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Getting Tattoo's in Bali...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gav the Gecko
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Gav the Gecko

Hi all... starting this thread to gauge peoples opinion about the safety, quality and price of getting tattoos done in Bali tattoo salons. The urban myths, fears and issues that may need to be addressed in this industry.
From a personal aspect many of my wife's family are involved in the Bali tattoo industry and will try and address any questions with a non biased point of view. But hope to gain any information to help promote and improve their business and industry.

A 'Mr Dolphin' sticker is on the rubbish bin at Darwin HQ previously 'Darwin Escorts' . anybody remember how this got there? It's my brothers tattoo's salon in Bali!
 
I can only speak from what I've seen , and I'd never paint every canvas with the same brush but I've seen some shocking tattoos come out of Bali and some great art work.

A parlour a friend visited as a guest artist he found he couldn't go back to as it simply didn't live up to the standards which he prides himself on.. It was a fairly respected place be things like Pets in the shop , cheap inks and lots of questionable requests coming from very drunk patrons just gave him a bad overall vibe. I don't think it's a Bali thing though I think it boils down to how the individual business is run and that applies everywhere.

Personally speaking I have a LOT of tattoos and each piece I spent months deciding what artist I was going to use so I don't think I could ever get a tattoo in Bali but it's not because of myths or horror stories , it's just my personal preference. The same risks to health and ending up with a bodgy tattoo apply anywhere in the world. I do however think that one thing that is a harder hurdle to get over in a country like Bali though is that because people want cheap and the competition is cheap corners naturally get cut to compete and that is where I do hold reservations on any "cheap" body art more often than not these corners are ink quality and environment sterility

Another uphill battle shops there will always have an issue with is aftercare ... People are often there for fun in the sun and swimming ... Two things that don't go down well with a fresh tattoo lol

Anyhow .. Just my 2 cents lol
 
A friend of mine went to Bali and had a tattoo done. If became seriously infected within a day. She is scarred for life now.
I have also seen some nice work and they've had no issues.
I personally don't have or want any tattoos though.
 
Just an anecdote:

Dining in Bali recently, a 30 something bloke came into the restaurant with friends, sporting a freshly inked tattoo on his upper arm. I knew it was freshly inked as it had glad wrap around it.
A few minutes after being seated near us, we looked over and could see blood seeping out, down his arm and onto the floor.
It was only after his friends noticed and pointed this out to him that he started mopping it up.
 
I'm not a fan of tatts or getting inked (I don't have any) but I agree with the sentiment that if you want one, find an artist whose work you like. I wouldn't go get one just because I happened to be walking past a shop.

I don't plan on going to Bali or getting any tattoos, but I do have a two-part question, in case others are curious:

A: Do the shops you are involved with in Bali have photos of past tattoos on the wall?
B: Do the photos get swapped around when different artists are working?

Or the same questions for sample photo albums if they are used. I'd be pretty annoyed if I pointed out something on the wall that I wanted, and then the artwork looked like the artist was copying the style in the sample rather than it being their actual style.
 
Gav the Gecko said:
Hi all... starting this thread to gauge peoples opinion about the safety, quality and price of getting tattoos done in Bali tattoo salons. The urban myths, fears and issues that may need to be addressed in this industry.
From a personal aspect many of my wife's family are involved in the Bali tattoo industry and will try and address any questions with a non biased point of view. But hope to gain any information to help promote and improve their business and industry.

A 'Mr Dolphin' sticker is on the rubbish bin at Darwin HQ previously 'Darwin Escorts' . anybody remember how this got there? It's my brothers tattoo's salon in Bali!
Click to expand...

I can't speak about Bali but I have just one special tattoo on a special place. It's perfect and has never ever caused any problems. It was done in Cambodia!
Recently I had a naval piercing done in Perth. It got infected after 3 days!
 
Ive got 2 tattoos that I got in Bali and never had any problems with either tho I got recommendations for both the artists
 
Im going back to Bali in mid-March and am looking to get a tattoo....any idea of a ball park price for a small tatto measuring about 3cm x 3cm (yes, am a chicken...lol)? :)
 
There is a big difference between a good tattoo or some random tattoo that has no meaning. Maori face tattoos on face if you are a Maori is cool but random tattoos to look like a tough guy/criminal are not cool and may hurt your job prospects.
 
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I've gotten a tattoo in Bali with no issues during or after. Make sure you look up reviews and make an appointment first to check out the studio. And discuss clearly what it is you're looking for and ask to see previous work by the artist!
Obviously look for general cleanliness and making sure they open new needles for each client. If you stick to studios that are on main streets they're usually going to be a bit more popular unless you see a hidden place that has really positive reviews!
 
If infection control nit corect then hep c risk is high in overseas countries and possibly worse. A full medical review could be a check
 
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