Tattoo regret becomes the latest trend

FORGET forever. The latest trend in tattoos is getting them removed. And apparently it hurts like hell and costs a bomb.

AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

TATTOOS might be all the rage but tattoo regret is just as common.

A drunken night out in Sydney's Kings Cross left Rachel Vance with a tattoo on her arm - two tiny stars and a spade. The experience cost her $100 and she regretted it instantly.

Louise Smith got five tattoos at different stages throughout her twenties. One was a butterfly, another commemorated a friend's death and the rest just seemed like a good idea at the time. Until now.

Both women are part of an emerging trend where people are paying upwards of $100 a pop per session of laser treatment to remove tattoos. Oh, and apparently it hurts like hell.

"I got them done when I was very young and definitely believed that I would love them forever and would never regret them. I didn't think about my future and how I might change my view on my tattoos as I matured," Louise Smith said.

According to Sue Salmon of the Wollongong Tattoo Removal Service in New South Wales, the majority of their increasing numbers of clients are young women between 25 and 40.

"Their reasons vary. Anything from wanting to start a career in the army and relationships they've ended, to 'I'm not that person anymore'. Probably about 5 per cent are getting them removed to replace with a new one," Ms Salmon said.

Here's how tattoo removal works. The laser shatters the ink of the tattoo and the body's lymphatic system gradually removes it from the body. Apparently there is also an option to simply fade a tattoo if the person would prefer it.

At the Wollongong clinic each client is screened for approximately 30 minutes before any procedure for a number of variables, including medical history, colour, size and site of the tattoo.

"We also take into consideration the place where you got your tattoo. If you got your tattoo in Bali, for example, the ink they use is cheaper so it tends to come off much easier," she said.

Skin type, colour and scarring can affect the number of treatments a person requires to remove the tattoo. Heavy smokers are among those more likely to need several sessions as their poor circulation impedes the removal process.

Unfortunately, not all tattoo removal services are quite so rigorous with their background checks and safety procedures.

Ms Salmon told news.com.au that the biggest risks with tattoo laser removal procedure is the growing number of unlicensed operators - sometimes found in tattoo parlours.

"There is no legislation protecting the consumer in NSW and that means anyone can buy a laser machine and do these procedures. Luckily Western Australia and Queensland have regulation," she said.

Louise Smith's first attempt at tattoo removal found her the victim of dodgy practitioners.

"I went to a place that promoted they had 15 years of experience. Thinking that this was a great start, I made an appointment. I was told it wouldn't hurt anymore than when I got the tattoo done and after a few sessions, my tattoos will be gone!

"The first appointment was with the owner of the business. She was professional and answered all my questions. After the first appointment, I saw a girl with very little experience (she had just started 4 weeks prior) and had the machine turned up too high and I was burnt.

"After her reassuring me that it was all okay, I had another appointment and was burnt again. I was bleeding and my tattoos blistered. I now have scarring on my wrist and back. It was $170 per session, every 4 weeks and you had to pay for soothing cream and bandages (even though both are applied after each session)," Ms Smith said.

AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

To be on the safe side Ms Salmon advises that you always ask about the tattoo removal operator's training.

"More often than not if the clinic is in a medical laser clinic you will be OK. For example, all our operators are also registered nurses or doctors," she said.

Tattoo removal is a slow process - much slower than getting the tattoo in the first place. Plus, it sounds like it hurts just as much.

"I'm expected to need 6 or 7 sessions," said Rachel Vance. "It's pretty similar to laser hair removal, you go into the room, remove any clothing around it, put on a pair of glasses to protect your eyes and then the technician starts the laser.

"It only takes about a minute to do each tattoo (about the size of a 5c piece each) but it feels like much longer because the pain is close to unbearable. Once the laser is finished she rubs some burn cream on it to sooth it, but it still continues to bleed for a bit. The tattoo will then start to blister in areas over the next few days and scab. The scabs then fall off over the next few weeks and the colour falls out a bit with it," she said.

Have you ever had a tattoo removed? Tell us all about it in the comments below.

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