Tattoo lip liner turns green after cosmetic surgery

A Victorian woman is among thousands of Australians with an overseas cosmetic disaster story to share after her lip tattoo turned green in Tahiti. 

Karine Barry travelled to the South Pacific island to get a permanent tattoo on her lips because she believed Polynesians were the ‘best tattooists in the world’. 

But the 50-year-old said the procedure went horribly wrong and made her look ‘like a clown’. 

The tattooist mixed blue, green and pink, promising Ms Barry the ink would turn burgundy.

‘I don’t know how these things work, so I trusted him. When [the tattoo] came up completely green, I panicked,’ she told news.com.au. 

Three months later, the 50-year-old, who has been getting semi permanent tattoos for decades, still had a thin green line around her lips. 

‘It was very bright, so even with makeup and lipstick on top it was very bright. No matter what I was doing, it was there,’ Ms Barry said.

Three months later, the 50-year-old, who has been getting semi permanent tattoos for decades, still had a thin green line around her lips so went to a laser tattoo removal clinic

Fed up with her green lips, the Victorian woman went to a laser tattoo removal clinic where the colour faded in the first session. 

‘The first session was spectacular. The bottom was practically gone. I wanted to give them a hug I was so relieved,’ she said. 

Around $1,600 and four laser sessions later, just a few small needle marks from the tattoo gun is all that’s noticeable.  

Laser Dermatology Dr Philip Bekhor said he constantly had clients who were unhappy with their cosmetic tattoos and advised people to do their research before getting a procedure.     

Laser Dermatology Dr Philip Bekhor said he constantly had clients who were unhappy with their cosmetic tattoos (stock image)