Tattoo Me, Mark Me, Brand Me

Cafe Beat
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Tattoo Me, Mark Me, Brand Me
“Women have a higher threshold for pain. It’s generally men who scream while getting tattooed.”

Want to profess undying love for your partner? Or want to make a style statement, which will last you a lifetime? Then get yourself marked for life – get yourself a tattoo.
Tattoos have steadily gained popularity in the last decade – a trend that shows little sign of slowing down. They come in all shapes and sizes, and you can emblazon them anywhere on your body.
Let’s look at the origins and meaning of this incredible painful yet popular art-form. The practice of tattooing means different things in different cultures. Sailors travelling to exotic foreign lands began to collect tattoos as souvenirs of their journeys (a dragon showed that the seaman had served on a China station), and tattoo parlours sprang up in port cities around the globe.
So what about regular people like you and me? What is it we’re trying to mark on our bodies and what is the message? Arpita, a client-servicing manager at O&M in Mumbai gifted herself a tattoo when she turned 30. “I had always wanted a tattoo, and would envy my friends who flashed them at parties. I‘d even thought of the design – an angel. But there was always social pressure and the taboo which is associated with tattoos in our culture.” But her urges got the better of her detractors. And the experience? “Not at all painful, just a slight tingling sensation. It’s been six months now, and I plan to get another tattoo on my shoulder. It will probably be a psychedelic design this time.”
There seems to be another motive behind the tattoo: a primitive, profound and inexplicable fascination with the process of puncturing the skin, letting blood, and consenting to change the body for life. Many people have tried to figure it out, but it remains a mystery; something intuitive that defies rationale.

The Tattoo Addition
Tattooing can be addictive. And most people who have been under the needle once, keep going back for more. Anisha, a die-hard rock fan, has three tattoos. “I was known as Kid Rock in college because I loved music. Floyd was the defining factor in my life back then.. I have a plan for my back. The Division Bell on my shoulder is just the beginning…” So then why a tattoo on the arm? “I always wanted a tattoo here. So I got a marijuana leaf etched when I went to Bali. And the exclamation mark on my neck - that defines my attitude – exclaiming at life.” Each of her tattoos have been etched in different parts of the world, by different artists. And Anisha is not yet content. “I will be getting my next tattoo on my back in Manila, after I get my pay check,” she beamed.
Most people sport tattoos to make style statements that express themselves and their personalities. Deciding which part of your body to tattoo is very important for a few reasons. Your main concern should be aesthetics, meaning the way it looks on your body. There are so many styles of tattoos possible. It may be one of the most versatile mediums behind digital art. You can make a tattoo look like a watercolour painting, a piece of metal, an open wound, or anything else you come up with. But the greatness of the tattoo is limited by the technical skill and creativity of the tattoo artist.
Kasmin, a 23-year old journalist, got her tattoo on her upper arm – a very macho place for a girl. “I went to the tattoo artist and he showed me his portfolio. The design I saw had some Chinese symbolism, but even he did not know what it meant.” The design was so intricate that the artist offered her to do it in two sessions, first to outline and then the filling. But Kasmin was too excited to wait till the following weekend. “It wasn’t painful at all. It felt like red ants on my skin. So I didn’t mind the five-hour session. But the artist was tired.” It’s painful wield a tattoo needle up and down at a rate of several hundred vibrations per minute for five hours straight!

