A recent number of complaints from customers suffering side effects from tattoo removal treatments has led to an investigation and raids by Queensland Health in Southeast Queensland. Tattoo removal lasers have been seized from businesses after being found to be unsafe or improperly labelled.

Dangerous ‘budget’ lasers are being imported from China and are being used by inexperienced and unlicensed operators, hoping to make a quick dollar.
In Queensland, Class 3 lasers do not require any training or licensing. On the other hand the more powerful Class 4 lasers require at least 50 supervised training hours and a license to use the laser under Queensland Health regulations.

Inexperienced operators or unsafe machines can cause serious side effects such as burns and scarring of the skin.

You can minimise risks by choosing tattoo removal operators licensed by Queensland Health, selecting a reputable clinic that has been around for a long time and making sure you check the technology being used. Don’t just take their word for it and ask to see their license and certification sticker on the side of the laser.

Tattoo removal works by the laser targeting the tattoo ink under the skin and fragmenting it into small particles which the body then removes over several weeks post treatment. The number of treatments will depend on the age of the tattoo, where it’s located on the body and the colours of the ink. Be wary of tattoo removal clinics that say they can remove tattoos in just a few sessions.

A recent article on tattoo removal operators in the Courier Mail highlighted this issue and input was sought from Image by Laser:

[url= http://www.imagebylaser.com.au/tattoo-removal/laser-tattoo-removal/]Image by Laser[/url] owner Melinda Elford, who has three clinics, said she was often asked to fix procedures started by dodgy and unlicensed operators.

“Consumers go to dodgy operators because they claim to be able to remove tattoos a lot quicker,” Mrs Elford said. “It takes a long time. It can take up to 12 months.”