Temporary Tattoo Is Hot

I am visiting my sister and as I walk in her sons are running to the shops to by “tattoo”. They are back in about 6 minutes and what they have is fists of lollipops. They offer me some and offer their mother some as well. “I heard you mention “tattoo”, I say to the older one, yes, this is tattoo. I am intrigued. They explain that the wrappings come with a tattoo picture that they press onto their bodies and it lasts up to 24 hours before wearing off. This is when I realize that this tattoo frenzy is not near going anywhere away soon, hence the quest to find out more about “tattoo” and this recount here below.

Tattoos are a 21st-century industry, a fashion statement, and a fad. Surprisingly, women in their 50s and 60s in western cultures can be seen wearing big ink on their shoulders or chests or ankles. …embarrassing…?! Am not sure but it make me feel what I feel when I see such women in tube tops – its strange. This is something they are going to wear to the grave.

Tattoos are markings made by inserting indelible ink into the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are of decorative visual alterations and variations. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world. Tattooing in the today has its origins in Polynesia, and in the discovery of tatau by eighteenth century explorers. The Polynesian practice became popular among European sailors, before spreading to Western societies.

Tattoos symbolize rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. Extensive decorative tattooing is common among members of common interests, by performance artists who follow in their tradition.

People have also been forcibly tattooed. A well known example is the Jewish community who suffered forced tattooing as identification features during the Holocaust. When used as cosmetics, tattooing includes permanent makeup and hiding or neutralizing skin discolorations. Tattoos can be used to permanently enhance eyebrows, lips, eyes and even scars, usually with natural colors and the designs are intended to resemble makeup.

Tattoos are resurgent in popularity in many parts of the world, particularly in North and South America, Japan, and Europe. The growth in tattoo culture has seen an influx of new artists into the industry, many of whom have technical and fine arts training. Coupled with advancements in tattoo pigments and the ongoing refinement of the equipment used for tattooing, this has led to an improvement in the quality of tattoos. During the first decade of the 21st century, the presence of tattoos became evident within pop culture.

Within some traditional indigenous cultures, tattooing takes place within the context of a rite of passage between adolescence and adulthood. Research shows that communities of the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (25%) and people living in the West (20%) have tattoos. Among age groups, 9% of ages 18–24, 32% of 25-29, 25% of 30-39 and 12% of those 40-49 have tattoos, as do 8% of the 50-64. Men are slightly more likely to have a tattoo than women.

Contemporary art exhibitions and visual art institutions have featured tattoos as art through such means as displaying tattoo flash, examining the works of tattoo artists, or otherwise incorporating examples of body art into mainstream exhibits. Modern tattooing inks are carbon based pigments that have uses outside of commercial tattoo applications.

Prices for this service vary widely globally and locally, depending on the complexity of the tattoo, the skill and expertise of the artist, the attitude of the customer, the costs of running a business, the economics of supply and demand, etc. The time it takes to get a tattoo is in proportion with its size and complexity. Professional tattooists rely primarily on the same pigment base found in cosmetics.

Temporary tattoos are popular with models and children as they involve no permanent alteration of the skin but produce a similar appearance that can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. The most common style is a type of body sticker which is typically transferred to the skin using water. Although the design is waterproof, it can be removed easily with oil-based creams. Originally inserted as a prize in chewing gum packages, they consisted of a poor quality ink transfer that would easily come off with water or rubbing. Today's vegetable dye temporaries can look extremely realistic and adhere up to 3 weeks before disappearing.

Tattoos have transcended the alternative, and become “mainstream”. People are becoming more aware of tattoos' early times relevance in different cultures. I am following tattoo trends closely and today my Google search for the word “tattooing” only pulled up 217000 results. Why? …Why? Why? Why? …Is it me, is it Google or my subject is not as popular as I had thought? If you are like me and want to come with me on this journey catch me here at TattooMuse blogging away.