Tattoos and Bodies That Become Refrigerator Magnets

"Our bodies have become the refrigerator magnets 

of quotes, sayings and reminders."

--Reef Karim, D.O., pioneer in the field of addiction medicine, 

mental health and relationship therapy

According to some research studies by the Pew Research Center, three out of four people between the ages of 18 and 40 have a tattoo. Out of that number, 59% are female. What was once considered self-mutilatory behavior and a psychiatric problem has now become almost normative behavior. So normative, in fact, that the annual amount of spending in the United States on tattoos is $1.65 billion at the nation's estimated 21,000 tattoo parlors.

Doctor of Osteopathy, Reef Karim, recognizes the change as a sign that our current society craves individuality and self expression.  He believes we are having more trouble communicating with each other than ever before, as electronic communication will never replace face-to-face human contact. According to Karim, "It's not surprising that there's a growing trend toward communication via body ink. We don't have to talk, we just have to look."

(Reef Karim, D.O. "Tattoo Psychology: Art or Self Destruction? Modern-Day Social Branding. The Huffington Post. November 09, 2012)

Then there's Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., who believes tattoo lovers are a proud lot. Mantell says, "They have consciously taken the decision to tattoo their bodies and would like to proudly declare that they are what they are. They are not scared of public opinion and would love to let others know what they believe in. And good for them"

(Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. "The Psychology of Tattoos." San Diego Magazine. August 08, 2009)

If tattoos are social brands, then what do they actually "say" to those who wear them and those who "read" them?

Being Tattooed

Considering that tattooing is still controversial, one must question the trend while considering its new popularity so strongly associated with the young. What are these youth thinking as they insist on permanent inking and spending their money on body art?

Here are some reasons people give for getting tattoos:

* To enhance their sexual prowess or feed their exhibitionist side (31% according to Pew Institute)

* To feel rebellious (29% according to Pew Institute)

* To honor or show dedication to a loved one 

* To symbolize a life-changing event

* To express the love of art

* To express a religious or a cultural belief

* To promote a group affiliation. "I stand for..."

Reading Tattoos

Where people place tattoos, how may tattoos they have, what the tattoos are and the size of the tattoos all help shape the emotional response of the viewer. We must not be naïve or in total denial: tattoos are going to have a significant positive or negative influence on people.

Like it or not, we must realize tattoos make a vivid first impression, and the factors that affect another person's interpretation of body art cannot be controlled by the exhibitionist. Most important to consider is that tattoos will elicit responses in most all observers, and they could be anyone from a potential boss to a family member to a date.

Here are some popular beliefs held by people concerning why someone would wear tattoos:

* To signal they engage in risky behaviors: drink a lot, have a lot of sex, take drugs, or have experienced a rough childhood (The tattoo to these folks is considered a "tramp stamp.")

* To show they are creative, edgy, independent thinkers

* To associate with the criminal element or gangs (to "look tough")

* To accommodate a fashion statement (Some believe one that is "out of control.")

* To assert individuality (Yet, some think it's a shallow way to do so.)

Tattoo Research

Actual research on tattoos reveals some interesting findings:

• Adults with tattoos have been shown to be more sexually active than controls without tattoos.(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02791.x/abstract)
• People with tattoos have been shown to be more likely to engage in more higher risk behaviors. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/people-with-tattoos-drink-alcohol_n_1429880.html)
• Women who get tattoos are more than twice as likely to get them removed as men. (http://courses.ttu.edu/jkoch/Research/Tattoo%20Remover%20AoD.pdf)
• In studying first impressions of people that have tattoos, researchers have found that avatars (neutral) with tattoos and other body modifications were rated as more likely to be thrill and adventure seekers, to have a higher number of previous sexual partners, and to be less inhibited than non-tattooed avatars. This study looked at general stigma associated with people sporting tattoos. (http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2009-02004-001)
• And another study showed both men and women had higher body appreciation, higher self esteem and lower anxiety right after getting new tattoos. Surprisingly, three weeks later men continued to have less anxiety but women had a sharp increase in anxiety that may be associated with concerns about body image. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144511000507)

 My Bottom Line

To tattoo or not to tattoo? Getting ink involves more than a rash decision to follow a popular fad. People make much ado about the permanence of the art for good reason: personal beliefs do change over time and what you believe may be a fitting "tribute" today may be a regrettable "defacing" tomorrow. Getting mass quantities of tattoos is definitely risky business. And, besides, what is fashionable artwork as opposed to cheap-looking signage?

