The stats on tatts in Australia: growth, changes and regrets.
1 in 5 (19%) Australians has one or more tattoos, and with females it is almost 1 in 4 (24%).
While a number of individuals report getting tattoos when they were younger, over a third (36%) of people got their first tattoo aged 26 or older
20% of Australians got their first tattoo aged mid-30s or older
Most tattooed Australians have more than one. Of the Australians that have tattoos, almost half (48%) only have one, 30% have two to three, and 15% have between four and nine, with 7% having ten or more!
While for the majority (72%) of tattooed Australians their most recent tattoo was a picture or symbol, for 1 in 5 (19%) it was a phrase or work. The biggest growth in tattoo design is in the phrase and word category.
More than 1 in 4 (27%) of Australians with tattoos say that they regret getting a tattoo and 15% have commenced or looked into tattoo removal.
Of tattooed Australians, 17% would discourage or strongly discourage their adult children from getting a tattoo.
1 in 5 (19%) Australians has one or more tattoos, and with females it is almost 1 in 4 (24%).
While a number of individuals report getting tattoos when they were younger, over a third (36%) of people got their first tattoo aged 26 or older
20% of Australians got their first tattoo aged mid-30s or older
Most tattooed Australians have more than one. Of the Australians that have tattoos, almost half (48%) only have one, 30% have two to three, and 15% have between four and nine, with 7% having ten or more!
While for the majority (72%) of tattooed Australians their most recent tattoo was a picture or symbol, for 1 in 5 (19%) it was a phrase or work. The biggest growth in tattoo design is in the phrase and word category.
More than 1 in 4 (27%) of Australians with tattoos say that they regret getting a tattoo and 15% have commenced or looked into tattoo removal.
Of tattooed Australians, 17% would discourage or strongly discourage their adult children from getting a tattoo.
The report found 471 different tattoo inks likely to be used in Australia made up of 89 unique chemicals. They interviewed 22 professional tattoo artists and sourced 49 specific tattoo inks likely to be used in Australian tattoo parlours for detailed chemical analysis.
More than one in five contained carcinogens, and only four complied with European safety standards. The major concern was the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals known to be carcinogens. PAHs were found in more than one-fifth of the samples tested and in 83% of the black inks tested. Other questionable components included barium, copper, mercury, amines and various colourants. One ink was even sold and used for tattooing when the container label said it was not intended for this purpose.
According to the NICNAS, removing the tattoos may not help since the chemicals can undergo “photodegradation” with exposure to solar radiation and lasers, which are used for tattoo removal. This means that instead of the chemicals being trapped under the skin, they are released into the body.
So what does all this mean? The truth is we don’t really know what, if any, long term health effects go with having tattoo ink injected into human skin. Hopefully the report from NICNAS is an important first step towards controlling the use of unsafe inks.
There are several different types of laser available which will remove different colours based on the frequency of light generated. Variations in a person’s skin colour and thickness as well as variation in tattoo pigments, technique and depth, mean it’s impossible to exactly predict how many laser treatments are required to remove a particular tattoo.
Treatments can usually be done without local anaesthetic using skin cooling devices to reduce discomfort, and are said to be marginally more painful than having the tattoo. Multi-coloured tattoos are more difficult to treat and often require multiple lasers or a single laser with different frequencies. Each treatment takes five to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the tattoo.
Following treatment, the skin will immediately whiten and swell. This may be followed by weeping of the skin and crusting, which usually heals after 7 to 14 days.
The pigment slowly fades over six weeks as the shattered ink particles are removed by the body’s immune system. Repeat treatments are usually performed six to eight weeks apart.
Most tattoos require 6 to 12 treatments to fade, but sometimes up to 20. Unfortunately removal is often incomplete, leaving a subtle silhouette indicating where the tattoo once was.
As the normal skin also contains coloured structures (such as melanin) that can also absorb the laser light, complications are possible. Pigment irregularity (where skin looks blotchy and uneven) is the most frequent complication, especially in people with darker skin.
Laser tattoo removal is best done in well-equipped centres with appropriate laser devices and best performed by trained technicians who understand the complex interactions between laser science and skin biology. And if laser is not for you, there’s always the option of camouflage using high-coverage products such as Dermablend. Check out their YouTube video!
