Tattoos: Are They Worth It?

Tattoos are very popular in today's society; they are a very growing form of body modification. Many people plan extensively to get tattoos and others choose to do so on the spur of the moment! Getting a tattoo is often used to express one's uniqueness. Even though tattoos might be a form of expression, one does not need to put ink on his or her body for self expression.

The reason why people get tattoos may vary for each person. Some people might be influenced by their peers to get tattoos. Most people might choose to get a tattoo to show their love of their favorite sports team, activity, or even an animal. There are some people that like to get their loved ones names so that they always have them with them. Others like to get tattoos to show their strength in something difficult or a tragic event that they might have survived. However, often people get tattoos for spiritual meanings, such as their faith in their religion or a symbol of their culture.

Americans have different beliefs and choose to show symbols of those beliefs. Millions of styles of tattoos are available from which one can choose, choice is a personal preference. An example is that flowers are a popular design that is chosen, and some having a symbolic meaning. For an example, according to the Internet Florist (www.iflorist.com, p.1, 2010) a five- leafed clover is a symbol of bad luck. Now if a person chooses to gets a tattoo of a five leafed clover, does that really indicate that they will have forever bad luck? No, not necessarily. Each individual might choose a flower design for his or her own personal meaning. Another example is an "In Loving Memory of ......" tattoo. This is often done, to have a remembrance of loved one or a pet that has passed away. Some that are in a serious relationship might want a heart with their significant other's name and their anniversary date.

Religious symbols are often done in different cultures to represent being a part of that culture, such as Indian tribes. Some religious symbols that are often done are to symbolize are Christian & Jewish Faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Wicca & Pagan. An example of a religious symbol is the Star of David, which is often done to represent the Jewish Faith. According to Sutton, the Star of David means: "Some view the two opposing triangles politically: representing the unceasing conflict within and surrounding the Jewish nation. Others perceive it to represent the sacred union of opposite energies or Yin Yang." (Sutton, 2010) Tattoos are used to symbolize so many things. All tattoos have stories, and meanings behind them, and sometimes we will never know the real meaning as to why people choose the tattoos that they get.

Tattoos are designed and put on anywhere of the body. There are various body parts they one may choose to get their tattoo on. Some often get a full body artwork, and others may choose to get an artwork that covers their whole arm or even back. Most tattoos that are bigger and more detailed require more time to design, and might even require more than one visit. However, the most common areas that we see most tattoos on people are on the arms, legs, back, shoulder blades, and ankles. Smaller tattoos that are just done in black ink often take anywhere from one to two hours to complete, without any color.

There are so many health risks that come from being involved in getting a tattoo. After a tattoo is inked on an individual's body, it has to have the proper care to allow it to completely heal. If not properly taken care of, it could get seriously infected. Although this might be a rare case, it is possible that some could have an allergic reaction the ink dyes that are being used when receiving a tattoo. All tattoo artists use latex gloves to avoid getting blood on their skin when doing their job. I am sure that all tattoo artists question their customers about having reactions to latex, before proceeding. But it is possible that someone could also have a reaction to latex, without even knowing it. Some popular diseases that are known to transfer through getting a tattoo are AIDS, and STDs. You also have a risk of catching Hepatitis or Tetanus. All of these diseases can be caught by a tattoo artist using dirty needles that had been previously used on another person.

Although getting a tattoo might seem like such a wonderful thing to do at the time it's done, there are also some long term effects from having a tattoo. There are some stories of people who have gotten tattoos, and have regretted them. Why? Because, they decided to get a tattoo of their at the time significant other's name, and then later on down the road they were no longer in a relationship with that person. Some might even get a tattoo of a favorite band that they liked when they were much younger, and then years later they don't like the band and really dislike it seeing the artwork on their body. Although there are procedures to have tattoos completely removed, they are not cheap. They are can be very pricey.

There are varied methods to have a tattoo removed, such as laser removal, intense pulsed light therapy, do-it-yourself creams, and other medical methods. According to Heiti, "Tattoo laser removal is one of the most popular ways to get rid of unwanted tattoos, Dr Numb (www.drnumb.com) says but it is also the most expense and the pain can be excruciating." Hudson says "Depending on your tattoo, you may need anywhere from 1-10 sessions, each costing in the range of $250-$850 per session. A large, professional tattoo in color could cost thousands of dollars to remove, and the effectiveness of the removal still isn't guaranteed." Others may choose to try the do-it-yourself creams, but even some of those can range up to $150 a piece.

Some of these methods are not guaranteed to work, so some might even take a chance at spending a good chunk of money and it not working. This could be considered a waste of money and your time. This comes back into play where those should think about whether they really want to put a piece of artwork on their body.

A common problem in our society is that many teenagers once they turn the legal age can't wait to go get their first tattoo. Those feel as if they should get artwork done on their body, just so that they can fit in with others and don't feel left out of a crowd. This can be a sign of peer pressure and even stereotyping. Stereotyping is a huge problem in today's society. Stereotyping and bullying can lead to depression and some might even consider taking their own life from it. Some studies have been done that state those who have tattoos or a form of body modification have a mental illness or have considered taking their own life. These studies are completely inaccurate, and cannot be true.

Although people may choose to get ink on their body as their form of expression, there are so many other ways to express who you are, such as drawing, painting, writing or singing music. Tattoos should not be a first resort to express who you are as an individual. One must really understand the consequences of a tattoo.