Is it painful?
Being snapped by a rubber band, a slight tickling, a bee sting, a sunburn, being pinched, pins-and-needles, like when your foot’s asleep, numb, pinpricks, tingling, like a drill going into your skin, uncomfortable - all of these phrases have been used to describe what it feels like to get tattooed.
Your personal tolerance for pain, the size and type of your tattoo and the skill of the artist help determine the amount of pain involved. If you have difficulty with an injection at the doctor’s office or if the sight of blood makes you queasy, you might want to think twice before visiting the tattoo parlour.
Kasmin’s tattoo artist admitted, “Women have a higher threshold for pain. It’s generally men who scream while getting tattooed.”
Pain also depends on the location of your tattoo. The lower back and ankle are popular places for tattoos, but it’s much less painful to get one on your chest or upper arm. That’s because the skin right above your bones tends to be more sensitive to needles, while there’s extra body mass in the upper arm or chest to cushion the bones.
Before you make a decision to get a tattoo, do yourself a favour and read about possible health issues associated with the practice. A tattoo is pretty much a medical procedure, as it involves contact with blood, contaminated needles, and other medical waste. Every tattoo shop should be as clean and professional as a doctor’s office.
Since the needles used in tattooing are solid (not hollow like a syringe), and HIV doesn’t live outside the body for very long, transmission is unlikely. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, there has not been a single documented case of AIDS transmission from a tattoo. Infections can occur if proper care isn’t taken after the tattooing session; allergic reactions to pigments are also a risk.
Unlike the US, there are no laws which have been created for tattoo parlours in India. So you will need to do use your discretion in choosing the right parlour to get yourself a tattoo.

Are you really, truly sure you want a tattoo?
After you’ve explored the tattoo process and learned about all the health/ safety considerations, here are several more points to consider:
- A tattoo is permanent. What’s cool at 18 might not be very appealing on a 40-year-old you!
- Tattoo removal is considerably more painful and expensive than tattooing. The process usually takes several sessions and offers varying results. Doctors say tattoos can be lightened but not always completely removed.

After Tattoo Care
Taking care of a new tattoo can prevent health problems and also ensure that the quality of the image is protected. A tattoo takes about two weeks to heal completely. During the healing process, it’s important to take good care of your tattoo. Make sure the area is clean and dry.

I’ve changed my mind!
How do you remove a tattoo?
- Laser treatment is one of the most common methods. Different wavelengths of light are used for different pigments. The laser beam passes through the skin and is absorbed by the ink.
- The excision method is useful when the tattooed area is comparatively small. This helps in the complete removal of tattoos.
- Dermabrasion involves spraying a small portion of the tattooed part with a solution that freezes the area. An abrasive instrument used to peel off the skin, followed by dressing the area to stop the bleeding that may occur.
Whatever the cons maybe, they seem to be outweighed by the pros. And more and more youngsters want to get themselves tattooed.

Temporary Tattoos
Not ready for the real thing? A temporary tattoo may be a good choice and they’re a fun, pain-free way to enjoy tattoos and the culture without permanent side affects. Stick-ons, rub-ons, and painted-on tattoos are fun. Or you could try one of the massively popular henna tattoos that Madonna and other stars have made popular. They offer the coolness of a tattoo without the pain, risk and expense.
And they also answer the million-dollar question: what do you do when you don’t want to have that tattoo 10 years later?

The Tattoo as Make Up
Want to look as good the morning after as the night before? Permanent tattoos to highlight eyebrows, line the eyes or even a mole above the lip are very doable. Many women do this to avoid the hassle of putting on makeup each day.
Look around to see if the studio is clean and professional. That says a lot!
Ask questions: Is the equipment sterilised? Are the needles and other materials single-use? Are gloves being worn? (Professional tattoo artists won’t mind these questions.)
Play watchdog with the tattoo artist to be sure safety measures are being followed while he’s applying your tattoo.
Make sure all needles are opened in front of you.
To be doubly sure, you may want to watch your tattoo artist work on someone at his studio so you know how the entire procedure works out (including the procedure, cleanliness, pain etc).

Tattoo Parlours
Mumbai
Scissors Over Comb, Samudra Mahal, Worli Ph: 2496-6118
Funky Monkey Tattoo and Design Studio, Bandra
Ekta & Usha Shah Ph: 2369-2976, 2368-0619.
Samir Patange Ph: 2207-2622, 98203-42044

Bangalore
Body Craft Ph: 98450-17920, 2551-0209
Graffiti Inc Ph: 98440-20643, 2212-5178/9
Bodycraft, Frazer Town Ph: 2551-4596/3661

Chennai
The Rock, Egmore Ph: 2821-3197