A singer has revealed she’s spending £5,200 to erase 33 tattoos – but says the removal process is “five times” more painful than getting inked in the first place.
Kayla Stewart, 28, started getting tattoos as soon as she was old enough, collecting small designs she thought “looked cool” before building up a full collection.
But the singer-songwriter and actress says the tattoos are tied to a traumatic period in her life.
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Now, she’s determined to “close that chapter and move forward”.
But the pain to remove them is “five times” more than getting inked initially.
The star uses laser removal, which blasts ink particles with pulses of high-powered light – and she says it’s “pure agony”.
“Removal feels like an intense, almost unbearable burning sensation when the laser hits your skin,” she told Need To Know.
“Getting a tattoo is maybe one-fifth as painful as having one removed.
“At one point I had 33 tattoos.
“They felt like an extension of my style at the time – I never thought much beyond that.
“I began the removal process as a way to reclaim my body and start healing.”
Over the past four years, Kayla has forked out around $6,000 (£4,465), with another $1,000 (£744) still to go – starting with her arms and working across her body.
Kayla, from Los Angeles in the US, has been sharing the process online via her @itskaylastewart account – with one clip racking up 4.9m views and 320,000 likes.
Fans flooded the comments with support and their own experiences.
One wrote: “I also love that you found yourself back in your original skin.”
Another added: “I’ve been doing removal, but that’s just because my tattoos are really bad lol.”
But not everyone was impressed.
One critic said: “So glad I don’t waste money faking to be someone for trends.”
Another scoffed: “You couldn’t pay me to remove my tattoos.”
For Kayla, though, it’s about far more than looks.
She added: “Tattoos can hold powerful energy – both positive and negative.
“For me, removing them wasn’t just cosmetic.
“It was emotional.
“It was about reclaiming my identity, my autonomy, and my peace.”
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