The tattooed walk among us. Once you start looking, start taking note, it seems more common to have a tattoo than not to. I have a client at my hair salon, that I see every 4 weeks. Each time he visits we update each other on our latest tattoos developments. Each time I bashfully reply no nothing new yet, but without fail he always has something to show me. I have three “patchwork” tattoos (single, isolated designs), whereas he has “flowing” tattoos (continuous tattoos that cover whole areas of your body). He has a beautiful mixture of graffiti stars, a colourful gypsy’s head, and a swallow; all symbolising something special to him. It makes me wonder, is there anyone who gets a tattoo, then doesn’t want another? Recently, I’m sat in my first lecture at my new university and the person across from me asks what my tattoo means, it’s my star sign Capricorn on the back of my forearm. He asks if I have more then he shows me his: two stars on either side of his collar bone. The girl next to us joins in; she has hindi writing on her hip. It seems everyone’s got a tattoo these days.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, Winston Churchill’s mum, had a tattoo, as did Winston Churchill. Apparently it was fashionable among the aristocracy in the late 19th centuries. A hundred years later they are fashionable again amongst the “modern aristocracy” – our rock singers, rappers, movie stars, models and fashion designers.
Most recently Gwenyth Paltrow had a letter “C” tattooed on her thigh. She got it done at Selfridges, which proves how mainstream tattoos have become. Now you don’t even need to head to a tattoo parlour: you can just pick it up down the shops.
Tattoos have always been around, but before they were rare, something a little different. So the fact that tattoos are no longer taboo a good thing or a problem? You get a tattoo to assert your individuality and to stamp your body permanently with a marker of something special.
I don’t think I had any self conscious explanation for my first tattoo at 17. I was bored in an English lesson at college and doodled some stars in my book, “this would look nice on my hip” and after college I went to the closest tattoo parlour blagged my reason for not having I.D. and there we have it. I’m marked for life with 17 little stars. Back then I just knew I wanted one, but didn’t really think about the whys. But that’s the thing about tattoos. If you want one, there’s not much point rationalising it, because the desire just stays stubbornly put, whatever somersaults your head does trying to justify it. After all in order to get one you have to override the powerful instinct of avoiding pain. And tattoos, no matter what anyone tells you, hurt like hell. When the needle first goes in you think “This hurts a lot, but I can bear it.” But then it doesn’t stop, like a scalpel slicing through your skin without a break. So why do it? Because you are witnessing something you’ve imagined in your head coming to life exactly as you’ve pictured it and that is pretty exciting and satisfying. Few people start getting a tattoo and stop before it’s finished.
So how long will this trend last and is it even a trend? Tattoos have always been around and they were popular, then unpopular. Will you regret your tattoos in the near future when they are no longer “in fashion” or do most people who’ve endured the pain of having ink etched into their skin love their works of art for life?
