IT was 10.30pm when a child - still in his school uniform - walked into the tattoo parlour asking to be served.

He was only 10.

Mr Richard Tat, 49, a partner at the Johnny Two Thumb Tattoo Studio in Far East Plaza, turned him away immediately.

Said Mr Tat: 'If a child turns up that late, still in his school uniform, asking for a tattoo, something must be seriously wrong.

'A child that age should be at home studying, not loitering in town getting tattoos.'

At Johnny Two Thumb, customers have to be at least 18. Two other tattoo parlours contacted by The New Paper also claimed they do not serve customers below 18. Another two said they do not tattoo customers below 16.

But there are others who will.

One 14-year-old, who asked to be called John, said he got tattoos done at a shop near City Hall.

The shop owner, who declined to be named, admitted he does not have any age restriction for customers who want tattoos. The shop often serves secondary school students.

But he claimed he could not remember a boy matching John's description and tattoo.

He said: 'We see groups of students in uniform at our shop so often, I don't know which boy you're referring to.'

He declined to comment further.

Some tattoo artists support the idea of legislation to require parental consent for minors seeking tattoos.

Said Mr William Yeo, in his 40s, who owns William Tattoo Studio: 'I got a call from an angry mother last week, demanding to know why I tattooed her 15-year-old son on his neck.

'She assumed I did it because she found my name card in his wallet.

'I told her that if it was really me, I would pay for the surgery to remove her son's tattoo.'

Mr Yeo said he does not serve anyone below 18.

He said: 'Getting a good tattoo costs money, and young people should be spending their time studying, not trying to get money for tattoos.

'A tattoo is permanent, and if a teenager gets one on impulse or because of peer pressure, he may regret it later on in life.'

Dermatologists say they have seen patients as young as 14 getting their tattoos removed because of parental objections.

Dr Low Chai Ling from the Sloane Clinic said she once saw a 14-year-old boy with a large dragon tattoo on his back, which he had got without his parents' consent.

She recalled: 'His parents were afraid that would be a symbol of his possible association with gangs and could affect his future job prospects.'

Most of her clients who wanted their tattoos removed were between 16 and 25 years old.

Dr Cheong Wai Kwong, from the Specialist Skin Clinic, said the patients he sees for tattoo removal are 'typically below the age of 30'.

His youngest patient, also a 14-year-old, got his tattoo without his parents' knowledge.

REMOVING MORE EXPENSIVE

Removing a tattoo can be more expensive than the tattoo itself.

Dr Cheong said it can cost $400 to $1,000, depending on the size of the tattoo.

And at least four to six treatments are needed for complete removal, he added.

Removing a tattoo also has its risks.

Dr Low said there can be infection, incomplete removal of pigment, or uneven colouring with the area of the tattoo ending up lighter than the surrounding skin.

Dr Ashraff S Eilyaas from Eden Medical Aesthetics said: 'Removing a tattoo is much more difficult, and so, a decision to place a tattoo must be made by a mature mind.

'There must be regulations as to who can or cannot get a tattoo done. Perhaps for a start, an age limit must be set.'

The top three reasons Dr Low sees for tattoo removal are parental pressure, societal pressure when starting a job, and relationship break-ups.

Exotic Tattoos at Far East Plaza gets an average of five enquiries from those below 18 every month, but the shop only tattoos those 18 and above.

Tattoo artist Sumithra Debi, 26, said: 'There is a need, not just for an age restriction, but also for stricter rules governing the entire industry.

'Right now, anyone can be a tattoo artist. Perhaps, every tattoo artist should be licensed to practise.'

The industry is not regulated by health authorities. There are no age restrictions. And a tattoo artist here does not need a licence.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) steps in only if it receives a complaint.

An MOH spokesman said: 'Tattooing is a common practice around the world. Clients of tattoo parlours willingly subject themselves to many procedures which are not medical procedures.

'However, MOH will investigate should there be evidence or personal complaints from clients that there is contravention of the laws under MOH by any specific operator.'