Tatoos

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Tattoo milestone

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Corbis Historical/Getty Images.

For American women, tattoos are becoming powerful symbols of resilience, identity and joy. Stat du jour: Tattooing was once a male-dominated practice. Today, 38% of U.S. women have at least one tattoo, compared with 27% of men, The Washington Post reports, citing the Pew Research Center. The majority of women between the ages of 18 and 29 (56%) and the ages of 30 and 49 (53%) are tattooed. Why it matters: Tattoos are joining the ranks of other beauty practices — like fashion, hairstyling and makeup — that many women use to express their individuality. ✒️ Zoom in: One study of women who got tattooed after struggling with infertility or dealing with miscarriages found that the art provided catharsis and a sense of control over their bodies. One woman chose to get a phoenix feather to mark "rising again" after a painful experience. Another woman honored lost pregnancies with a heart, and symbolized her bond with her adopted child with a jigsaw piece. Many who undergo surgery also get tattoos. "Women will tattoo the site of a mastectomy scar, sometimes with flowers and trees — things that represent life and renewal," Cheri Van Hoover, retired adjunct professor of midwifery and women's health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, told The Washington Post. Go deeper: Axios CEO Jim VandeHei wrote this year about getting his first tattoo and called it "wearing your heart on your body." In response, Finish Line readers across the country told us the stories behind their tattoos. Read them.

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Muslims who regret their tattoos seek free removal service during Ramadan

Teguh Islean Septura groans in pain as each staccato rat-a-tat-tat of the laser fires an intense beam at his arm. Septura got his back, arms and legs tattooed to “look cool” when he was performing in a band. But these days he has a newfound zeal for Islam, including the conviction that Muslims should not alter the body that God gave them. Read More.

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Tattoo resilience

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

Fifteen years ago, tattoo artist Amy Black got an unusual request: Could she ink a realistic-looking nipple? Why it matters: That question came from a breast cancer survivor who'd undergone reconstruction. The answer was yes, and the results were life-changing — both for the client who loved the tattoo and also for Black, Carly Mallenbaum writes. ?️ Black, whose studio is in Richmond, built a new specialty in mastectomy tattoos. The niche is perfect for her unique background: She studied fine art oil painting with a focus on anatomy. The big picture: Black's mastectomy ink "used to be 90% nipple tattoos," but now she sees an increasing number of survivor requests for decorative art, often on flat chests. Designs include florals, nature elements and mythical creatures, she says. ?️ Birds are especially popular. Black has tattooed phoenixes, peacocks, herons and hummingbirds. Some clients opt for tattoos along scar lines; others get ink from the shoulder to the opposite hip, Black says. The money quote: Planning a tattoo post-surgery felt like "getting the last word on the way my body looks," breast cancer survivor Kim Bowles tells Axios. Bowles chose pothos vines and gladiolus flowers — symbols of resilience, strength and honor — to adorn her chest. ? Zoom out: Last year, we asked tatted Finish Line readers to send us photos and tell us the tales behind their tattoos. We heard from parents who got inked to remember children they'd lost, folks who got their first tats in their 60s, people with meaningful matching tattoos, and more.

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Why you got ink

A couple weeks ago, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum wrote about how breast cancer survivors are moving forward with mastectomy tattoos. We asked readers with tattoos to share with us why they got inked. Responses have poured in from readers of all ages and backgrounds. Here are some of the tales behind their tattoos: Photo: Virginia Kanzler ? "My grandson was born with Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down syndrome. It's caused by a third chromosome in the 21st set of chromosomes. I got a tattoo of a chromosome so that I will have an extra chromosome just like my grandson." —Virginia Kanzler, Fryeburg, Maine Photo: Mary Crawford ? "I lost my husband of 30 years to cancer 10 years ago. I never had any tattoos before, but my daughter became a tattoo artist, and here's one of my favorite tattoos that she has done for me. … This is my husband's signature from a card I had. It's in his handwriting and says, "Love You Bestie," which is how he signed everything." —Mary Crawford, San Angelo, Texas Photo: Stephanie Florence ? "Ever wonder why a real smile feels different than a forced one? It's because different parts of your brain control each, something I learned after my dad's first stroke. He flashed fake smiles on command for the doctors and nurses, but we saw his real smile shine through when he joked with my mom about a hospital escape." "Gratitude for something so simple stuck with me. I chose úsmev ("smile" in Slovak) as a tattoo, written in my sister's handwriting, to honor our family roots and remind me every day to lead with authenticity." —Stephanie Florence, Chicago Photo: Jill Fitzgerald ? "After my dad passed away from Alzheimer's disease in September 2019, two of my sisters decided to honor him with purple heart tattoos. I joined them, but chose to add the word grateful on my inner left wrist — a daily reminder of how deeply thankful I am for the time I was able to spend with my dad as he faced this illness." —Jill Fitzgerald, Orefield, Pa. Photo: Jason Dunn ?? "My wife and I went to Iceland in 2022, and we got tattoos. We picked a talented local artist, and picked complimentary designs to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. The runes we picked loosely translate to 20 years of a blissful home." —Jason Dunn, Renton, Wash. Photo: Michelle Ebersman ? "My 22-year-old son, Sam, was killed crossing the street two years ago. So I took a birthday card he signed to a tattoo artist and … now I carry my son's handwriting on my body. I love when the weather warms up in the spring, and it's short-sleeve weather so I start seeing it all day again." —Michelle Ebersman, Charlotte, N.C. Photo: Mike Barry ?‍♂️ "I got this in 2011, while I was getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon, after having had diabetes for 27 years." —Mike Barry, Chicago

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Across the world, tattoos are growing. Maybe it is a sign of the times. Even on dark skinned people, where it is hard to read. 

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Kelli Moseman, a chemistry researcher at Binghamton University in New York, and colleagues, analyzed more than 50 tattoo inks from nine different brands used in the US after noticing that some inks they had used in previous studies contained substances that weren't listed on the label.

Testing inks made by global companies and smaller producers, the researchers found in their new analysis that 45 of the 54 inks they ran through chemical analyses contained substances that weren't on the label, like unlisted pigments or additives. Some ink labels also listed additives that weren't present: 36 listed glycerol but it was only detected in 29 of the inks.

Only one brand's labels accurately listed the ingredients its ink contained. Fifteen inks contained propylene glycol, the American Contact Dermatitis Society's 2018 allergen of the year, while other tested samples contained potentially harmful or simply strange substances, such as antibiotics.

 

Propylene glycol is also known to cause organ failure, when it is in the blood stream. 

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Washington, DC, August 29, 2019 – Data from a recent Ipsos poll reveals that more Americans have tattoos today than in early 2012. Three in ten (30%) of Americans have at least one tattoo, an increase from 21% in 2012. The vast majority of those with at least one tattoo (92%) say they are happy with it, and forty-six percent of respondents have had at least one tattoo for more than ten years.

Those under 55 years old are twice as likely to have at least one tattoo. Forty percent of those ages 18-34 and 36% of those ages 35-54 have at least one tattoo, while the same is true for only sixteen percent of those 55 years old and older. Additionally, those without a college degree are slightly more likely to have a tattoo or tattoos than those with a college degree (33% and 27% respectively).

For those with tattoos, two tattoos per person (33%) is most commonly reported. The average number of tattoos that tattooed Americans report having is four.

https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/more-americans-have-tattoos-today

Forty percent, ages 18-34.    Likely to be over 50% for women ages 18-34. 

I find that disturbing.