You’ve seen the photos. One day Pete Davidson is covered head-to-toe in what looks like a Sharpie factory exploded on him, and the next, he’s showing up to the SNL 50 red carpet with skin that looks... surprisingly clear. Honestly, it’s a bit jarring if you’ve followed his career from the "sad boy" Staten Island days to now.
The tattoo removal Pete Davidson journey isn't just some celebrity whim or a quick weekend at a laser clinic. It’s a massive, multi-year project that has already cost him a small fortune. We’re talking over $200,000 spent just to get about halfway there. If you’ve ever considered zapping off a regretful ex’s name or a "cool" design from your late teens, Pete’s story is basically the final boss of laser removal.
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Why Is He Doing This?
Basically, it started with work. Back in 2021, Pete told Seth Meyers that showing up to movie sets was becoming a nightmare. He’d have to sit in a makeup chair for three or four hours just so artists could cover his arms with heavy-duty concealer. It was a waste of time. He realized that if he wanted to play a "normal" guy in a movie without a turtleneck, the ink had to go.
But it’s deeper than just being an actor. Pete has been very vocal about his mental health. In a recent chat with Variety, he admitted that a lot of those 200+ tattoos were "drug-fueled" decisions. When he got sober and looked in the mirror, he didn't see art anymore; he saw a version of himself he wanted to move past. He described his old self as a "sad person that was very unsure," and the tattoos were a shield. Now, he’s 31, and he’s ready for a clean slate—literally.
The Brutal Reality of the Process
Don't let the glossy photos fool you. This process is, in Pete's words, "horrible."
Most people think you just zap it once and the ink disappears like magic. Nope. Each one of his tattoos requires 10 to 12 sessions. And you can’t just do them all at once. You have to wait about six to eight weeks between sessions for the skin to heal and for your immune system to actually flush out the shattered ink particles.
The Pain Factor
Pete compared the feeling to "putting your arm on a grill and burning off a layer of skin." It’s a thermal process. The laser hits the ink, it explodes under your skin, and then it’s a waiting game. Because he has so many, he’s had to prioritize. He started with the most visible parts—his hands, neck, and arms. By late 2025, those areas were mostly faded, but his torso and back? That's the next frontier.
He even used something called Pro-Nox (basically laughing gas) during the sessions to manage the pain and anxiety. Even then, he describes it as "awful."
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The Cost Breakdown
It’s an "uncomfortable amount of money," he says. Spending $200,000 on anything is a lot, but on removing something you already paid for? That’s a tough pill to swallow.
- Total Tattoos: Around 200 at his peak.
- Current Progress: Roughly 50-60% done as of early 2026.
- The Goal: To be completely clean-slated by age 40.
What's Actually Staying?
Even though he's on a mission to clear the canvas, Pete isn't getting rid of everything. There are a few pieces that still mean something to him.
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He’s keeping a tattoo of his late father’s FDNY badge number (8418). His dad, Scott Davidson, was a firefighter who died on 9/11, and that’s a legacy he’s never going to wash away. He also famously mentioned he’s keeping a "MOMTATTOO" because his mother asked why she never got one, and apparently, his Hillary Clinton portrait is sticking around too. He told The Breakfast Club that Hillary actually reached out to him when she heard he was lasering everything off to check if she was safe. She is.
A Lesson for the Rest of Us
If you’re sitting there with a tattoo you’re starting to outgrow, Pete’s journey is a massive reality check. It is 10 times more expensive and 100 times more painful to take it off than it was to put it on.
If you're looking at starting your own tattoo removal Pete Davidson style journey, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Be Patient: Pete’s been at this since 2020 and he’s still not done. It’s a decade-long project if you have significant coverage.
- Save Up: Even for a single small tattoo, you’re looking at several hundred dollars per session.
- Choose the Right Tech: Pete works with top-tier specialists like Dr. Roy Geronemus in NY. Newer lasers like the PicoWay are better at shattering ink with less skin damage, but they aren't miracle workers.
- Healing is Key: You have to stay out of the sun. If you get a tan or a burn on a treated area, you can’t do your next session, which just delays the whole thing.
Pete’s "clean slate" is coming along, but it’s a slow burn. It’s a reminder that who we are at 21 usually isn't who we are at 31—and sometimes, our skin takes a while to catch up with our brains. If you’re serious about removal, start with the areas that bother you most and find a provider who uses picosecond technology to minimize scarring. Expect it to take at least a year for even a medium-sized piece to fully fade.