• Germany edition
Ass antlers! Photo: DPA

Tattoo removal on the rise in Germany

Published: 18 Sep 08 14:42 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20080918-14375.html

Tribal style lower-back tattoos known as Arschgeweih, or “ass antlers” in Germany, were popular in the 1990s. But now a herd of Germans are stampeding to get them removed as they and other tattoos go out of fashion.

“The number of laser removals for tattoos has almost doubled in the last five years,” Heinz Bull, president of Germany's GÄCD plastic surgery association, told news agency DPA on Thursday. “Now young people who got tattoos on the spur of the moment want to have them removed.”

It's important for people looking to shed their inky antlers search for qualified doctors, because different ink tones require different lasers, Bull stressed.

Dermatologist Walter Trettel has laser clinics in Hamburg, Kiel and Preetz that each remove the names of old lovers and other unwanted markings for some 20 patients per week. “This costs about three to four times more than the original tattoo,” he said, adding that is also more painful than getting a tattoo. Removing “ass antlers” requires between six and ten sessions, which can cost between €100 and €300.

But today's laser removal is still gentler and more effective as earlier methods, Trettel said. “When I first began at the Kiel university clinic we would cut tattoos out or grind them down,” he said, adding that this often left large scars behind.

DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This
Today's headlines
Photo: DPA

Hamburg lake draws 100,000 skating fans

Some 100,000 skating fans were celebrating winter Saturday afternoon in Hamburg with an ice party on the outer Alster, one of two artificial lakes running through the city. READ (7 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Jolie: Afghanistan may be subject for next film

Angelina Jolie says it was only natural that her directorial debut should tackle some of the toughest issues facing humanity and after wartime Bosnia, Afghanistan is likely to be her next subject. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Anti-German sentiment rising in Greece

Greeks are stepping up their anti-German rhetoric, in part by increasingly comparing modern day Germans to Nazis, according to Germans who have lived many years in Greece and reports by Greek newspapers. READ (36 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Traffic deaths in Berlin rise in 2011

Berlin reported the worse traffic-related death toll in years, with 54 people dying on the capital city’s streets last year – 10 more than in 2010, the Berliner Zeitung reported Saturday. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Photo: DPA

BMW pays $3 million in US safety fines

German carmaker BMW has agreed to pay $3 million in civil penalties for failing to report safety defects soon enough, US safety regulators said Friday. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Ivy Quainoo wins 'Voice of Germany' contest

A 19-year-old from Berlin won the first “Voice of Germany” contest late Friday night, with a clear win over the three other finalists. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Photo: screenshot, ARD / HR

Outrage over ‘prime-time racism’ against Turks

A Turkish newspaper and the Foreigners’ Advisory Council in the German state of Hesse have expressed outrage at a televised Karneval monologue that made several jokes at the expense of Turkish Germans. READ (36 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

German wins Empire State Building race – yet again

German athlete Thomas Dold humiliated the competition once again this week in the race he loves the most – for the seventh year running, he climbed the 86 floors of the Empire State Building in New York City faster than anyone else. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

More Society
Highlights
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Berlinale opens with French revolutionary drama
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Sabine Devins tackles immunisations and baby pharmaceuticals in the latest instalment of Motherhood in the Fatherland.
Photo: Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain
LIFESTYLE »
What's on in Germany: February 9 - 15
Photo: Hugo, Jaap Buitendijk. (c) 2011 GK Films, LLC.
LIFESTYLE »
Find the latest movies in English playing in Germany with The Local's cinema guide.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Germany is battling the increasingly widespread phenomenon of "burnout" which is supposedly costing its economy billions of euros each year.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
The economy in shambles, angry street protests and the government on the brink after passing unpopular reforms. But this is not Greece in 2012 – it was Germany a decade ago. Marc Young looks back to see an agenda for the future.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Germany’s public transportation largely operates on the honour system, which makes fare dodging easy. You can have your say on how Germany should deal with the problem.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
A 64-year-old tub of American lard has been deemed fit for human consumption by food safety authorities in the eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Photo: Bavarian International School
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A global education - a Bavarian community
Photo ECLA
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A truly international education at the heart of Berlin



See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

1190 jobs available
888 new jobs this week
36 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
News from DeutschlandOnline

Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd
English-speaking educators (native level)

Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!