Young fall prey to addicted tattooists
Cheap imitations end up costing them dearly
SUGARS addicts in Durban are turning to ink to fund their habit.
According to Darryl Naidu, a legitimate tattoo artist from Chatsworth who specialises in removing them, sugars addicts had been increasingly exploiting youngsters’ love of body art.
“Since I opened up here four months ago, 14 people have come to me for tattoo removals. These are tattoos they got from local sugars (a heroin-based street drug) addicts looking to make money for their next fix. A lot of my customers are young kids who regret what they did and want to see if I can help them.”
He said the tattoo-loving culture among teenagers made them the easiest targets. “Young people love tattoos. Most of the time they can’t afford to go to professionals, or they want to get tattooed without their parents’ consent.”
The removal process must be done in stages and has varying degrees of success that depend on the type of ink used and the depth of skin penetration.
Naidu said in some cases the homemade machines used by fly-by- night artists penetrated more than the required three layers of skin, which makes removal difficult.
“When it goes further than it should, it can result in scarring and bubbling of the skin.”
Tattoo artist Pravesh Bagirathi, who is an accredited tattooist based in Shallcross, said the influx of illegal tattoo artists in the area was bringing the industry into disrepute.
“It is killing the market. In a case where we charge R1 000 for a decent tattoo, these guys are doing it for about R50. When you look at the work they do, it doesn’t look anything like it should. Getting tattoos like that can go really sour.”
Although he does not practice removals, Bagirathi said that many clients came to him for cover-up consultations after bad experiences with back-yard tattooists.
He said he had heard horror stories, including one about a woman who contracted hepatitis allegedly after being tattooed by an addict with a homemade machine.
Sugen, a 31-year-old businessman, had his name tattooed across his arm in 1998 outside a petrol station by an illegitimate operator who continues to practice in the area.
He paid R400 for the sleeve, which he considered a bargain at the time. But, said Sugen, his half-price tattoo had unexpected side effects.
“I can’t eat fish anymore. If I do, my skin bubbles up wherever the ink is. It’s always the reaction. It looked okay when it was finished, but over time it started to fade. It is actually embarrassing to look at.”
Kubeshan is an accountant and in the process of having the tribal tattoo on his arm removed.
The 29-year-old said he was aware that a homemade machine was going to be used to tattoo him, but he felt confident to go ahead with the process because the tattooist “used a new needle”.
“While tattooing me, he kept going away and returning. I eventually asked him why, and he told me he went for a hit because his hand shook and he needed the sugars to steady it.”