Tattoo Takeoff
Who writes this
“So I did the research myself.”
I’m Sam Waters and I’m the writer behind Tattoo Takeoff. I have no medical background, no industry connections, and no clinic affiliation. I’m just someone who went looking for answers about tattoo removal and found an internet full of sales pages. There were the clinics explaining why their laser was the right choice, device manufacturers explaining why clinics should buy their machines, and cream sellers explaining why lasers were unnecessary. And while their information wasn’t always wrong, pretty much every source had a financial stake in the answers they were giving me.
So I started doing the research myself: reading the actual studies, the FDA documentation, and the dermatology guidance. And what started as my own personal notes became this site.
Nothing here is medical advice and I’m not qualified to give it. What is here is my reading of the published research and evidence, with every source linked so you can check the work. Tattoo removal affects how people feel about themselves and, more often than not, it’s about a decision made years ago. I hope this site helps you as you move forward in your own removal journey.
My Independence
Tattoo Takeoff is independent. I’m not a clinic, I don’t perform removal or sell it and I don’t represent any provider. Nobody pays me to recommend a particular clinic, laser, or product. What’s here is meant to help you and to know the right questions to ask.
Because removal sits so close to medical territory, I’m very careful about where the information comes from. So here’s exactly how I work.
How I research
- +Peer-reviewed studies (PubMed Central)
- +FDA documentation
- +American Academy of Dermatology
- +Academic medical centers
- +Government health agencies
- −Clinic and medspa websites
- −Device manufacturer marketing
- −Commercial health aggregators
- −Any source with a sales incentive
* One narrow exception: when the fact itself comes from one of these sources, a device receiving FDA clearance, say, or a manufacturer’s stated specs, I may link to it as the primary record of that fact, while still turning to independent and authoritative research to judge what it means.
Every article on this site is built the same way.
I only use primary and independent sources. That means peer-reviewed studies indexed in PubMed Central, FDA documentation, guidance from the American Academy of Dermatology, academic medical centers, and government health agencies. When an article cites a number, the source link goes to the actual study or document that contains it. You can check my work with a click, and I’d encourage you to.
I don’t treat clinic websites, device manufacturer marketing, or commercial health aggregators as evidence for how well removal works or what to expect. Some of them publish reasonable information, but a source with a sales incentive can’t be the basis for a factual article or site.
I also report what the evidence actually shows, including when it’s thinner than I’d like. Tattoo removal research has real gaps. Sample sizes are often small, long-term data is limited for newer technologies, and results vary widely between individuals. When a study has limitations, I’ll say so.
In the end, none of this makes me a doctor and nothing on this site is medical advice. My job is to give you the clearest possible picture of what the evidence says so you can have a better experience with a board-certified dermatologist or qualified provider. Their job is to advise you about your skin.
Keeping articles current
Every article shows the date it was last reviewed. If there’s new research, I update the article and the date along with it. If I get something wrong, I correct it rather than quietly hoping nobody notices.
Corrections and contact
Spotted an error, a broken source link, or a claim that doesn’t match its citation? I’d like to know. Corrections matter more to me than being right the first time. Email info@tattootakeoff.com.
Tattoo Takeoff is operated by Johnny Ex, Inc., a Maine corporation.