Tattoos are not an investment: high risk, zero return

Tattoos are not an investment: high risk, zero return

American commentator Matt Walsh has reignited the debate by pointing out that most women aged 18 to 49 have tattoos, and that he himself, who has them, admits they were not worth it. The discussion over whether tattoos are a rational investment has reached economic analysis, and market data suggests they are not.

The removal business: proof that the market corrects itself

While tattoo parlors proliferate in commercial areas, replacing bakeries and neighborhood shops, businesses dedicated exclusively to removing them are also growing. One example is Remove Málaga, a studio specialized in tattoo removal in Spain. This duality reveals that, far from being an asset that appreciates, a tattoo is an expense that many end up wanting to reverse, at an additional cost.

Health risks and hidden costs

Beyond the economic aspect, tattoos carry health risks: infections, allergic reactions and complications in aging skin. Some analyses suggest that the cost of removing a tattoo can far exceed the cost of getting one, and that the result is never perfect. Wrinkled skin with faded ink is a sight many prefer to avoid.

Investment or consumption? The trap of emotional value

Defenders of tattoos argue that they are not an investment, but a form of personal expression. However, from a purely economic perspective, a tattoo is an asset that depreciates from the moment the needle touches the skin. It generates no return, cannot be sold and requires no maintenance, but reversing it is costly. The only gain is emotional, and that does not show up on the balance sheet.

As long as the fashion persists, the market will keep creating opportunities for those who make a living erasing what others got done with enthusiasm. But as an investment, a tattoo is an asset that only appreciates on the skin of the person wearing it, not in their net worth. The trend, however, could change if the current generation of tattooed people decides the ink was not such a good idea after all.