The culture of tattoos: permanently marking the skin
By Lindsey Rivait
Editor at Large
August 29, 2007
 When you see someone with tattoos all over their arms, what do you think? What about a butterfly tattoo on a girl’s back? Tattoos are not limited to criminals and gang members anymore—a very diverse group of people get tattoos nowadays. You probably have one or have thought about getting one yourself. In fact, more than 10 million Americans have at least one tattoo. In today’s ever-changing fashion world, why would anyone permanently mark their skin? And why would anyone put themselves through unnecessary pain? The process of inking and getting tattoos is a complicated one that reaches back in time and stretches through many cultures.
Tattoo Technology
Tattoos are a part of every culture, whether for spiritual, personal or decorative purposes. Thanks to the remains of Ötzi the Iceman who had 57 tattoos, some for possible medical reasons such as the treatment of arthritis, we know that tattoos have been around since at least 3300 B.C. Technology, of course, has changed considerably since then. Now tattoo artists inject ink into the skin, creating a design using electrically powered tattoo guns and a foot pedal to control the movement of the needle.
If needles make you make you nervous, henna tattoos, which are popular in India, involve applying natural henna paste to the skin as opposed to ink being applied under the skin with needles, and only last for two to three weeks.
Still having problems committing? Freedom-2, a company based in New York City, has discovered a method of producing non-permanent tattoos. Their pigments consist of cosmetic-grade iron oxide and are trapped inside clear plastic beads. The beads are mixed with a solution that tattoo artists use the same way they would use regular ink. Freedom-2 tattoos are removed with lasers in a single pass, which bursts open the beads. The dye is then absorbed and removed by the body’s immune system.
Why get a tattoo?
 Lisa Baillargeon, who has been working at Minds Eye Tattoo and Body Piercing Clinic for seven years and tattooing there for five, sees a diverse crowd coming in for tattoos. “Everybody comes in, especially the people you wouldn’t expect. We get a lot of women between the ages of 35 and 50 in here getting their first tattoos. We get a lot of young people. Parents bring in their kids. They’re starting to get them at 15 now,” she says.
The tattoos people get are as unique as the people themselves and as unique as their reasons for getting tattooed. An individual may get a tattoo of a butterfly to symbolize a lost child who has flown away, or one may get a tattoo of a lizard just because they thought it was cute at the time. Many people get tattoos to confront and deal with emotional suffering. There are many memorial tattoos out there honouring lost loved ones. In the Middle East, for example, people used to cut themselves and rub ash into the wounds to show mourning when a loved one died.
Many people honour their living loved ones as well. “A lot of people get stuff for their kids, too,” says Baillargeon. “A lot of moms get their kids’ birthstones and names. Dads will often get armbands with their kids’ names wrapped around it,” she explains.
Does it hurt?
The first question a person with no tattoos will ask someone who has tattoos is along the lines of, “Did it hurt?” Minds Eye piercer Megan Smith says that a recent customer described the process very well. “She said it was like when you’re a kid and you’re running through a forest and all those little branches keep scratching you but you still keep running,” she explains.
We belong to a culture that does not like pain. Just about any ailment is treated with a barrage of painkillers. To willingly allow someone to inflict pain upon your own flesh sounds absurd to some. While sometimes very painful and other times mildly annoying, the pain associated with tattoos culminates in a beautiful piece of artwork in the end. “Sometimes at the end of a tattoo, they’ll start crying because they’re so happy with it,” says Baillargeon.
Issues of permanence
 >Tattoos have certain stigmas attached to them. Many people look down their noses at tattoos and wonder why someone would get permanent markings on their flesh or why they would willingly sit through the pain.
“A woman once asked me what I was going to do when I was 80. Obviously I’ve thought about that. I know they’re not going anywhere. I know I’m going to be old one day. I’m not worried about it,” asserts Baillargeon.
Some people also hold the false assumption that all tattoos are in poor taste. “Most people know that they’re not going to get a tattoo of something completely vulgar,” says Baillargeon. “We had a phone call once and the guy said, ‘I want to get a swastika.’ I told him no. He probably called 10 other shops and his buddy in the basement will probably do it for him. Any professional studio would say no. No one really wants anything offensive.” Baillargeon sees more butterflies, lower back tribal designs, and a ton of stars at Minds Eye.
Miami Ink
 Furthering the popularity of tattoos is the TLC program Miami Ink, which shows a diverse group of people getting tattoos every week. The show helps to reverse the stigma of tattoos and move people to be more accepting of them through popular culture.
“It’s hard to say whether tattoos are becoming more accepted because there’s more of them or if there’s more of them because they’re more accepted,” says Baillargeon, who cites Miami Ink as one of the reasons why some people are more interested in tattoos. “It’s kind of in your face now,” she says. “People who thought they would never get a tattoo watch the show, see something and think, ‘Wow, I thought all you could get was Bugs Bunny or an eagle.’ Now you’re seeing all this beautiful and intricate artwork.” The artwork and stories featured on Miami Ink often inspire others to get their own personal tattoos.
Risks
 Tattoos are not all fun and games, though. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Many colours used in tattoo inks are not approved by the FDA to be used on the skin. Some of these colours are meant for printing or painting cars.”
Problems with inks do not stop there. Although rare, individuals may sometimes be allergic to the inks used in tattoos. Baillargeon has only seen one allergic reaction in her seven years. “The chances of an allergy are slim to none,” she explains. The tattoo in question needed a bit of recolouring after about a year to return it to normal.
Additionally, doctors have reported that the metallic pigments used in some tattoo inks can interfere with MRI machines. Patients in MRI machines have reported pain or burning sensations because of this as well.
Overall, choosing a proper place to get your tattoo done at is crucial. Getting tattooed by a friend of a friend is not the smartest idea. “Basement tattoos speak for themselves,” says Baillargeon. “If you’re such a great tattoo artist, why wouldn’t you get yourself a shop? If people want to get tattooed by you, they’re giving you lots of money so you would be able to afford it. So you basically know right there that it’s not going to be a good job,” warns Baillargeon. Also, Sterilization equipment is extremely expensive, so the level of cleanliness will never be up to the standards of what you get in a shop. The Health Board has no way of checking up on these homemade tattoo establishments.
Regrets
 According to the American Society of Dermatological surgery, over 50% of everyone who has a tattoo wants it removed. Tattoos are permanent, however, so removal is difficult and often impossible. Lasers are the most popular method of tattoo removal. In the late 1980s, tattooed individuals with terrible markings were not so lucky. Patients would have to endure dermabrasion (the skin is sanded down, removing the first and middle layers), cryosurgery (the area is frozen prior to its removal), or excision (using a scalpel, the surgeon removes the tattoo and stitches the wound closed, larger tattoos require a skin graft).
In some cases, it is possible for an unwanted tattoo to be covered up with a more flattering tattoo. Baillargeon sees a lot of people coming in for cover-ups. “You’d be surprised at how many people still get names,” says Baillargeon. “We cover up a lot of those, a lot of basement tattoos, and a lot of cartoon characters.”
Putting a great deal of thought into your tattoo design is important. Realize that the tattoo will be with you forever, so think twice before you get your boyfriend of two month’s name inked onto your chest. After all, there’s only so much a tattoo artist can do in terms of cover-up.
For more information
Visit Minds Eye on the web: http://www.mindseyetattoo.com. If you’re interested in the latest news about non-permanent tattoos, check out Freedom-2 at http://www.freedom2ink.com.
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