You see, fads that create permanent changes tend to create problems for the individual as times change. People who still groom and dress like Elvis Presley look pretty silly today…except in Las Vegas. Senior citizen “hippies” are considered oddities with little interest shown in their philosophical beliefs. Tattoos could date you in time and cause others to see you that way.

Also, the inescapable negative reactions of others to a tattoo may be reason enough to "do it" the old-fashioned way and let the skin God gave you represent your true outer organ.

You may wish to take a cue in that employers are now restricting the visibility, number, and location of tattoos and piercings. Individuals who have facial tattooing and piercing may be proud of their stylish appearance but they may be unemployable or only acceptable in low-paying positions.

The character of your skin itself marks your very boundary of identity in the world. The skin is the organ intended to protect you from outer harm. The skin functions in regulation of temperature, excretion of waste, immune response, and protection of the underlying tissues.

And, of course, the skin is the foundational character of your body that promotes not only health but also beauty. I cannot imagine famous paragons of feminine beauty such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Jane Russell, or Natalie Wood sporting bodies riddled with tats.

Grace Kelly

Natalie Wood

Rita Hayworth

Does Ink Stink?

Body art, once sported by bikers, longshoremen, marines, and punks, is going more mainstream, showing up in white-collar workplaces. As more young employees – both women and men – opt for ink and piercings, they face decisions about how much decorated skin to bare or not to bare.

Mary Pflum , ABC News reporter stated, "A 2010 Pew Research study found that nearly 40 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 have tattoos, and of those, half have two to five tattoos.
The study also found that parents increasingly support their kids' decisions to get tattoos." The research found that gender is not a factor in either tatooing or untraditional hair-dyeing -- men and women are about equally likely to have done either. ("Teens and Tattoos: Would You Let Your Teen Get Inked?" Good Morning America - ABC News, October 11, 2010)

And, according to Plum, a ballot on Cafemom.com reported 15 percent of moms say they'd allow their teens to get a tattoo while 30 percent say they're either uncertain or are open to the idea, depending on a teenager's age.

Why Do Young People Get Tattooed?

Noted psychologist David Elkind. Elkind emphasized that the growing ability to engage in abstract thinking, first prominent in early teens during a period of tumultuous physical growth and change, causes teens to wonder what others are thinking. The combination of these two forces creates the notion for them that everyone is thinking about the same thing, namely themselves.(M.C. Graham, A. Teall. "Fron Self-expression to Self-harm: the "Normal and Abnormal." Program and abstracts of the American College of Nurse Practitioners National Clinical Conferences; October 11-15, Orlando, Florida; 2006)

This belief that "everyone is looking at me and thinking about me because that's what I'm thinking about" leads to Elkind's concept termed the "imaginary audience." This leads to teens filtering their behavior through the lens of others' perceived views and observation, and leads to the self-centeredness so typical of late middle school and early high school. The logical conclusion of this belief that "everyone is looking at me" is that the reason for the audience's attention is that the teen is someone indeed special. (D. Elkind. "Understanding the Young Adolescent." Adolescence 13. 1978)

Adolescents are commonly observed to be trying to be "on-stage, noticed, and visible." For example, the student who thinks that simple, small pimple is noticed and stared at by everyone or the adolescent who is convinced everyone sees that tiny stain on his or her pants is experiencing feelings of an "imaginary audience."

This belief in their own uniquenesss and specialness, termed by Elkind as a "personal fable" (egocentrism by over-differentiating of one's experiences and feelings from others to the point of assuming those experiences are unique from those of others) leads to the concept that the laws of nature do not apply to oneself, which is the underpinning of adolescent risk-taking behavior. Teens believe that nothing bad will happen to them, that they will not suffer the consequences of this behavior, because it is not part of their image and fable. Such  people might believe they are the only ones who can experience whatever feelings of joy, horror, misery, or confusion they might encounter. (D. Elkind. "Egocentrism in Adolescence." Child Development, 38. 1967.
   

