Tattoo excision

[Percenter3]

Anybody had any tattoo excision done to enlist? Im about 80% thru the enlistment process. Ive taken the ASVAB and scored an 80 and all that. A week before I was scheduled to go back to MEPS for physical and enlistment, they changed the uniform standards and stopped allowing for tatts on the neck/head. Laser removal is not an option. I wanna cut em off and be done with it.

[alex332]

Good luck getting a waver for that.
You can try but it wont happen.

[Percenter3]

Im not gonna need a waiver if i getthe tatts excised

[Cpl. Haas]

If it leaves a scar, then MEPS will need to document where it came from... the Navy considers that elective body mutilation and won't grant a waiver if it's on the neck or head... had a buddy get denied for that exact reason. Not sure if other branches are the same, but NAVINST says no-go.

[gogohopper]

[Percenter3]

Well the branch in question is the Army, National Guard to be specific. Ive looked up some vids on the 'tube and i dont think there is much scarring for little tattoos. I guess I posted this here to see if anyone has done it. I know people that have burned off tattoos and joined.. and that certainly left a scar

[speedextreme16]

I was going to go back into the Marine Corps but I was going to go Officer side this time. Well, I had two tattoos on my forearms that I got while in the Corps and I had them laser removed because they had tightened up on the tattoo policy. Took two years to remove completely and left scarred tissue and there answer was no because the scar tissue is still in the form of the tattoos, just without ink. Good luck!

[18Dmedic]

I hope that the tattoos aren't anything that's gonna keep you from fighting in the next war. I think it's ludicrous personally for them to discriminate based on body mods as long as they're not gang affiliated or offensive.

But when the number of people in the military drops, they'll magically relax the standards again.

[Percenter3]

I agree 100%. Tattoos dont affect performance of the ability to fight and die for the country. Once we get into another war, they will be taking in felons and drop outs again.

[alex332]

Kinda funny that you can get a full sleeve once you're in as long as you keep it covered. Thats the AF standard. Anything on the hands/neck/face are still offlimits unless you were grandfathered in. Dudes in my shop have full sleeves but they have to wear long sleeve shirts. I agree that its pointless and dosent affect your ability to work. The military is big on professionalism, which I can understand.

[Subotai]

Anybody had any tattoo excision done to enlist? Im about 80% thru the enlistment process. Ive taken the ASVAB and scored an 80 and all that. A week before I was scheduled to go back to MEPS for physical and enlistment, they changed the uniform standards and stopped allowing for tatts on the neck/head. Laser removal is not an option. I wanna cut em off and be done with it.

If the recruiters don't know, just tell them it was a cyst or mole.

[Sanderhawk]

I had mine lasered off. How come that is out of the question for you?

[evidens83]

Your recruiter failed you if he let you get that far in the MEPS process and you're just asking this question...