Tattoo regret? How to choose a removal service

Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock Katie Lee, The University of Queensland; Claire Coulstock, Victoria University, and Samantha Reeve, Victoria University

About one in four people regret at least one of their tattoos. Almost half of those go on to have their unwanted tattoo removed or camouflaged with a new one.

So it’s no wonder people are searching for laser tattoo removal services.

Here’s what to consider when choosing the best clinic and what to expect when you get there.

Why are tattoos permanent?

You can still see tattoos on the 5,300-year-old ice mummy Ötzi. That’s because tattoo artists use needles to deposit ink in the dermis, the layer of skin under the outer layer (or epidermis).

When this happens, the body recognises ink particles as “foreign”. So immune cells in the dermis, such as macrophages, take them up.

But the particles are too large for these specialised cells to break down and remove via the lymphatic system. Instead, the particles remain “locked” permanently in macrophages in the dermis.

Tattoo inks are inserted into the dermis, and tend to stay there. zonn hong/Shutterstock

How do lasers remove tattoos?

To remove a tattoo, a laser device delivers high-intensity laser pulses to the ink. These incredibly short pulses are delivered in a billionth or trillionth of a second (nanosecond or picosecond pulses), confining the laser energy to the tiny ink particles, minimising damage to the surrounding skin.

Once the ink particles absorb the laser energy, a thermal reaction takes place, increasing the particles’ internal pressure and causing them to expand, then fragment.

The macrophages can now remove these smaller particles via the lymphatic system. That’s when your tattoo starts to fade.

Can all inks be removed?

Most inks can be removed, but several factors affect the result.

Colours

Each colour absorbs a different wavelength of light, so each colour requires a specific laser to be removed effectively. This may require using several different machines over the course of the treatment.

Some colours are much more challenging to remove than others. For instance, black ink is much easier to remove than yellow, which is easier to remove than white. This is because different pigments (such as black) are more likely to absorb the laser’s energy than others (yellow or white).

As a result, tattoos with white ink particles often need extra therapies. These include ablative laser treatments, which vaporise the tissue containing the tattoo ink, and tattooing over the original tattoo with a saline solution, which helps to draw the tattoo out of the skin.

You may need several laser treatments to remove your tattoo. damiangretka/Shutterstock

Combination of colours

Tattoo inks can also be made up of many colours to achieve the desired shade.

For example, a red ink may have touches of yellow ink to create a poppy red. As the red particles are broken down, the yellow appears and must be treated with a different wavelength, sometimes requiring a different machine and extra sessions.

Your skin colour

Any laser that can target and destroy an ink particle can also target natural skin pigment and the cells that produce them. This can result in overheating of the skin, and in severe cases, damage or destruction of the cells that produce pigment. This causes the skin to either darken or lighten in response to the injury, sometimes permanently.

So it’s important to choose a tattoo removalist who not only knows how to operate the laser, but how to choose the right wavelengths and modify the treatment plan as the tattoo changes.

Choosing a tattoo removalist

Laser tattoo removal creates a controlled wound in your skin, so it’s important to choose the right service to get the result you want, without increasing your risk of complications.

But in Australia, there is no national regulation for laser tattoo removal services, so standardising practitioners’ education and the treatments they offer is an ongoing challenge. Instead, each state and territory either licenses its own practitioners, or has no licensing at all.

As there are no licensing requirements in Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and the Northern Territory, anyone can legally own and operate laser devices to remove tattoos there.

Not all tattoo removal services are licensed, so you’ll have to do some research before booking yourself in. Africa Studio/Shutterstock

But in Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, tattoo removal providers need a licence to operate and must have studied infection control, laser safety and tattoo removal. They also need to have many hours of supervised practical experience.

In unregulated states and territories, look for a practitioner with similar education and extensive practical experience, such as a bachelor-qualified dermal clinician.

How long will it take and how much will it cost?

Most tattoos require multiple sessions to be effectively removed. The inks and art style, as well as the tattoo size, play a big role in how many sessions it will take – and how much it will cost.

An experienced practitioner will use the Kirby-Desai scale – which includes noting your skin colour, body site, scarring, ink colour and density, and layering of ink – to estimate how many sessions your specific tattoo will need.

Typically, black fine-line tattoos are easier to remove than coloured high-density tattoos, such as a portrait or sleeve.

You’ll also need to allow time between sessions for your tattoo to recover, since the wound needs to heal before the next treatment.

After your laser treatment, your practitioner will advise you on how to manage the health of your skin. In many circumstances you will be asked to keep the area cool, and depending on the tissue response, you may need topical aftercare products (such as emollient creams and a protective hydrogel dressing) to keep the area clean and hydrated.

There are many variables that influence how quickly your tattoo will heal after treatment. This includes where the tattoo is (for instance, a chest tattoo heals faster than an ankle tattoo), the devices used, and your general health. The more compromised your health, the longer it will take to heal.

Watch out for allergies

Depositing tattoo ink in the dermis can cause acute and chronic skin reactions, including allergic or inflammatory reactions, infections, and hypersensitivity responses. So it’s important to tell your practitioner how your skin responded to the initial tattoo. That’s because you might be at risk of the same response again when the laser breaks down the tattoo ink.

