From £193,000 in ink to laser-off dreams: Amber Luke’s plan to erase 36 facial tattoos by 2027
Amber Luke is 30 and lives in Brisbane. She has spent around £193,500 on tattoos since she first walked into a studio at age 16, and now ink covers roughly 98% of her skin. Her appearance propelled her to online fame as 'Australia’s most tattooed woman.' Now, she’s choosing a new path: laser treatment to remove 36 tattoos from her face by 2027.
In This Article:
A decade of ink: 98% of Amber Luke’s skin is tattooed; 36 face tattoos
Since she started tattooing at 16 in Brisbane, the total outlay has climbed to about £193,500. Her distinctive look earned her online fame and the title she’s known for. But she hasn’t seen her face free of ink for ten years.
Why now? 'I wanted to hide my face' and the journey to self-love
“I was 20 when I wanted to hide my face,” Amber says. “I truly didn’t see my natural beauty. I was a broken, lost soul.” As she’s grown older, she’s become more resilient and now feels able to see her beauty—this is self‑evolution. She adds, “I have started to truly love myself and appreciate the way I look.” She emphasizes that she will never regret the tattoos; they served a purpose and arrived at the right time in life. Still, it’s been ten years since she last saw her face, and she’s excited to reunite with it.
The removal road: gnarly, expensive, and technically tricky
Laser removal can range from £30 to over £200 per session, with up to eight sessions typical. Amber’s treatment is sponsored by Xanadu Laser Therapies in Springwood, Brisbane, as she’s an ambassador for the brand. She describes the process as “gnarly,” noting she does not use numbing cream; the laser on the thin skin of the face burns and stings, and the face can be distorted and swollen for up to four days. In addition to tattoos, she has eight dermal piercings in her face, some of which will require surgical removal before finishing the facial tattoos, because metal can absorb laser energy and burn surrounding skin or scatter the laser.
Beyond the face: future ink and a stance against judgment
Amber also has other body modifications—blue eyeballs that left her blind for three weeks, horns, and a split tongue. She will need to have the eight dermal piercings removed before finishing the removal of the face tattoos. She says the decision is for herself, not to escape judgment, remarking that she feels society has a veil over its eyes—a judgment veil. She plans new tattoos on her left hand and shows no sign of stopping her ink spending. If you have a story to share, get in touch with Metro Lifestyle.
