started getting them and
now I have sleeves; MD on
my back. I think it’s weird
not to have tattoos. When
I talk to patients after sixty
seconds it all fades away
because we are talking
about them and their prob-
lem and they get to know
me. Plus where my office
is most of them have tat-
toos. The only people who
talk about tattoos are the
ones who don’t have them.
If they have tattoos they
don’t think to ask me about
it ever. (laughs)
Planning on getting more
tattoos?
Yea, I want to get more on
my back and on my chest.
That’s next.
I think it’s important we get right into Fresh Start, your tattoo removal
program.
It’s basically a project to remove tattoos from people who were previous-
ly incarcerated, people formally in gangs and survivors of human traffick-
ing for free. The goal for the first two groups is to get them employment.
If they are going for a job and have tattoos on their face and hands that
you can see, it reduces their job prospects. Removal can be up to $2,000,
which they don’t have. So I started this not-for-profit entity where I ask
laser removers around the country to join in and remove the tattoos for
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