Costly face tattoo removals on the rise as regret sets in

Mauricio Arias wears his past on his face: 11 tattoos cover his skin from his eyelids to his cheeks, down to his neck.

Images like a bloodied knife and brass knuckles tell the story of a five-year period of his life plagued by depression and drug addiction — not exactly the first thing he wants prospective employers to see.

“As soon as I walk in for a job interview, they’re gonna think, ‘Who’s this guy trying to get a job looking like that?’ ” says the Queens resident, 30. “I feel trapped.”

So, between getting his degree, working full time in construction, and going to church several days a week, Arias, who is now five years sober, is in the middle of getting his face, neck and hand tattoos removed with lasers. The painful procedures, which will span six sessions (he’s already undergone two), will eventually get him to a point where the first thing people see isn’t a reminder of his dark history.