Warnings about buying home tattoo kits from non-reputable online sources

ABC NEWS (Australia)

As the number of people with tattoos grow, artists say they're seeing more people getting inked with cheap home-tattoo kits. They've issued a warning not to buy equipment from non-reputable online sources.

Transcript

00:00Phil Pagden runs a laser tattoo removal business, but he says sometimes people come in with

00:06tattoos he can't treat.

00:09While Phil removes tattoos, in the same shop his brother Stu creates them, they've both

00:14seen a trend in clients using home tattoo kits, which are increasingly available online.

00:19The brothers are concerned buying equipment from unregistered sellers pose significant

00:24health risks.

00:25The stuff that's getting sold on eBay, for instance, it'd just be coming from one big

00:30warehouse somewhere and there'd be no quality control or sterilisation would be minimal.

00:37That's how they sell them so cheap.

00:39Stu says these kits likely entice people wanting to break into the industry, or people who

00:43want to have fun with their friends, at a cheaper price than going to a professional.

00:47Because they get the whole kit in one go, they don't have to source little bits here

00:52and there from different places.

00:53So you just get everything you need sent to your house and you just go nuts.

00:58If someone regrets getting inked at home, one option is to get it covered up with another

01:02tattoo.

01:03But Phil says they are vastly more difficult to remove with a laser.

01:07I've had kids as young as 13, 14 come through the doors.

01:11They can't get these cover-ups done.

01:13And if the laser is not attracted to the ink, and it won't remove, unfortunately you have

01:18to deal with that until you're old enough to get that tattoo done.

01:23Industry professionals are urging people who are wanting to start their tattooing journey

01:26to source their equipment from reputable sources.

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