Pete Davidson has shed light on why he chose to spend a significant amount of money to remove over 200 tattoos from his body.
Getting tattoos is not a decision to be made lightly. It can be quite costly, and typically, it’s something you’ll have to look at for the rest of your life.
Throughout his 31 years, Davidson adorned himself with numerous tattoos, such as ‘Davidson’ down his torso and a small image of Winnie the Pooh with a balloon.
Although the tattoos must have cost a considerable amount, in recent years, the comedian and Saturday Night Live performer has embarked on the challenging journey of having them all removed.
In a January appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Davidson explained: “They gotta burn off a layer of your skin and then it has to heal for, like, six to eight weeks and you can’t get in the sunlight. Then you gotta do it, like, 12 more times.”
While it sounds far from pleasant, Davidson has elaborated further on his choice in a new interview with Variety.
He reflected that the tattoos are reminders of a different phase in his life, portraying a ‘sad person that was very unsure.’
Davidson stated: “I used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up. So I’m just removing them and starting fresh, because that’s what I think works best for me and for my brain.”
“When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of ‘Oh yeah, you were a f***ing drug addict. Like, that’s why you have SpongeBob smoking a joint on your back.’”
The removal process began during the pandemic, and he has since had tattoos taken off his arms, hands, and neck.
Since each tattoo removal takes weeks, Davidson estimates it will take about another decade to become completely tattoo-free.
“It’s like putting your arm on a grill and burning off a layer,” he admitted. “It sucks, I’m not gonna lie.”
Despite the discomfort, Davidson is keen to share his healing journey with fans, particularly younger audiences who are more susceptible due to social media and online dating influences.
“I really feel bad for this crop of people because I have anxiety, and when I grew up, it was just flip phones, and it was pretty awesome… I just hope it changes and enough people revert backwards a little bit,” he expressed.
For friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can reach American Addiction Centers 24/7 at (313) 209-9137, or visit their website for more information.
For anyone struggling or in crisis, assistance is available through Mental Health America. You can call or text 988 for access to a 24-hour crisis center or webchat at 988lifeline.org. The Crisis Text Line can also be reached by texting MHA to 741741.