Skin Tattooing: Style or Craze?

Skin tattooing is an incision process, in which pigments are inserted into the skin dermis. Skin tattoos are usually permanent with different artistic engravings. This fashion art is appealing to some people, while to some it is considered disgusting.

There are traditional and modern ways of skin tattooing. The latter involves rubbing in the pigment into cuts, while the former involves the use of a machine with needles in it, to inscribe or draw.

One will wonder if the skin tattoo trend started in this modern age or was there an archaic trend? And perhaps, is skin tattooing a style or pure craziness? Let’s delve into it to find out. Shall we?

Table of Contents

Origin of Skin Tattooing

According to archaeological findings, tattooing of skin is a style that dates back to the Neolithic era. The evidence of tattoos found on a skin preserved from 3300 BC in 1991 proved that skin tattooing has been in existence for quite some time. Other mummified excavations with evidence of skin tattoos were found in Egypt, Alaska, Sudan, Siberia, China, Philippines, etc.

The practice of tattooing in ancient Taiwan and China (Austronesian Culture) involves the use of a traditional mallet, bowl of ink, needle like bone, oyster shells, etc, where the sharp bone is strapped at the tip of the mallet and brushed into the ink before making the artistic inscriptions or drawings.

Those days, to them, skin tattooing was more of a cultural identification, expression of ideas, family or societal connectivity, beautification, ceremonial activities, slave identification, etc.

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Is There a Health Risk in Skin Tattooing?

Studies have shown that the introduction of pigments that are exogenous directly into the dermis and the sharp pain from the machine and needles could cause skin trauma like psoriasis. This disease is a chronic skin condition that causes rash and itchy patches mostly on the scalp, elbow, knee and trunk.

In other cases, it might be an autoimmune skin disease which takes longer time to heal and might require immunosuppressive medications to lower its effect. Moreover, there is a risk of contracting infections, allergic reactions and a 21% probability of developing skin cancer (lymphoma) than those who don’t indulge in skin tattooing.

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Advantages of Skin Tattooing

It shows self-expression and emotional ties

In today’s world that encourages individual rights to express themselves, many people have tilted to express themselves through an art which speaks for them or expresses solidarity for someone else. For example, a lady who felt bad when she lost her sister in a car accident thought the only way to express her love for her sister was to have her face drawn on her body.

Health benefits

Many might wonder how tattooing can be beneficial to one’s health. However, as this might sound unbelievable, there are a few health benefits of skin tattoos. Studies have shown that tattooing the skin can induce an immune response, thereby boosting the immunity of the body system. It somehow puts the antibodies-fighting agent in the body on alert, making it ever ready to fight any external alteration.

To hide scars

Truth be told, there are times you would wish some scars could just disappear. In this case, the idea of getting a skin tattoo to cover up those scars and irritating stretch marks will definitely come in handy.

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Disadvantages of Skin Tattooing

Health implications

Tattoo vendors who are not experienced can endanger the lives of customers who know little or nothing about the necessary process of getting a tattoo inscribed. Unsterilized needles, unkempt equipment and the environment can contribute to contracting diseases.

Non acceptance in the corporate world

There is a saying that, “You will be addressed the way you are dressed.” Individuals with skin tattoos, especially those with conspicuous tattoos, might find it difficult to secure a job or settle in the corporate environment.

Skin tattoo is sometimes believed to be very informal in its appearance and cannot fit in the formal community of a corporate white collar job.

The permanent attribute of it

This is an aspect of getting a skin tattoo that poses issues in the long run. Humans are susceptible to change and not being able to clean off or change to a new one could result in regrets and possibly depression.

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Skin Tattooing: Style or Craze?

Skin tattoo trends have evolved over time from just being majorly cultural value to becoming more of a cosmological practice. To ascertain whether skin tattooing is a style or craze trend, we’ve examined some of its advantages and disadvantages.

To some individuals, skin tattooing is nothing more than a show of mental imbalance. They see no reason the skin should be modified under the guise of fashion, trends or style. They believed that the expression of art should be carried out without altering the God’s given look or appearance.

On the other hand, there are individuals who believe skin tattooing is only an act of not just self-expressing but also blending with the global trend and acceptability.

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Conclusion

In the world of fashion, entertainment and art, skin tattooing is a trend. Hardly will you see an entertainer, either in the music or movie industry without a skin tattoo. Tattooing is regarded as part of the vibe they are sending out.

Skin tattooing has its roots since thousands of years ago which means it is not a recent phenomenon. Moreover, it is advisable not to over flaunt it, because the world is not the same as it was some centuries ago, where cultural values were upheld to the teeth.

The world is now in an age of heightened technology. Thus, excessive skin tattoos will be considered inappropriate by most views of individuals in the society.