Tourists are travelling to Bali to get huge tattoos while under general anaesthesia, with some paying as much as £12,000 ($16,000) for the unusual service. The trend has raised concerns among medical experts, as some sessions last up to 20 hours with several tattoo artists working on one person at the same time.
Bali officials also raised questions about the practice and whether it follows local health rules. The growing trend has drawn attention after videos showed people lying unconscious in hospital rooms while artists covered large parts of their bodies with ink.
Inside The Tattoo Trend
The procedure allows tourists to get large tattoos without having to sit through hours of pain while artists work on their skin. Instead of booking several appointments over months or even years, clients can have much of the work completed in one or two sessions.
ANESTHESIA-ASSISTED FULL BODY TATTOO CRAZE INVESTIGATED IN BALI — Daily Mail
— RT (@RT_com) November 9, 2026
Tourists reportedly paying up to $16,000 to be knocked unconscious for 10–20 HOURS while multiple artists work on them at once
The trend has triggered HEALTH CONCERNS and an official investigation pic.twitter.com/D8bIFUnxsR
According to recent reports, these sessions can cost between £6,700 ($9,000) and £12,000 ($16,000), including hospital and tattoo fees. Some procedures take between 10 and 20 hours, with as many as nine tattoo artists working on different parts of the client's body at once.
The sessions are reportedly held inside licensed hospital operating rooms rather than regular tattoo shops. The process involves medical staff who put clients under general anaesthesia while the artists complete the planned designs.
Doctors Warn of Risks
However, the chance to avoid tattoo pain has raised concerns among medical experts in Australia. Australian Medical Association Western Australia president Kyle Hoath warned that general anaesthesia is a serious medical procedure that requires trained staff to keep patients safe while they are unconscious.
'We never take a general anaesthetic as a simple thing. This is quite a complicated part of the overall procedure and carries with it pretty extreme risks,' Hoath told reporters. He also warned that using anaesthesia for convenience adds risks to a procedure that can normally be done without it.
Hoath explained that general anaesthesia can carry a risk of death, just as it does during surgery. He questioned whether the medical teams, safety rules and equipment used for these procedures meet the required standards, especially when clients travel overseas for treatment.
Artists Question the Trend
Medical concerns are not the only issue surrounding the growing practice, as some tattoo artists have also questioned its value. Kian Forreal, a Sydney-based tattoo artist with 33 years of experience, told The Daily Mail he believes the risks are not worth avoiding the pain of a tattoo.
Forreal, who owns Authentink Studio and specialises in traditional Japanese tattoo art, also questioned the quality of designs made by several artists working at once. He told reporters that clients could end up with a mix of designs rather than one carefully planned piece of artwork.
The artist compared getting a tattoo under general anaesthesia to reaching the top of Mount Everest by helicopter instead of climbing the mountain. He argued that spending time in the chair and going through the long process are important parts of getting a large tattoo.
Despite the warnings, the trend continues to attract tourists who want large tattoos completed in less time. However, the concerns raised by doctors and local officials have put a spotlight on the medical checks, hospital standards, and risks involved in the practice.