An experienced practitioner will conduct a thorough consultation to ensure they identify any treatment risks. If necessary, they will work with your GP or dermatologist to ensure the safe removal of your tattoo.

Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland; Claire Coulstock, Lecturer in dermal science, Victoria University, and Samantha Reeve, Course Chair and Lecturer, Bachelor of Dermal Sciences, Victoria University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→July 09, 2026

How does parent‑child interaction therapy work? And who can use it?

Shawna Mastro Campbell, Bond University; Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck, Griffith University, and Tanya Hawes, Griffith University

Children thrive when parents are warm and responsive to their needs, while also providing clear guidance and setting limits. This is known as authoritative parenting.

But most parents will tell you authoritative parenting is easier said than done, especially when children have frequent intense emotions, big behaviours, meltdowns and outright defiance.

These challenges can lead parents to wish they had a parenting coach helping them know what to do and say.

Parent-child interaction therapy aims to do just that. It has been used in parts of Australia for around 20 years and is now available in some western Sydney schools.

So how does it actually work?

It focuses on the relationship

Parent-child interaction therapy is based on attachment theory, which posits that quality relationships in childhood predict wellbeing.

The parent and child play together in one room while the therapist observes in an adjacent room through a one-way mirror.

Using an ear-piece and microphone (or other communication device), the therapist acts as a coach to guide a parent’s responses to their child during play.

Coaching guides parents as they use positive attention skills to respond to their children’s behaviours and emotions as they occur. Within such a supportive environment, this reduces the child’s problematic behaviour and increases appropriate behaviours.

This guided, real-life practice gives parents the ability to use the techniques on their own, wherever they are, and enriches the parent-child connection.

Here’s what it can look like in practice.

How do kids experience it?

Parent-child interaction therapy was was first used in the 1970s to treat problem behaviours of children aged three to seven years. It’s now used from 15 months of age.

Although the child can’t see the therapist through the mirror window, they are aware their parent can hear the therapist through the earpiece.

From the child’s perspective, the play environment is often enjoyable and they get to spend high quality one-on-one time with their parent, enhancing the relationship.

Parents learn the importance of their attention

Throughout the therapy, the parent directly experiences the importance of their own attention.

When children get their parent’s attention for disruptive or other challenging behaviour, such as yelling, this can escalate children’s disruptive behaviour over time because parental attention makes any behaviour more likely to occur.

Children will even seek this attention if it comes in the form of a parent yelling, correcting, or negotiating, especially if they get little connection or attention when behaving appropriately.

In parent-child interaction therapy, parents use attention to reinforce their child’s positive behaviour. They practise giving positive attention for appropriate behaviour, such as praising and showing enthusiasm for children’s patience, kindness, good listening, or sharing.

The therapy also encourages parents to limit attention to unwanted behaviour when it’s safe to do so. A parent may be coached to avoid acknowledging when a child uses inappropriate language or “toilet talk”, for example.

Practising these attention strategies can increase children’s positive behaviours and interrupt the cycle of worsening behaviour and negativity.

Parents practise authoritative parenting

During parent-child interaction therapy, parents practise real-time strategies for authoritative parenting that:

• demonstrate warmth and responsiveness to their child’s needs
• fairly and clearly state expectations for behaviour
• are consistent in developmentally appropriate consequences, especially for aggressive behaviour.
  

Coaching focuses on responding kindly, while still setting clear boundaries and expectations for behaviour.

For example, by saying:

Thank you for following the rule of being gentle today. I really like when you do that at home with your brother, too.

Who is – and isn’t – it suitable for?

Research from Australia and abroad shows this type of therapy can be effective for behavioural and related emotion regulation problems.

It has also been shown to be effective among culturally diverse families and those who have faced adversity or have complex health and mental health challenges.

Research shows additional benefits for parents. These include reduced stress, improved parenting skills and confidence and improvements in the ability to manage difficult emotions such as anger.

Parent-child interaction therapy is most often used for children with conduct disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and trauma-related conditions, as well as conditions where behaviour concerns can be a symptom, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.

However, it can be used for children without any mental health diagnosis

It’s not recommended when there are safety issues or unstable relationships in the family or home environment. In these instances, other interventions should be prioritised over treating children’s behaviour concerns.

The downsides

Parent-child interaction therapy is time consuming and resource intensive. Therapy typically lasts 14 to 16 weeks, with most sessions involving both parents and children. Research shows repeated practice can lead to more sustained improvements in children’s behaviour. So it can involve a big commitment from parents.

Parent-child interaction therapy is delivered by qualified mental health service providers such as registered psychologists and social workers. They require extensive training, ongoing professional development and program training from an approved provider, as well has months of supervised practice. They also require specialised rooms and equipment. This can limit access.

Currently in Australia, the program is offered at a few universities and in some school settings, with costs often offset by public funding. There are few private providers.

Behaviour problems are the most common reason parents seek support for children. Supporting them with evidence-based programs or therapies – whether that’s parent-child interaction therapy or others – can deliver wide-reaching benefits across their lifespan.

Shawna Mastro Campbell, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Bond University; Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck, Professor of Psychology, Griffith University, and Tanya Hawes, Program Co-ordinator/ Psychologist, Griffith University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→July 01, 2026