Pete Davidson Reveals Status Of $20,000 Tattoo Removal Process (Exclusive)

Pete Davidson’s tattoo removal process continues.

“I’m almost done with my arms now. I did my hands and neck first,” the comedian and actor, 31, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

“I did it in the order of what is most visible,” he further explains. “My goal is to be able to wear a T-shirt and not see anything there by the end of this year.”

“I would say there’s like 65, 70% of the tattoos left, and some of them are faded or whatever,” Davidson continues, jokingly adding: “It has been a hot topic.”

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Davidson began his tattoo-removal journey in 2020. A source previously told PEOPLE he spent $200,000 to undergo the process.

TheSaturday Night Livealum’s vast tattoo collection, at one point made up of around 200 pieces of body artincludes ink dedicated to his former girlfriendsas well as silly, lighthearted designs.

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Davidson toldVarietythat focusing on his mental health after several stints in rehab led him to the removal of his tattoos, as they remind him of a “sad person that was very unsure.”

Still, during a

appearance, he explained he “thinks tattoos are cool” and he does plan to keep a very small amount.

Davidson — who is partnering with Amazon for Alexa+ — tells PEOPLE he expects the tattoo removal process to be long and ongoing.

“It takes years to get rid of a tattoo. You’ve got to burn it off, and it takes 10 to 12 sessions per tattoo,” he explains. “So I have to cram that in between work, and you then need six weeks to heal. Anytime I get one session done, I can’t do anything. So it’s going to be, like, until I’m 40 when I’m a clean slate.”

“I think a lot of people, when you’re young, you get stuff, and now I’m in my thirties, and I’m like, ‘Do I really need SpongeBob DoodleBob and all these weird, insane sketches on my back?” Davidson continues with a laugh.

“So if you’re thinking about doing it, just be prepared. It’s a long game,”The King of Staten Islandstar adds.