Councilor wants to lay down the line for tattoos

A Taipei city councilor has called on the central government to regulate tattoo parlors, which are all illegal.

Taipei City Councilor Lee Hsin (李新) of the New Party said yesterday that the central government should stop ignoring the existence of the tattoo parlors, which thrive although they don't have a legal basis to operate.

By failing to regulate the industry, the government is putting "consumers' rights and safety in jeopardy," Lee said at a press conference held at the Taipei City Council yesterday.

Lee asked the city government to pay more attention to the booming business and legalize and regulate it. "It should consider formulating regulatory measures regarding the qualifications of those who perform the service, [and it should make] uniform standards for fee structures, facilities and hygiene," he said.

In recent years, tattoos have become increasingly popular, especially among women. But not every-one is aware of the pitfalls associated with getting a tattoo and advocates say regulation would lead to better informed consumers.

Amy Lee has tried almost everything to get rid of the tattoo on the back of her left palm. She has tried salt and chemicals including hydrochloric acid, but the cartoon image of Calvin and Hobbes won't fade away.

"I got really sick and tired of it five years after I got it," said Lee, 21.

Lee got a tattoo at the age of 16 out of curiosity, but said that the older she gets, the more eager she is to get rid of the tattoo.

"I was too young to realize that although it's cool to get a tattoo, it's still looked down on by society," she said.

While she paid nothing for the tattoo, which was done by one of her friends free of charge, she will now have to pay a whopping NT$30,000 and make at least three trips to a clinic to have it removed.

Tseng Chih-jen (曾志仁), a dermatologist at the Dr Tseng Skin Clinic (曾志仁皮膚科診所), said that people who wish to get rid of their tattoos should go to certified clinics and hospitals.

"You may not know what risks you're taking because you can easily get infected by poorly sterilized equipment or have to pay an outrageous amount of money for a poor service," he said.

Lee's case, however, highlights only one of the problems faced by the tattoo industry.

Although the tattoo business keeps booming and has become very popular and fashionable for young people, few people realize that it is not a recognized industry.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (經濟部), tattoo shop owners are banned from applying for operating licenses because the service they provide "violates accepted social practices" and "does harm to human health."

The Cabinet's Department of Health (衛生署) also excludes the practice from its jurisdiction because it contends that tattooing is not considered a medical practice.

In other words, all of the tattoo parlors currently operating are doing so without any legal framework.

Chang Hui-hsiung (張輝雄), co-owner of Asia World Tattoo Inc (亞洲藝術紋身), said that legalization would bring uniformity to the industry.

"If it becomes legal, we will have rules to follow, and regulation usually brings quality," said Chang, who was tattooed on the back, chest and both arms while serving a prison sentence at the age of 19.

Although legalization would also mean paying taxes, Chang said that it would not make much difference to his shop, where gross monthly revenues reach between NT$100,000 and NT$200,000.