An Australian tattoo veteran has criticised a controversial Bali trend in which tourists undergo general anaesthesia to receive full-body tattoos, comparing it to taking a helicopter to Mount Everest’s peak and then claiming to have climbed the mountain.
Kian Forreal, owner and master artist at Authentink Studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills, told the Daily Mail that the practice involved unnecessary medical risks and removed much of tattooing’s transformative experience.
Tourists are reportedly paying between $9,000 and $16,000 for tattoos performed under general anaesthetic in a licensed hospital operating theatre, with as many as nine artists working on one client simultaneously.
The procedures last between 10 and 20 hours, compressing work that would normally be completed over months or even years into one or two sessions. Hospital and procedure fees are included in the price.
Thousands of people have travelled to Bali this year for extensive or full-body tattoos under general anaesthetic, with videos and images of the procedures spreading widely across social media.
Bali is already a major destination for people seeking lower-cost tattoos, with international visitors making up at least 80 per cent of clients at tattoo studios on the island.
However, Australian tattoo artists and medical professionals have warned that avoiding the pain of tattooing may not justify the potential dangers associated with general anaesthesia.
Forreal, who specialises in traditional Japanese Irezumi and has 33 years of experience creating bodysuits and other large-scale pieces, also raised concerns about the quality and originality of the finished designs.
Australians are travelling to Bali for a tattooing trend involving general anaesthesia and full-body designs
The procedure allows clients to avoid experiencing the pain of a tattoo session
Kian Forreal, owner and master artist at Authentink Studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills, said the practice involved unnecessary risks and undermined tattooing’s transformative experience
“You don’t end up with a nice tattoo. You usually end up with a bunch of AI slop or Pinterest slop that’s been mashed together,” he said.
“When it’s done properly, you have something you’ve earned. Going to Bali and undergoing general anaesthetic is like wearing a badge saying, ‘I climbed Everest’ after taking a helicopter. Did you really? No.”
Forreal said the long process of being tattooed could have a profound effect on clients.
“Over the course of the 100 hours I spend with them in four- to six-hour sessions, they become a different person,” he said.
“You can’t just phone it in. You squirm, sweat, bleed and complain, but you get through it. That changes you, and that is part of the whole transformative process.”
He said undergoing the discomfort was part of earning the right to wear a large tattoo.
“We all get to sit at that table because we’ve earned our place there. By getting an anaesthetic bodysuit, you’re cutting out that entire experience.
“You see people choosing lions, wolves, warriors and all these other powerful images. They get a giant dragon to show how tough they are, but they can’t sit through the process.
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“When I create a large warrior on a man’s back, that becomes his power talisman — and he earned it.”
Sydney tattoo artist Ray Vom, who operates Markd Tattoo Studio in Redfern, also criticised the practice.
The controversial procedures place a client under general anaesthetic while up to nine tattoo artists work simultaneously
Australian tattoo artists and medical professionals have described the trend as dangerous, unsafe and not worth the risk
“It’s such a big risk. I don’t think that’s stressed enough, because some people don’t wake up,” Mr Vom told 9News.
Gold Coast tattoo artist Kristen Sorrenson, from Nine Muses, said she “wouldn’t take those odds” or risk her life for a tattoo.
Australian Medical Association WA president Kyle Hoath also described the practice as dangerous, unnecessary and unsafe.
He explained that general anaesthesia requires a trained medical professional to keep an unconscious patient breathing and alive, and carries serious risks, including death.
Doctors generally avoid using general anaesthetic for procedures that can be completed without it, he said.
“Tattooing can be performed safely in sterile environments, but there is no need to undergo general anaesthetic, which adds considerable risk to the procedure, simply for convenience,” Mr Hoath told 9News Perth.
“That’s not convenient — it’s dangerous and unsafe, and it should be avoided.
“We don’t see this happening in Australia, and I can’t imagine we ever will because it adds an unnecessary complication and risk to what should be a fairly straightforward procedure.”
The elaborate tattoos are often brightly coloured and include designs such as tigers
Despite the warnings, tourists — particularly Australians — continue to visit Bali in search of quicker, cheaper and pain-free full-body tattoos.
Brisbane man Anthony Waud travelled to Bali in September and spent nine hours under general anaesthetic while having tattoos applied across his front and back.
Mr Waud told Yahoo News that he paid $9,000 for the complete procedure and experienced no complications during his recovery.
The 46-year-old said medical staff asked him about drug use, alcohol consumption and smoking before carrying out blood tests, heart checks and blood pressure checks.
“I had no concerns. Everything was done professionally. The medical side was good. They were very helpful and caring,” he said.