Euro 2016 is well underway as the knockout stages have now begun with some exciting match-ups and the competition is really starting to heat up. The most tattooed players from Europe have also been going head to head as private healthcare search engine Whatclinic.com reveals the hefty collective price tag of nearly £40,000 to remove their prized body art.

 

The popularity of tattoos continues to rise, not least among footballing superstars but not everyone remains as happy as them with their choices. Enquiries for tattoo removal have risen by 55% over the past three years[1]. Over two fifths (40%) of those who enquire are aged 24-35 and the majority are female. Each tattoo removal treatment session can take up to 45 minutes and from analysing the most tattooed players that have been playing in France this summer, WhatClinic has estimated that it would take a combined total of 60 hours. However, it is recommended to wait six weeks between each sitting, so if they were to choose to remove their ink it would take some a few years to finish the complete course.

 

Emily Ross, director of WhatClinic.com, said: “More clinics are offering the service and competing for business, so whilst demand has grown, customers are also benefitting from an average 18% decrease in the cost of one removal session, compared to two years ago. But removing them still isn’t cheap, and not all tattoo fans have the same budget as our Euro players! It’s not just bad decisions that people want to remove, there’s also poor quality work, or work that has faded or warped over time. Tattoo removal takes time and costs money – and some tattoos will never fully disappear. So chose your art carefully, and your tattooist even more so!”

 

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was unable to register a single goal during his time in France, with his side bowing out at the group stages. Not only did it end his international career with a whimper but it also ended his run as the tournament’s most tattooed player. He managed to make headlines last year when he took off his shirt after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain, to unveil the names of 50 people suffering from hunger around the world inked onto his body. If he was to get rid of his permanent body art collection though, he would face an £8,000 removal bill, which would include 20 sittings, clocking over nine hours spread across three years.

 

Slovak captain Martin Skrtel might yet end up leaving his club Liverpool this summer but nothing looks like it will stop his passion for body art. He is so into it in fact, that he has previously inked tattoos onto his teammates himself. If he wanted to remove his own, including detailed sleeves and the giant angel on his back, he would have to splash a bit of his Premier League wages. The total cost of his tattoo removal would be £5,600 and it would take over 13 hours in total.

 

Two-time defending champions Spain have a lot to prove on the pitch this year, especially after being undone against Croatia in the group stages. Their captain, Sergio Ramos missed a penalty in that match but he has a long string of tattoos that commemorate his impressive achievements throughout his career. That includes artwork marking European Championships, a World Cup victory, three La Liga and two Champions League title wins with Real Madrid. It’s safe to bet he’s happy with keeping them as otherwise he would have to spend over £4,000 for 24 sittings over three years to get rid of them all.

 

Representing England in the tattoo table is Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has an impressive sleeve of tattoos of his own but if he wanted to turn back the clock (including removing the stopwatch on his elbow) it would set him back £2,400 and over 13 sittings spread over a year and a half.

 

Tattoo Chart

 

 

Tattoo removal expert, Wayne Joyce, Director of Reset Room, a tattoo removal parlour based in London, said: “As tattoo removal can be a lengthy and costly experience, it’s imperative to do your research and choose a clinic that has good equipment and knowledge in order to get the best results and reduce the risks of negative side effects.”

[1] Enquiries made to 845 UK clinics listed on WhatClinic.com in the period 08/06/2015 – 08/06/2016, compared to 08/06/2014 – 08/06/2015.

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