Why Do People Go Back for More and More Tattoos?

Why do people go back for more and more tattoos?

Over the past decade, the tattoo industry has gone through tremendous changes. A few decades ago, you would merely find ink on prison inmates, gang members, sailors and the military etc. In other words, those who chose to be tattooed were generally from the lower class. Nowadays, on the other hand, tattoos are on nearly everyone. With lightning speed, we have seen an emblem that was once considered as socially tabooed evolve into a major aspect of popular culture. How come it underwent such a rapid rise to the top? And why do people get more and more tattoos?

According to the article “Why do people go back for more and more tattoos” published on BBC news magazine on the 1st of October 2013 by Jon Kelly, one in five US adults say they have a tattoo. On top of this, Kelly narrates that these days even English personalities such as David Beckham, Cheryl Cole and not least the former prime minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron are tattoo bearers. As a matter of fact, the tattoo industry has become such a massive success that TV shows based on the tattoo industry are springing up on major networks. Take, for instance the series “My Tattoo Addiction”, which focused on individuals covered with extensive arrays of ink. Increasingly bearers are no longer content to settle for a single tattoo. Some people, such as Beckham, who has no fewer than 34 tattoos or Cole, who has a bunch of roses inked seem to just have fallen in love with the art. In addition to this, psychologist Viren Swami of Westminster University argues that "It seems to be predominantly about the idea that you feel unique as an individual.” (p. 5, l. 1). Others even compare getting tattoos to a rite of passage such as running a marathon, seeing that tattoos not only are a controllable stigma, they also represent a choice made by the tattooed person rather than an unavoidable, inherited attribute. Furthermore, once you have gotten inked, you are already aware the pain, and what you can stand. Therefore, some tattoo bearers indeed find the needlework satisfying, when they go back for more and more tattoos.

You can say anything you want with a tattoo, and sometimes it has a hidden meaning. A bunch of roses, such as those Cole has, most likely symbolize beauty, devotion and balance, but in her case, it may also signify a national feeling hence roses are England’s national flower. To put it differently, tattoos are a great way to display your individuality without having to say a word. They say some-thing about the bearer and work as an artistic extension of the self, as they, in the same way as art, make a statement and can have multiple meanings that can be open to the viewer’s interpretation. Although tattoos have become quite popular, being tattooed may limit your career path. As stated by Kelly “A recent report by the British Sociological Association found that tattoos may be a hindrance to getting a job because of employers’ prejudices” (p. 6, ll. 12-13). Apparently, some employers still consider the body art offensive, which unfortunately means that chances are likely that for instance a white-collar office job will not hire someone with visible hand and face tattoos, even if the person is qualified. Perhaps some people still associate such emblems with the lower class.                                                                          While you might not get that job on Wall Street, the tattoo community still has some alternatives to explore. Whether it is going to conventions such as the London International Tattoo Convention or getting involved in other tattoo friendly platforms, there is a community that supports one another in times when mainstream society will not. Tattoos may now and then be a hindrance to getting certain jobs, but on the other hand tattoos can open doors to a whole new community. Besides, if you are the kind of person who shies away from initiating small-talk, tattoos can spark up a conversation, give voice to your personality, and perhaps even make you feel confident in your own skin. Two people having ink, or just meeting someone who is interested in tattoos, is a great way to simply start a conversation since they have an interest in common. On the other hand, there is nothing more vexing when the sight of your tattoo/tattoos makes people lose all social graces and pick you apart. Having tattoos put you on display, and out of curiosity people cannot help but ask you about your ink. As mentioned above, it has upsides as well as downsides.                                     While some people consider their body as a blank canvas and therefore feel like having tattoos as decoration, other people uses them to hide for instance pigmentation disorders. As an example of this, Kelly tells that “Stuart Ross, 48, suffers from vitiligo, which leaves much of his skin covered in white blotches. To conceal this, most of his upper body below the neckline - including the armpits - is covered with tattoos.” (p. 5, ll. 10-12). Otherwise stated, instead of letting your body flaws affect your self-perception negatively, tattoos can turn your skin into a work of custom art. Nevertheless, there are a lot of health risks associated with tattooing as for example “(…) hepatitis b, hepatitis c, itching, swelling, redness, tissue injury, keloids and HIV.” (1:23-1:33). Moreover “you can have some difficulties with MRI scanning due to some tattoos inks containing metal.” (1:36-1:42). Furthermore, our bodies wrinkle and sag as we get older, which means our tattoos most likely will do the same.