q-switch." It focuses an extremely concentrated beam of light on the spot for about one-millionth of a second, destroying the pigmentation. But it takes several visits for about two months.

In the case of the booming semi-permanent makeup ? a tattoo-like procedure that adds pigment to certain regions such as the lips and eyebrows ? one or two hits with the Q-Switch laser are enough to erase the artificial pigment, which is shallowly placed on the epidermal layer. But the experts offer a caveat if brown shades are mixed with red, because the laser causes a reaction for the chemical components to oxidize and make the coloration darker.

When removal by laser is difficult, a thin membrane can be used to erase the coloration instead. With that method, the recovery time is longer, but any tattoo can be removed irrespective of the color. Still, getting rid of a tattoo is much more difficult than getting it in the first place. Doctors urge people to think carefully before making their decision.

(engilshnews@chosun.com )