TATTOOS HAVE COME a long way from the “sailor tats” or shaming “tramp stamp” labels of yore. These days they seem to be enjoying a renaissance, but have they ever not been in vogue?

You only have to glance around the supermarket or coffee shop to see them being worn with pride by what looks like every second person.

From a small motif representing a cultural perspective to full sleeve designs, images that cover an entire arm from shoulder to wrist, there’s a tattoo for everyone.

Even Popeye the Sailor Man had one.

Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Every tattoo is as unique as the individual “inked,” with every design telling a story. A staggering two billion people worldwide have at least one tattoo, and 20 years ago, the word “tattoo” itself was the most searched term on the internet.

The oldest one in the world belongs to Otzi, an Iceman, who died in the Alps around 3250 BC. His body was decorated with no fewer than 61 tattoos.

Even our smallest members of society sport them at certain times of the year – Halloween and birthday parties for the U10’s. Readily available, very temporary images of unicorns, crossbows and skulls can be transferred onto tender skin with just a few drops of cold water to wet the paper.

Growing up, we had Bazooka Joe bubble gum. A bright pink block of chew that included a simple tattoo, all for the princely sum of 3p.

So what’s the fascination with permanently marking our bodies, and is it worth it if you end up rueing your tattoo but can’t afford to have it removed or are terrified of the pain involved? Those enduring the laser removal process have described it as feeling like tiny droplets of hot grease on the skin.

Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Several years ago, I listened to a British makeup artist speaking about her tattoo regret. She’d had her foot inked on a Greek holiday when she was much younger and, as the years passed, she fell out of love with it. She mentioned the cost involved in having it lasered off as several sessions were necessary, how painful it was and horrifyingly, the smell of her flesh burning. After that marathon endurance, a faint outline reminding her of that holiday is still visible today. Her body permanently marked.

I have a distinct memory of an acerbic caution in my youth, around not only the type of tattoo but the body part on which it is embossed. Something along the lines of, “a cute little kitten on your hip when you’re 20 turns into a tiger on your ass in your 70′s.”

Despite that kitten-turned-tiger image and the unnerving thought of a high-powered laser zapping my skin, I finally took the leap and let the artist’s needle do the talking.

Allergic to spontaneous courses of action, I spent several months giving careful consideration to what I was about to do. My research bordered on near obsessive levels of intensity.

Just as well, because findings by Earthweb.com suggest approximately 78% of people with body art regret at least one of their designs. With that as my North Star, I told myself I was making the right call by overthinking it to death.

International London Tattoo Convention at Tobacco Dock, UK. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Reasons for getting a tattoo vary; often, they hold a strong sentimental meaning. I know of a person whose mother always signed off on greeting cards with the letters X and O, so she got her parents’ handwriting tattooed onto her wrist. Tattoos can represent a person’s ancestry and past, present relationships.

Others see them as an act of empowerment, where they reclaim control over their own body and appearance. Of course, they can simply be a fun rite of passage, a commitment made as part of a bonding experience. And then, like it was for me, the straightforward rationale: I just wanted to get one.

Tattoos have been in existence for centuries, and society may have become more accepting of them; however, there are certain professions, such as healthcare, law and the financial services, that hold strict policies around appearances and quietly discourage visible tattoos.

Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

If you are a burgeoning rock star, questions might be raised about the absence of such an outward-facing expression of creativity. Are you even a musician if you don’t flaunt several insignias? Equally, your ability as an educator might be subjected to severe scrutiny should you have had the temerity to adorn your hands with delicate ethereal designs.

The idea that your abilities are measured by how you express yourself is rooted in a stuffy conservatism — yet the bias stubbornly endures. Tattoos are a beautiful and deeply meaningful part of someone’s identity. If they are something you may be considering, but are still unsure, the “try before you buy” initiative is not the sole reserve of paint testers, perfume samples and taking a car for a test drive.

The artistry behind inking has made great strides with alternative options to consider before settling on a design for life. Temporary tattoos or skin transfers perform exactly as you would expect, sitting on the top of the skin.

Offering durability that lasts up to three days, or longer depending on body part placement, they are soap and water resistant yet can be removed easily with baby oil or rubbing alcohol. An ideal way to experiment before making a permanent decision.

Gwen Loughman is the gatekeeper of four boys, one husband and a watcher over two dogs. 

© TheJournal