While it’s far less likely now that a tattoo will prevent you from getting a job, tattoos can be an ever-present nuisance, and Wahlberg has succumbed to the temptation a few times in the past. The actor currently has roughly half a dozen tattoos- designs you are probably aware can only be removed through a painful, expensive series of laser treatments. (And even then, blurry remnants often remain at the end of treatment.)
And though Wahlberg maintains that the tattoos are all “meaningful” to him, he also doesn’t want to see his kids go through the same hassle of dealing with no-longer-wanted ink only to have to pay to eradicate the mistake. Talking about the negative consequences of tattoos is one way to deal with the issue, but Wahlberg has taken another approach- bringing his kids with him to observe the painful process. Wahlberg explains:
“I don’t want my kids getting tattoos. And I wanted them to be [gone] by the time I did The Fighter because putting make-up on and covering them up has always been a pain in the butt.”
He continues:
“I’ve taken my two older kids to the procedure so they see how painful it is and what I have to go through.”
