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BOTCHED backyard tattoos are bringing Border businesses up to 15 customers a week who want fix-ups or write-overs.
Owner of Twin City Tattoo and Piercing Brett Collins said a woman came to the store to fix a tattoo where the needle was pushed through so many layers of skin that the ink spread.
“It would have felt like a knife in her skin,” Mr Collins said.
The person who gave her the tattoo told her after he finished that she should visit the hospital to make sure she hadn’t contracted any diseases from needles which were not sterilised properly.
The worst of the 10 backyard tattoos Mr Collins sees each week was of a lewd image drawn on a boy, 15.
“People think if they buy a tattoo gun on eBay and watch a DVD that they can be a tattooist, but it’s not like cooking scones,” Mr Collins said.
“It takes five years of practice to be completely accomplished.”
Victorian Health Department spokesman Graeme Walker said backyard tattooing was illegal, particularly if money changed hands.
He said tattooing premises were required to follow strict health and safety rules.
“There is always the potential for transmissions of hepatitis B, C and HIV if unsafe illegal tattooing is going on,” Mr Walker said.
Tattooist at Wizards Of Ink Tattoo Studio in Albury, Greg Cook, said the business saw up to 15 people with backyard tattoos a week, mostly people in their teens.
He said the shop was constantly referring people with backyard tattoos to chemists or hospitals to get infections treated.
“We use one-use sharps which all get thrown out, but with backyard tattoos they might use the same needle on six of their mates who could have anything,” Mr Cook said.
“It’s getting progressively worse.”
Nick Slatter, from Wodonga, got a tattoo on his forearm by a friend with a home- made tattoo gun six months ago.
The 17-year-old did not think it was dangerous when his friend drew the design.
The tattoo is already fading but Mr Slatter said he did not regret getting it done.
“It was free and I was drunk at the time,” he said.
A younger woman with Mr Slatter said her brother had recently acquired a tattoo gun and would give her a free tattoo soon.
“I can’t wait,” she said.