Whereas wild clothes and make-up used to be rites of passage into adolescence, that's not true today, said Elkind. The preadolescent 11- and 12-year-olds -- the Britney Spears generation -- are pushing that fashion envelope. Body piercing, tattoos, and music are today's "markers" of adolescence. "No self-respecting 15-year-old is going to listen to Britney Spears," he claimed. (J.L. Davis. "Teenagers: Why Do They Rebel?" www.medicinenet.com. January 31 2005)

Another dynamic is experience: first love, first sex, first drugs, first drinking. In earlier generations, children weren't expected to be sexually active -- or experiment with alcohol or drugs -- until they turned 17 or 18, when they were better able to resist peer pressure, reported Elkind. "Now they're getting pressure at 13 and 14, when they're too young to resist. It's not that child development has changed, it's that the demands are coming at earlier ages." 

Dr. Andre Martin, who wrote an article on teenagers and tattoos, said, “Tattoos and piercing can offer a concrete and readily available solution for many of the identity crises and conflicts normative to adolescent development. In using such decorations, and by marking out their bodily territories, adolescents can support their efforts at autonomy, privacy, and insulation. Seeking individuation, tattooed adolescents can become unambiguously demarcated from others and singled out as unique. The intense and often disturbing reactions that are mobilized in viewers can help to effectively keep them at bay, becoming tantamount to the proverbial 'Keep Out' sign hanging from a teenager's door.” ("On Teenagers and Tattoos." Reclaiming Children and Youth. Fall. 2000)

Martin also claimed that there’s also the quest for permanence. He said that an adolescent’s desire to cling to a current certainty could motivate him to put down in ink what is valued and cherished today, but may not be the same thing that is valued and cherished twelve months down the road.

Lynn E. Ponton, M.D., professor of child psychiatry at the University of California, reported that it's easy for teens to view their own bodies as canvases as it's what they have to experiment with. "Adolescents today are isolated in their own cocoons, either in front of TVs or computers. There's the notion of "It's my body, and I can do with it what I want," she says. In her book, The Romance Of Risk: Why Teenagers Do The Things They Do, Ponton proposes that teenage "acting out" can be understood in terms of "risk-taking," and that by redirecting this natural impulse into healthy channels parents can minimize the dangers inherent in today's teen culture and help their children develop into mature individuals.

As young people discover the world, discover their own bodies and form bonds and relationships, they deserve time and space, allowing them to make decisions regarding their bodies – up to a certain extent.

But, those like Robert Butterworth, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, is quoted in a recent article on teen body art. "We all know from our teenage years that a lot of the weird things we did were phases," he says. "But when you start doing something that's going to make it difficult to function in the world, then parents have to step in and say, 'Not until you leave home.'” Kids, he says, aren’t going to like it, but ultimately it’s the grown-up who is in charge [Dina Santorelli. Parenting Teens Online. February 2008].

Another large influence on teens and tattoos is the amount of teen celebrities donning their ink. Just last year, at the Teen Choice Awards, which as the name implies, has an audience of mostly 11-17 year olds, a Jonas Brother, a heartthrob among young girls, was tattooed on stage by none other than celebrity tattoo artist, Kat Von D. It wasn't revealed to the viewers at the show or at home that the tattoo was not real. Many parents were again outraged. (Stacie Goldmeier. "Tattoo Influence and Teens." ezinearticles.com. 2010)

The Pocketbook 

Along with the permanent alteration to the body, the health risks associated with tattoos must be considered: tattoo removal, adverse reactions to tattoo colors, and infections that result from tattooing. Many pigments that are used in tattoo inks are not even approved or permitted for skin contact at all.

 

"It's $50 to get a tattoo, and add a few zeros to get rid of it," says Ranella Hirsch, a Cambridge, Mass., cosmetic dermatologist. Dermatologists are seeing rising demand for tattoo removal by laser surgery, a costly process that often fails to erase them entirely, says Dr. Hirsch, a spokeswoman for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.(Sue Shellenbarger. "Parenting the Teen With the Heart Tattoo." Barron's. September 29 2010)

But the permanence of a tattoo is exactly what attracts many teens. In a digital age of fleeting images and communications, family turbulence and rapid social change, the idea of making a commitment that lasts forever is attractive to some. Among teens, popular designs are quotes or favorite sayings, as well as hearts and flowers for girls, and tribal arm bands or animals for guys. People are even being tattooed as a sign of their lasting commitment to her religious faith.