Tattoos
Wednesday 4 June 2008
You have to be 18 to get a tattoo in the UK. If you’re 18 and have decided you definitely want one, what can you expect? If you’re under 18 there are also far less painful and less expensive, non permanent options.
History
Tattooing has existed in various forms since 12,000BC, taking on different social and cultural meanings throughout time. Romans used tattoos to mark slaves and criminals. In ancient Polynesia it was a way to show you belonged to a specific family or tribe. Today, tattooing is mainly seen as a form of self-expression.
Facts about permanent tattoos
- If you're under 18 it's illegal to get a tattoo.
- A tattoo is a permanent design using coloured ink pigment punctured deep into the skin
- It can be very painful
- Tattooists have strict hygienic conditions including using new needles to avoid the risk of disease
- Small tattoos will start anywhere from £80 upwards
- Removing permanent tattoos involves expensive ultrasound treatment that can damage tissue or cause scars
Big decision
Taking the decision to have a tattoo is pretty much a permanent one and needs to be considered properly. Getting a non-permanent tattoo might be the first step, allowing you to see what it feels like to have one.
If you are all set to get one make sure you research the artist and salon very carefully, ensuring that they are not only hygienic but that the artist has the skills to do the work you want.
Think very carefully about what you want and where – remember this is probably for the rest of your life! Are you going to find yourself pulling down your shirt sleeves at job interviews or not being able to wear dresses for work meetings in the summer?
Semi permanent tattoo
Some salons offer what they call temporary tattoos which takes 2-7 years to fade. Don’t fall for this! If the ink in a tattoo doesn’t go beyond the top layer of cells in the skin it won’t last at all, and if it does then it’s likely to be permanent. Most tattoo studios won’t offer this service.
Henna tattoos
One of the most popular forms of non permanent tattoos are henna tattoos. Henna can also be used to dye hair and is pretty harmless - it’s unusual to have an allergic reaction to brown henna.
However, there is also something called black henna, which people can have a bad allergic reaction to.
Transfers
Another type of temporary tattoo is a transfer which is just like a sticker that you apply to the skin with a paper towel and hot water, which can last about a week. The cheaper tattoos may not always come off their backing as they are supposed to, creating missing places in the picture. But there are many quality tattoos that are worth the effort. Sometimes the removal can be a bit tricky as well, requiring a bit of baby oil applied to the area and some gentle scrubbing.
Airbrushing
This is when the artist uses your body as a canvas and produces a design with an airbrush either freehand or using a stencil. It uses inks but because they sit on the skin’s surface (rather than being injected into the skin like in a permanent tattoo) they last just around four to six days. They’re water resistant but the amount of time they last depends on the inks used. If you’re really not keen, at least you know you stand a fair chance of scrubbing it off with soap.
Temporary body painting
If you’ve ever been to a festival or crafts fair you may have come across artist painting on people’s faces and bodies. You can end up with a beautiful and unusual work of art on your body but unfortunately it will only last until you next wash.
