Home artists were not always untrustworthy but they often needed more training.
"The person doesn't know what they are doing so they are overworking the needle and chewing up the skin and they are not giving enough information about aftercare and hygiene."
She said the worst case she had seen was a young woman who had not been told how to care for her fresh tattoo, resulting in infection.
"Her tattoo was all scabbed and was completely coming off. I felt so sorry for her."
Skin art enthusiasts hoping to save a buck cost the public thousands each year in claims for botched tattoos.
ACC received 304 claims relating to tattoos across the country in 2013 at a cost of almost $46,000.
The most common injuries were lacerations, punctures or stings and most people listed "home" as the accident scene on their claim form.
The amount claimed by an individual varied depending on the severity of their injury, said ACC media advisor Suzanne Muth.
"It depends on how much medical treatment they need to receive. If one person had a really bad reaction it could mean a lot of trips to the doctor for check ups," she said.
Ms Muth said people could not use ACC to have an unsightly tattoo covered.
"The claim has to be for an injury."
People in need of tattoo removal to re-enter the work force could claim up to $1500 a year through Work and Income's Transition to Work scheme.
A Work and Income spokesman said only a few people used the scheme for tattoo removal.
"Those who access this support do so to try to turn their lives around, and find that having a visible tattoo is preventing them from getting a job."
