A Startup Spa Can Ease Your Tattoo Regret
Still sporting a tattoo that declares eternal love for your ex? Or an outdated tattoo from the ’90s? You’re not alone. One in four Americans regrets having at least one of their tattoos, according to the Pew Research Center. And where there’s regret, there’s a business opportunity.
Cleo Skin and Laser is a new skin care clinic offering laser facials and hair removal, but former Life Time executive Amber McMillan started it with tattoo removal in mind. The tattoo removal market is expected to surge from $1.13 million in 2024 to $3.6 million by 2032, according to market research consultancy Fortune Business Insights, so McMillan says the market for getting rid of tattoos could eventually rival tattoo application.
Launched in late 2024 with co-founder and primary investor Brian DeRosa, Cleo Skin and Laser has two locations (Edina and Maple Grove) and plans for more. Of the 1,000 clients Cleo has treated so far, a third of the services are tattoo removal, and McMillan predicts that segment will grow.
Bad breakups and shame aren’t the only drivers of tattoo removal, McMillan says. “I kind of think of tattoo regret as tattoo renew. Tattoo artists have evolved, and the trend is much more elaborate artistic pieces,” she says. One Cleo client is a tattoo artist who’s been coming in every eight weeks to “renew” his sleeve to free up arm space for more art.
McMillan also credits advancing technology for the market growth. Tattoo removal is notorious for its painful process and high price tag, but Cleo’s machine, the Candela Picoway Laser—a more than $250,000 investment—makes the treatment more approachable for customers, McMillan says. With a starting price of $100 per session, tattoo removal at Cleo still requires many visits (from four to 10 treatments depending on the tattoo size and color), but its laser technology operates at a trillionth of a second, which reduces heat and makes for a faster and safer removal. McMillan compares the pain level to rubber band snaps.
The business has been growing significantly month over month and has already reached profitability, McMillan says. She’s building the case to take Cleo national.
“It’s nothing against the doctor-owned locations, but they’re very clinical,” McMillan says. “Cleo is meant to have that clinical efficacy yet bring an elevated experience that’s centered around the customer. We feel like we can pave a new trail in this category to show customers something completely different.”
