Tattoos have gone mainstream. One in five American adults has at least one tattoo (21%), which is up from the 14% who reported having a tattoo when asked the question in 2008. And 15% of all baby boomers have at least one tattoo.
Here’s what you need to know if you want a tattoo—and what you need to know if you want to get rid of one…
The vast majority of tattoo artists are scrupulous about cleanliness and using sterile instruments. You’re unlikely to get an infection, but if any of the following symptoms develop after you get a tattoo, see your doctor…
What’s more likely to happen is that you will end up with a tattoo that you simply don’t like.
To protect yourself…
Don’t chase the trends. If you’re tempted to get the same tattoo that lots of other people in your social circle have, you might be out-of-date before you leave the parlor. Example: The so-called “tramp stamp” (a lower-back tattoo) was popular among women more than a decade ago. It’s considered passé today. Barbed wire around the bicep? It’s been done (and overdone).
Think twice about names. Reputable tattoo artists strongly discourage name tattoos. A tattoo, unlike love in many cases, really is forever—unless you’re willing to pay big bucks to get it removed.
Plan for concealment. Even if tattoos are acceptable in your social circle or place of employment, you’re taking a chance if you get a tattoo where it can’t be covered—the fingers, neck, etc.
Remember gravity. The body that you have today isn’t the one that you’ll have in 10 or 20 years. A vibrant red rose that looks great on a 30-year-old abdomen might get a little (or a lot) wilted by the time you’re 50. Tattoos age better on parts of the body that are less susceptible to changes—the shoulder, back, ankle, foot, wrist and hand.
Consider the pain. Getting a tattoo is less painful on fleshy parts of the body, such as the upper arm or thigh. Tattooing hurts more when it is done on bony areas, such as the middle of the chest or top of the foot.
Caution: If you are taking a blood thinner such as warfarin or have a disorder that decreases clotting, talk with your doctor before you get a tattoo. Tattoo needles typically don’t produce much blood, but if clotting is decreased, bleeding could be heavier or last longer, which also could affect how the tattoo turns out.
With today’s lasers, it’s possible to completely erase many tattoos. Look for a doctor trained in laser tattoo removal. It’s fine if a technician operates the laser, as long as the facility is overseen by a physician. A tattoo parlor with a laser is not enough.
Certain colors are difficult to remove, so choose as few as possible. Yellow, pastel and fluorescent colors are the hardest to remove. Whites also are tricky. It’s not always possible to completely remove these colors, although they often can be lightened. Black is the easiest color to remove.
What to expect…
The doctor will apply an anesthetic cream to the skin or ask you to apply it. When the laser is activated, you’ll feel as though you’re getting popped by a rubber band. Some people compare the sensation to being spattered with bacon grease.
A small, simple black tattoo can potentially be removed in a single session—but don’t count on it. Most tattoos require multiple sessions—the national average is six to 10, with the sessions spaced about six weeks apart. With each treatment, the tattoo fades incrementally. You pay by the inch, usually about $100.
The first treatment hurts the most. Most people experience less discomfort during subsequent sessions. After each treatment, the area will be coated with an antibacterial ointment and bandaged. Your skin will feel slightly irritated for several days, and you’ll have some residual redness for a week to 10 days.
Thinner skin, such as inside the wrist, has a tendency to scar. If you are a person who tends to scar or get keloids (severely thickened scars), you probably will scar. People of color with good pigment in their skin may lose some of their pigment in addition to the tattoo ink. Having a lidocaine injection to numb the area increases the chances of scarring.
