The $200,000 Regret: 5 Shocking Facts About Pete Davidson’s Grueling 10-Year Tattoo Removal Journey

As of late 2025, Pete Davidson’s decade-long, six-figure tattoo removal process is far from over, with the comedian revealing that the grueling procedure is still only partially complete. Davidson, who once had over 200 tattoos covering his body, has been systematically erasing the ink that defined his early career, a decision he links directly to his personal growth, sobriety journey, and the practical demands of his burgeoning acting career. The current status of this massive undertaking provides a fascinating, and often painful, look into the star's commitment to shedding his past image. The journey to an ink-free body is a long, expensive, and famously painful one, and Davidson has been candid about the "awful" experience, confirming that the total cost is already in the six-figure range. The removal process, which he estimates could take up to 10 years in total, is a profound physical and emotional undertaking that symbolizes a major turning point in his life and career trajectory, moving him from the *Saturday Night Live* rebel to a leading man on the big screen.

Pete Davidson: A Quick Profile and Biography

The comedian and actor at the center of this extensive physical transformation has a rich, though often tumultuous, personal history that informs his current decisions. The removal of his extensive body art is a very public sign of a private evolution.

• Full Name: Peter Michael Davidson
• Born: November 16, 1993
• Hometown: Staten Island, New York, United States
• Parents: Amy Davidson and Scott Davidson (a New York City firefighter who died in the September 11 attacks)
• Profession: Comedian, Actor, Writer, Producer
• Known For: Being one of the youngest cast members on NBC's *Saturday Night Live* (*SNL*), his stand-up comedy specials, and starring roles in films like *The King of Staten Island* and *Bupkis*.
• Career Start: Davidson began his stand-up career in the early 2010s before joining the cast of *SNL* in 2014, where he quickly became a breakout star known for his candid, self-deprecating humor.

The Staggering Cost and Timeline of the Erasing

Pete Davidson’s tattoo removal is not a simple, one-and-done procedure; it is a multi-year, multi-session commitment that has already racked up a staggering bill. The sheer volume of his ink—reportedly over 200 individual designs—makes this one of the most ambitious celebrity tattoo removals in history.

The comedian has been very open about the financial and temporal commitment required. He estimates that he is only about 30% to 70% of the way through the full process, which he predicts will take a total of 10 years to complete from the time he started.

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The financial outlay is equally shocking. Davidson has confirmed that the cost for the procedure has already reached upwards of six figures, with some reports suggesting he has spent around $200,000 so far. This high cost is due to the nature of laser tattoo removal, which requires multiple sessions—often 10 to 12—to fully fade a single tattoo, especially dense, black-ink designs like many of his.

The constant need for touch-ups and repeat sessions, coupled with the sheer number of tattoos, has turned the removal from a simple procedure into a major life commitment, running parallel to his career growth. The cost of tattoo removal, in this case, is a stark reminder of the long-term price of impulse decisions made in one's youth.

The Real, Emotional Reasons for the Transformation

While the practical reasons for removing the tattoos are compelling—saving hours in the makeup chair—the underlying motivations are deeply personal and tied to Pete Davidson’s mental health and sobriety journey. This is the heart of his decision to embrace a cleaner slate.

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Davidson has spoken candidly about how his extensive ink was connected to a darker period in his life. He revealed that the tattoos were a form of self-expression during a time when he struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues. He stated that he "used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up."

Removing the tattoos is therefore a symbolic, physical act of moving forward and leaving that past self behind. It’s part of a larger sobriety journey and a commitment to stability and health. For Davidson, the ink was a constant reminder of a time he is actively trying to grow beyond. This shift in perspective aligns with his transition into more serious, less comedic acting roles, where an ink-free body is a distinct professional advantage.

The Painful Truth: How Davidson Manages the "Awful" Process

Laser tattoo removal is widely known to be a painful procedure, often described as feeling like hot oil splattering on the skin or being snapped repeatedly with a rubber band. For someone with over 200 tattoos to remove, the pain is a significant factor. Davidson’s descriptions of the process confirm its grueling nature.

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He has called the experience "pretty horrible" and "awful." To manage the intense discomfort associated with having so many large areas of skin treated, Davidson has revealed a surprising method: he gets "put under" general anesthesia for his sessions. This is an unusual step for standard tattoo removal but highlights the extreme nature of his commitment and the high pain threshold required to endure the years of treatment.

The process is not just painful; it is also slow. Laser treatment works by breaking up the ink particles in the skin, which the body then naturally flushes out. This requires time between sessions—typically six to eight weeks—for the skin to heal and the body to process the ink, contributing to the extremely long timeline of 10 years.

The Sentimental Ink: Tattoos He Is Keeping

Despite his comprehensive mission to erase his past, not all of Pete Davidson's tattoos are destined for oblivion. He has made an exception for a handful of designs that hold deep, irreplaceable sentimental value. These remaining pieces of art represent the people and influences he cherishes most, proving that not all ink is a regret.

The most important tattoos he is keeping are those dedicated to his family and core influences:

• His Father’s Tattoo: Davidson is keeping the tattoo he got in honor of his late father, Scott Davidson, the firefighter who died on 9/11. This is a foundational piece of his personal identity.
• "MOMTATTOO": He is also keeping a tattoo that simply reads "MOMTATTOO," a permanent tribute to his mother, Amy Davidson. He joked that this one "has to stay."
• *The Sopranos* Tattoos: As a massive fan of the iconic HBO series, he is reportedly keeping his tattoos inspired by *The Sopranos*.
• Wu-Tang Clan: Davidson has also confirmed that his Wu-Tang Clan tattoo will remain, a testament to his love for the legendary hip-hop group.

These exceptions underscore that the removal is not a blanket rejection of all body art, but a targeted cleansing of the impulse-driven, addiction-era ink. The few remaining tattoos will serve as permanent, meaningful markers of his past, while the rest of his body signifies a fresh, professional, and healthier future.