CARY, N.C. — More people are turning to laser treatment to get rid of their tattoos.

"A lot of people get them for the wrong reasons. They get their significant other's name or something like that and then that person is not in their life anymore. We see that a lot," laser technician Emery Palmer said.

Michelle Tufillaro, a registered nurse at Personal Image Center in Cary, said most clients are women in their 20s and 30s.

"Now they're more professional. They have children," she said.

Most are removed by lasers, which shoot wavelengths of light into the tattoo and breaks the colors into small pieces. Those pieces are then absorbed by the body, leaving behind little tissue damage.

"That's why we're able to remove the tattoo without leaving any scarring," Palmer said.

It does sting though.

"It's probably similar to when they got the tattoo," Palmer said.

"We keep it protected with a nice piece of cold like a gel disc," Tufillaro said.

"Tattoos with a lot of green are the toughest to remove. Red and black are the easiest. The older the tattoo is, the easier it is to remove. Each treatment takes about 10 minutes to 15 minutes and costs $250.

"It takes about six to eight treatments to remove a tattoo," Palmer said.

Treatments are usually spread out six to eight weeks apart. Health experts suggest staying out of the sun because it can discolor the area. People with a tan may have to have extra treatments.