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A butterfly on your back
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The most sensuous accessory to an outfit is arguably the tattoo. And clothes like capris, sleeveless tops, and low waist jeans afford ample spaces to show off that dragon or spider, discovers BHUMIKA K.
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MIX PLEASURE and pain, add loads of will power and youknowwhat to be different. You might just be ready to go in for a tattoo.
Because having a needle prick into your skin four times a minute in rapid succession takes just that.
Flaunting a tattoo on the arm (or, as guys would insist, bicep), near the collarbone, around the navel, way down the back, or on the ankle is all the rage.
Fashionable, funky, weird, and sometimes bizarre, tattoos have become a statement with the comeback of sleeveless tops, short-cropped spaghettis, and capris that provide ample openings to show off the select designs.
Fear of pain and infection, contracting AIDS or hepatitis virus were predominant when tattoos were always linked with drug abusers and shared needles. But technology has made sure that disposable needles, gloves, dyes, and anaesthetics ward off any possible panic. Says Neha Gupta, a 19-year-old student of Mount Carmel College: "I got a tattoo done a few days ago. It's not painful at all. My friends at college liked it and one of them seriously wants to get it done too." And why did she want a tattoo? "I suddenly felt like doing it one day, though it was one of my ambitions in life," adds the excited Neha.
Tattoos can be done by hand — the old way, or by crude machines or professional tattoo machines or tattoo guns. These permanent tattoos are for life. Temporary tattoos made of black ink, kali mehendi, or stickers last anywhere between three days to a week.
"People want tattoos because they want to stand out in a crowd," explains B.V. Giridhar of Brahma's Tattoo Studio. "People also want something to stay with them for life, on their skin, like art. They want to go through the pain and show it off." Giri, as he is known, has done over 275 tattoos in the last couple of months. Out of every 10 clients, four are girls. His tattoos cost anywhere between Rs. 250 to thousands. He doesn't use anaesthetics because he believes in the "No pain no gain" philosophy.
Barbed wire patterns, the Holy Cross, tribal symbols, the Om sign, sun, sunburst flames, butterflies, dolphins, the time-honoured dragon, Chinese symbols, hearts, initials — the list of patterns you can have tattooed can just go on.
"I usually discourage people from having their girlfriend's or wife's initials tattooed because you don't know when they are going to leave them!" says Giri, mischievously. "The current trend is to have traditional Indian divine tattoos."
"Eagles and scorpions are hot favourites with men, while women prefer butterflies and hearts," says Padmalatha P.S., proprietor of Sasha Salon. A temporary tattoo here could cost between Rs. 150 to Rs. 700, and a permanent one Rs. 500 onward.
"Having moles tattooed is the simplest of tattoos and takes about half an hour. We use local anaesthesia if it's a very sensitive area," explains Priscilla Suzanna of the beauty salon Bodycraft, where a dermatologic surgeon does all the tattoos. They could cost anywhere between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 8,000.
Goa was a hot destination for cheap tattoos, done by the roadside. But safety comes first for today's youngsters, who would rather go to someone who uses disposable equipment.
Rajesh Kamath, a software professional, has an Om tattooed on one arm and an elaborate image of Adi Sankara on the other. "I was influenced by his philosophy and wanted him to stay close to me," says the devout techie. His third tattoo on his arm is the face of Durga.
A bodybuilder client of Giri's has a large angel on his huge biceps. A heavy metal fan had The Grim Reaper with his scythe tattooed on his arm. Preethi Nagaraj, a corporate communications manager, has one on her lower back, near the tailbone, because it's the in thing. "My grandmother had loads of tattoos on her arms, mostly wiggly rangoli-like designs. My mother's generation didn't like them. But I guess it's back in fashion," she says.
TATTOO TALES
Arms and the upper back are favourite spots for the guys to have tattoos
Girls prefer to have their lower back or navel tattooed
Tattoos are usually done on areas where there is more flesh and less bone - it causes
pain otherwise.
Tattooing is an art and the artist has to make sure the pigment lodges itself between
the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin.
Synthetic pigments are imported from the U.S., U.K., and South-east Asian countries.
Tattoos take a week to heal if they are just outlines. Those with fillings take 20 days to
heal.
Dermatologists can erase permanent tattoos with lasers, though not completely always.
If you don't take care, you can still have infections — bacterial or viral.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
Tattoo, which literally means puncturing the skin, has a history of over 5,000 years in
various civilisations. Egyptians, Maori tribes of New Zealand, Chinese, Japanese, and
Indians are well-known for their tattooing traditions. In India, though it is not elaborately
documented, a tattoo (read hachche) is believed to be a shield against sickness and
misfortune, a cure for the nerves, a symbol of social status, or sometimes just plain
embellishment for the body. The traditional dye was often made by burning a particular
nutshell (distinctive to each region) and mixing it in a medium ranging from linseed oil to
goat's milk.
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