Tattoos

 This is a request for opinions and thoughts, nothing more. 

In parshas Kedoshim the Torah prohibits the act of tattooing. In the past, tattoos were indelible.  Modern laser technology enables the removal of many tattoos.  If a baal teshuva has a tattoo, I have three questions.

I am posing these questions because of a מעשה שהיה, not stam.

1. In that an essential element in the Torah prohibition of tattooing is permanence, will removal reverse the issur even though it is not a לאו הניתק לעשה.

2. Even if removal did not undo the לאו, is  the person obligated מצד איסור כתובת קעקע to remove it. Is it possible that the Torah would asser creating something and be indifferent to its continued existence? 

3. We are told that Tshuvah requires that we undo the consequences of the aveira. This is why there is no teshuva for fathering a mamzer (יבמות כב עמוד ב). Does the mitzva of teshuva obligate this person to remove the tattoo. If so, is the failure to do so a ביטול עשה בשב אל, or is it like not regurgitating  מאכלות אסורות, which is neither required nor recommended. 

Obviously, in many cases, there is a generic problem that not removing it will generate chillul Hashem by publicizing a maaseh aveira. But my questions are specific to the the parsha of כתובת קעקע.

Also,  it is well known that concentration camp and radiation therapy survivors have no mitzvah to remove their tattoos.  But those were not done באיסור. I am talking about cases where they were done במזיד גמור, which is the case even for baalei teshuva. Every Jew is aware of this issur.

I would appreciate your thoughts. 

- Reb Nochum Stone pointed out that a, according to many rishonim, the deoraysa of ka'aka is limited to certain images or words, so most tattoos would not be deoraysa; and b, that there is no din of hiddur on a mitzvas lo saaseh.