Who would have thought that the latest niche in small entrepreneurship would be removing tattoos? The preference in this city, at least in the part I've been spending time, is to have as many tattoos and piercings as you can fit into the space provided by your body. And that's only the visible part. Who knows what's underneath the articles of clothing? And it's not just teens: it's mothers in their thirties pushing baby carriages, construction workers, drunks and beggars, punks, and young women with stylish clothing, and not so young women carrying briefcases. A cross-section of society that is pretty inclusive.
In the finer part of Kreuzberg (61 not 36), where the bourgeoisie still has a very solid hold, at the bottom of the Kreuzberg itself, you'll find a shop where you can have your tattoo removed: tattoolos. And they don't just do tattoos: you can also get that permanent make-up removed that you thought would be so great, and you can get some of those age spots removed while you're at it. And they guarantee that it doesn't hurt (that much).
What does this window ad say? It enumerates the reasons for why you might want to free yourself from your tattoo(s):
The tattoo doesn't suit your new job.
The tattoo was done out of "youthful frivolity" and now just doesn't fit.
The tattoo wasn't done professionally and is no longer aesthetically pleasing or is no longer clear.
Or you want to have your tattoo retraced, but it's too large or too dark to allow for that.
All of those things are complications that I would never have considered. Most of the people I see are pretty happy with their tattoos. Some of them are truly on-going works of art. I'm afraid the permanence of it makes it scary for me--and I'm afraid I don't find the option for removal shown above very comforting at all. I guess, if you want a tattoo, you'd better be prepared to keep it, even if the small entrepreneurs are ready to meet your every need.
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