A highly-regarded laser technician has revealed the top five tattoos regretful Sydneysiders are rushing to have professionally lasered from their bodies.
Peter Poulos and his wife Alexandra are the co-owners of Disappear Ink, a laser removal clinic in Kogarah, in Sydney's southern suburbs.
Mr Poulos has met some colourful characters over the years and removed some interesting ink, including ex-partner's names, tribal designs and even swastikas from clients bodies.
Mr Poulus started the tattoo removal clinic when he and his wife both turned 50, after he left his corporate job and Alexandra was made redundant.
The couple had the idea to start the business after a trip to the United States in 2013, when tattoo removal was exploding across the country.
The technician estimated Australia would be two to three years behind the trend and decided to start researching the best procedures and equipment to start up shop in Sydney.
He purchased a laser the size of a top loading washing machine for a whopping $340,000 and opened up shop not knowing what to expect.
Eight years later, Mr Polous said a wide range of colourful characters have walked through his shop door, all with a story to tell.
In the last two years the technician has painstakingly removed more neck tattoos than in his entire career, describing the daring ink as 'the ultimate job-stopper'.
He explained people get tattoos on their face, neck or knuckles to look tough with some later experiencing a change of heart or perhaps landing a new role.
Mr Polous said he had noticed a shift in the way people view tattoos and said he thought there was a greater level of acceptance in the community nowadays.
'Every barista south of Cleveland street has a full sleeve and a top knot to go with it,' the technician said with a laugh.
He recalled only feeling scared of two clients who clinic, both of who he knew to be affiliated with bikie gangs in the area and were 'physically intimidating'.
'I'm not here to judge what they do,' Mr Poulos said, adding his 'grey hair' usually kept him out of trouble on the south Sydney streets.
'Our attitude is simple. We will respect you if you respect us. They pay the money and then they leave,' he explained.
As gang-related tattoos go, the laser technician said those jobs had slowed over the last 18 months due to pressures of the pandemic.
He said some got their tattoos removed because they no longer wanted to be affiliated with the gang, while others simply wanted fresh ink in its place.
A man belonging to the Aryan Brotherhood once visited the shop but on the pretence of getting a completely different tattoo removed.
Mr Poulos told another story of a man in his forties who had come into the clinic wanting eight swastikas removed from his body.
He came into the clinic hanging his head in shame, the technician said, but had an explanation for why he was covered the Nazi imagery.
He revealed he had lived in Israel when he was a teenager and had protested the Israeli occupation by throwing rocks at the guards, landing himself in jail.
Behind bars, the teen and his comrades would use a pin and cigarette ash to tattoo the swastikas into their skin in a surefire way to 'p*ss off' the guards.
When he walked through Peter's door he had at least eight of the symbols on his arms and legs, with the technician saying he 'appreciated' he was removing them.
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