St. Pete tattoo shop offering free removal of gang or hate-related tattoos

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Hoping to make a positive change in the community, a local tattoo shop is offering free tattoo laser removal of any old gang or racist tattoos.

The owner of Doom Club Tattoo Collective says covering a tattoo doesn’t always get the job done and this is a way to help someone with a fresh start.

"I grew up in a city that has a lot of gang members, a lot of my friends and stuff were involved in that stuff when they were young. And then, when they got older, it changed and a lot of them could not get jobs," Nick Harrison said.

The process takes several sessions, but the tattoo artists say newer technology with the laser machines does a good job of removing them.

"The new laser technology is great. It really does get rid of the tattoos pretty much completely. It does take a few sessions and a little bit of pain, but not too bad, but they’re not permanent anymore," TJ Hal a tattoo artist said.

It can be an expensive process, but the shop says they’re focused on a greater mission by offering the free service. 

"So, we're not worried about the money. We want to help the community. We want to put some positivity back in the world," Hal said.

Hoping to inspire change by reminding people the way you start is not the way you have to finish.

"I think we can all agree people can change, right? What you see is not always what you get. And I feel like if we can change kind of that first impression by doing this, I think that's great," Hal said.

If you’re interested in the free laser removal, visit http://www.doomclubtattoo.com/ to make an appointment.