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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Tory Shepherd

Getting a terrible tattoo when you’re young feels like a life lesson – yet so many people still crave more

Australia
Tattooist Aleisha Michael in her charity studio, Pink Lotus Australia
Tattooist Aleisha Michael in her studio, Pink Lotus Australia, which provides low-cost or fully subsidised restorative tattooing services for those who cannot afford the treatment. Photograph: Sia Duff/The Guardian

My first tattoo was a 21st birthday present to myself, and I couldn’t tell you what it was.

I was backpacking up the east coast of Australia and heard about a Sydney artist who would take a tab of acid, chat to you for a bit, then draw something he thought captured your aura.

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