Tattoo artists used to be a fringe group of people. They made a decent alternative living for themselves. If they got any fame, it was among a niche group of people in the town where they worked. But that's not the case anymore. With the rise of reality TV, we have seen tattooists gain some level of fame. From Kot von D (here in Los Angeles) to Mancunian Louie Molloy (David Beckham's tattooist and star of
London Ink), people who excel at the art of tattoos are able to get some modicum of real world fame.
Tattooists got popular in part because getting tattooed is an act that's on the rise amongst both the average population and the world of celebrities. Since tattoo removal is also something that is on the rise, you might predict that there could be a similar rise in the potential fame for outstanding
tattoo removal doctors. While there's always that chance (you never know which reality TV show is going to air next), it's highly unlikely that tattoo removal specialists would get the kind of notoriety that tattooists are receiving.
And that's a good thing.
We have to keep in mind that tattooists are basically artists whereas those who remove tattoos are doctors. Doctors need to remain focused on the care of their patients, not on a rise to fame. We've seen the tragedy that can happen when doctors are more interested in television appearances than in patient care (just look at the tragic
plastic surgery case of
Donda West). So we'll leave the television shows to the artists and do skilled work behind the scenes.
Question of the Day: Would you watch a tattoo removal reality television show?photo link
