Tattoo regret is so real in Noosa that tattooed locals are each week visiting tattooists to have their tattoos remodelled or tattoo removalists to have them erased.
Tattoos have been recorded in use by civilisations for various reasons for about 5000 years. In recent years they have become increasingly popular and more socially acceptable in western culture and whether people get them as a dare, a form of body art, to signify a particular event, a loved one or to identify with a particular group many discover the forever art just isn’t for them.
Tattoo Junction owner Karl Swallow is asked once or twice a week for a tattoo redo.
The tattooist said the most common reason was to change the name of an ex-partner.
“If they want a name we always advise to get kids or family names,“ he said.
Karl said there were a few other common reasons people want their tattoos redone. They may have a skull or dragon they had done when they were young that they no longer want. Others come with poorly executed tattoos or poor quality tattoos, often done overseas, or they just want a change.
“We can cover up pretty much everything,“ he said.
Karl said the redo generally needs to be larger than the original, although some people first have their tattoos lasered to fade or remove them before a redo.
Removing tattoos by laser is a full time occupation for Alex Dalitz of Out of Space Tattoo Removal and while a large portion of his customers want a tattoo faded or removed before a tattoo redo there are many more reasons why people want tattoos removed.
The process involves using a laser to shatter the tattoo pigment injected into the dermal layer of the skin which breaks up and makes its way to the lymphatic system to drain from the body.
“Some people might have a tattoo that reminds them of a particularly bad time in their life and they don’t want to look at it anymore,“ Alex said.
“There are some intense stories that go with tattoos. Others just simply don’t like it anymore. They got it when they were younger or styles have changed.“
Alex sees ex-prisoners who want amateur tattoos received in prison removed and he provides a service for juveniles who want to get rid of a tattoo that was poor judgement at the time.
Some people have medical tattoos they no longer need and others want a tattoo removed in order to obtain a particular job, he said.
Alex said tattoo removal had improved over the years but some colours were easier to remove than others, it can take a number of laser sessions to fade or remove a tattoo, not all tattoos can be removed and the process does hurt.
He said there are many variables including the type of ink, its composition, its depth in the skin that determine the success of removal.
“If getting a tattoo is five out of 10 (on the pain scale), removal is seven out of 10,“ he said.
A study in the British Journal of Dermatology that surveyed almost 600 people aged 16-77 with tattoos at the Royal Blackburn Hospital found almost 40 per cent of those surveyed regretted their tattoos but for most their regret came almost 20 years after getting the tattoo. The study found males were more likely to regret their tattoos and the likelihood of regret increased if they were very young when they acquired them. Tattoos on the upper body readily visible to others were the tattoos most likely to be regretted.
A poll conducted in 2012 in the US by Pollster Harris Interactive showed 14 per cent of the 20 per cent of people in America with a tattoo regretted having it while a Danish study found 20 per cent of people were dissatisfied with their tattoos. The tattoos most regretted by the Danes were those of images or names of loved ones or those acquired while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The studies show that like people around the world a significant number of Noosa locals who acquire a tattoo will end up regretting their decision.
