Pete Davidson has spent $200,000 burning off his 200-plus tattoos, and his latest update on the ‘brutal’ process has him hiding in sweaters

Pete Davidson is still working through the long process of removing his extensive tattoo collection, which he describes as brutal, as reported by LADbible. The 32-year-old comedian began laser removal sessions in 2020, when he had roughly 200 tattoos.

Davidson provided an update on his progress at the How to Rob a Bank premiere, where he appeared with co-star Nicholas Hoult. He joked about his current wardrobe, saying, “I’ve only been wearing sweaters for like six months, so you don’t know what’s going on.”

The laser treatment requires burning off a layer of skin, which then needs six to eight weeks to heal. During recovery, Davidson cannot go out in the sunlight.

Davidson still has years to go before reaching a clean slate

Davidson said he has roughly eight years left before the removal is complete. By 2025, he had already spent around $200,000 on the process and was only 30 percent finished.

He previously told Jimmy Fallon that the tattoos were almost gone. He now expects to be 40 by the time the removal is finished, as he has to schedule the 10 to 12 sessions required for each tattoo around his work commitments.

Davidson shared that he began the removal after getting sober, as the tattoos reminded him of a time when he was a sad person. In a 2025 interview, he said, “I used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up.”

He explained that while he does not have an issue with tattoos in general, his own felt drug-fueled. “When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of, ‘Oh yeah, you were a f***** drug addict.’ Like, that’s why you have SpongeBob smoking a joint on your back,” he added.

There is also a practical side to his decision. Davidson told Seth Meyers in 2021 that he did not think he would be cast in movie roles after his time on Saturday Night Live, and he realized a clean appearance might benefit his acting career.

He said starting fresh is what works best for his brain. He also believes tattoos should carry actual meaning rather than reflect moments when he was high while watching television.