Are tattoos passé? Pete Davidson, Emma Chamberlain and how celebrity ink faded out

Back in 2018, it was a truth universally acknowledged that half of Pete Davidson’s “unlikely” sex appeal came from his many, many tattoos. Obviously the other half was humour (and that’s without even acknowledging that the man is genuinely attractive, but some of you aren’t ready for that) and between those two qualities he managed to bewitch the entire world. Take the fact he’s been romantically linked to Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Phoebe Dynevor, Emily Ratajkowski and Madelyn Cline for proof.

Now, Pete Davidson has made the executive decision to remove around 200 of his tattoos, for the hefty price of £200,000. Davidson has explained that the process is in service of his acting career. “I honestly never thought that I would get the opportunity to act and I love it a lot,” he said in an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2021. “You have to get there three hours earlier to cover all your tattoos, because for some reason, people in movies, they don't have that much.”.

And yet, his appeal remains: Davidson’s latest photoshoot for Reformation (marking him as the “Official Boyfriend” of the brand) may feel like looking at a hairless cat compared to his old, tattooed self, but the thirst for Davidson is firmly still in the room with us. Davidson may not be the only hot, young celebrity switching up his stance on tattoos. Gen Z favourite YouTuber and Met Gala interviewer Emma Chamberlain declared “irresponsible tattoos” as being “out” in 2024 via her ‘Anything Goes’ podcast, after she went through a period of attaining multiple tattoos in quick succession back in 2021. She hasn’t publicly spoken about getting any removed, but this is a notable change in behaviour from one of the biggest faces on Gen Z’s Mount Rushmore.

Plus, tattoos are generally a lot less common among the world’s most famous faces and exciting new stars. While nearly every pop star in the early 2000s was sporting some kind of ink adornment, few 2020s megastars actually have prominent tattoos — even out of the ones you think would, i.e Charli xcx or Chappell Roan. And of the stars that do, many are choosing to place them in areas that can be concealed by clothing (Billie Eilish) or covering them with body make-up (Ariana Grande).

Plus, a lot of the tattooed icons of the 2000s no longer have the tattoos they were once famous for, or they have publicly spoken about regretting them. Britney Spears has had her Kabbalah neck tattoo (have you ever heard anything more y2k) removed and has expressed a wish to ditch the double pink dice on her wrist. Mel C regrets her Celtic cross and armband. Megan Fox removed her “iconic” Marilyn Monroe tattoo in 2011, telling Jay Leno on The Tonight Show: “I was stubborn and I thought that I would love it forever, or that it would be like a book of my life, all the things that I loved when I was younger,” Fox told the late night host. “And it’s not that at all.”.

In 2014, Pamela Anderson removed the barbed wire tattoo she had inked for her portrayal of Barb Wire back in 1996. And Eva Longoria’s lower back crucifix is part of the long list of tramp stamps to have undergone laser removal treatment. “There are several factors driving this trend,” says Dr Dev Patel, a globally-reputed aesthetic physician and founder of Perfect Skin Solutions. “Societal perceptions around tattoos have evolved, while getting inked remains popular, there’s now less stigma around deciding to remove a tattoo.

“People’s lifestyles, careers, and personal preferences change, and they’re seeking treatments that align with who they are today. Additionally, technological advancements like PicoMax [the ultrafast laser utilised in Dr Patel’s practice] have made the process faster, more effective, and less painful, which has removed many of the barriers that once deterred people from pursuing tattoo removal.”.

However, Patel does not think tattoos are going out of fashion — more that they’re no longer considered to be a lifelong commitment. “There’s a growing mindset that tattoos are no longer as permanent as they once were perceived,” he says. “The knowledge that advanced technology like the Pico laser exists gives people the freedom to make bolder choices, knowing they can reverse them if their tastes or circumstances change.