Inked Talk

Recent statistics have suggested that one in four adults aged 18-30 have a tattoo. As tattoos have become more mainstream, laser tattoo removal procedures have likewise made great strides, and the result is more people having tattoos removed now than ever before.

A study led by Myrna Armstrong of Texas Tech University suggests that women are more likely than men to undergo laser tattoo removal. Armstrong’s team visited tattoo removal clinics Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas to find out who was undergoing tattoo removal procedures, and why. Armstrong’s study consisted of just 196 people.

Above photo: tattoo removal in progress, courtesy of http://www.immortalimagestattoo.com

Sixty-six men and 130 women were interviewed for the study. In addition to demographic information, they answered questions about why they got the their tattoos, and why they were seeking removal. The most popular reasons for getting a tattoo were to commemorate an occasion and to feel “unique” and “independent.”

Women who were white, single, college-educated and between the ages of 24 and 39 were the most likely to seek removal of their tattoos. Their reasons for removal included suffering embarrassment from the tattoo, lowering of body image, getting a new job or career, having problems with clothes, and experiencing stigma. While men reported some of the same problems, they did not appear to suffer the same external pressure that women did. This led the researchers to conclude that society may be less supportive of women’s tattoos.

This author has to add her two cents to that conclusion. Anyone who has taken a basic statistics class knows the phrase “correlation does not equal causation.” In other words, an apparent correlation between two things does not suggest that one causes the other. My favorite pop culture example of this is the famous “Pirates vs. Global Warming” chart:

The chart shows that as the number of pirates has decreased, the average global temperature has increased. While the chart is comedic, it illustrates the point that just because two appear to have a correlation, you cannot conclude that one causes the other.

So what does this have to do with Armstrong’s study on tattoo removal?

The conclusion that societal pressures lead to women seeking tattoo removal more often than men is misplaced. Simply because more women cite societal pressure for tattoo removal doesn’t mean that societal pressure towards women is the cause. What about tattoo placement? Are women more likely to get a tattoo that isn’t easily concealed in the workplace? Or perhaps the societal pressure is equal among the sexes, but women are more likely to succumb to that pressure.

Or perhaps there is another explanation entirely.

While Armstrong’s sample size for this study may be too small to be conclusive, perhaps a more interesting study would have examined the correlation between the reason for initially getting the tattoo and its ultimate reason for removal. Perhaps women are more likely to get a tattoo that is relatively meaningless to them to start with, thus making the decision to have it removed less monumental and more akin to a change of wardrobe.

Armstrong’s study, while interesting, is just the beginning. A larger sample size and questions that examine the relationship between the reason for the tattoo in the first place and the reason for its removal may be more telling.

Until recently, tattoos in America have been largely restricted to sailors and bikers. Similarly, tattoos in Japan have traditionally been associated with Japan’s organized crime body - the Yakuza. The Yakuza have historically used extensive full body tattooing as means of identification and as status symbols. For this reason, tattoos have long had a negative connotation in Japan.

Older Japanese still tend to associate tattoos with organized crime, and for that reason public baths in Japan have often restricted the entry of anyone with tattoos.

Even though Japanese water parks are targeted at a younger generation, tattooed people in Japan still have a hard time locating a water park that will allow them in. The business owners reason that tattoos are still frightening to some due to the Yakuza connection, and seeing tattooed people walk around the water park would make some of the customers nervous.

With more and more young Japanese people getting tattoos that are totally unrelated to Yakuza activities, Japan is seeing a slight change in the no-tattoo policies. A small minority of water parks do allow tattooed patrons, but they require that all tattoos be fully covered while in the park. That’s not always an easy task. Long sleeved shirts and long pants make little sense at a water park on a hot day.

In America, the attitude and perception of tattoos has changed greatly in the past twenty years. Japan is sure to eventually follow suit as the association between tattoos and Yakuza activity becomes diluted. Until then, tattooed people in Japan will have to deal with their society’s outdated perceptions of body art and the restrictions that come with it.

A few months ago, Inked Talk reported on the dangers of an allergic reaction to an additive often used to darken the henna used in henna temporary tattoos.

A story in today’s DailyIndia.com reports a young boy’s severe allergic reaction to a henna tattoo. His reaction sounds particularly severe - it required four trips to the hospital and he missed a month of school. The article categorizes it as a “botched” henna tattoo. However, the symptoms described sound much more like a severe allergic reaction.

Worldwide, henna tattoo artists continue to use PPD as an additive in henna to darken the henna and create a black tattoo. With more and more reports of allergic reactions to henna tattoos, it is amazing that little is being done to regulate the practice.

Writer Dan Kline’s July 8, 2008 column discusses what he feels is the overuse of the American flag on everyday products - clothing, bandanas, and of course tattoos. While he acknowledges that the patriotic intentions may be benevolent, the use of the American Flag on anything but a flag is inappropriate and perhaps even disrespectful. From his article:

I hardly think tattoos, bikinis, bandannas and the like actually show respect for what the flag stands for. If you respect the flag as a symbol representative of all that we love about America, than fly it properly, salute it when you walk by and think regularly of the men and women who died for your freedom.

I have to disagree with Mr. Kline’s assessment of the American Flag tattoo, for a number of reasons.

For many of our men and women in the armed forces, a tattoo is a rite of passage, a symbol of their time and experiences serving this country. What better emblem for such a tattoo than the American flag - the symbolic embodiment of the very freedoms that they serve to protect? I’m not about to tell a Marine that his American Flag tattoo isn’t an appropriate tribute to his nation.

September 11, 2001 had a huge impact on all Americans, and it inspired great patriotism among our citizens. Some people chose to get patriotic tattoos to memorialize the day. I certainly wouldn’t call those permanent reminders of a day that has been burned into our collective memories an inappropriate use of the flag. And I’m certainly not going to lump those beautiful tributes in with the “American Flag Underwear” the author jokes about in his article.

I think the author makes the mistake of thinking that a tattoo is just a fashion accessory, like the bandanas and swimsuits that he references in his column. Perhaps that is true for some people, but many more choose their tattoos because they represent something significant to them. And to many, the flag is those most significant symbol in their lives.

Readers, what are your thoughts?

While Inked Talk doesn’t usually delve into the shiny, glittery land of temporary tattoos, a new product called the Eyedentity Label is attracting some interest among parents of young children. The Eyedentity Label is essentially a temporary tattoo customized with parental contact information. The label provides the child’s name, the parent’s telephone number, important allergy or medical information, and the Eyedentity Logo for easy recognition.

Eyedentity’s website suggests using the Eyedentity Label for Consider Eyedentity Label for airport travel, trips to theme parks, malls, sporting events, school field trips, and vacation travel.

The Eyedentity Label, of course, isn’t really a tattoo issue (although perhaps these temporary tattoos are the gateway for future ink), but it was a neat concept, so Inked Talk had to spread the word.

Maxim Magazine and Pontiac have teamed up with Kat von D for a “tattooed” Pontiac Vibe giveaway contest.

What a strange partnership. Pontiacs, particularly Vibes, don’t strike me as being particularly interesting or edgy, even if they are drawn on like the one in the contest.

No purchase is necessary for the contest, and you can opt out of future spamming as well, so give it a click. If you aren’t interested in the Vibe, well, good for you, but you can check out some Kat von D videos on the contest site as well. Worth a look.