Is a tattoo worth the trouble?

RECENTLY, there was a public uproar following the appearance of singer Bobi Wine and fiancée, Barbie Itungo’s on the cover page of this newspaper, flaunting their tattoos.

The most outstanding criticism was that New Vision, as a leading national daily, had no business leading with a picture of a tattooed artiste for we were inadvertently condoning the ‘vice’. Martin Kanyegirire explores this trend.

A tattoo is a permanent picture, design, or other marking made on the skin by pricking it and staining it with an indelible dye.

Historical evidence seems to show that tattooing probably first made an appearance in the new Stone Age era and infiltrated some cultures around the world.

Many tattoos served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility. They were pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans of protection. They also served as marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varied in different places and cultures.

A trend?
Shadrack Kutesa, one of the pioneer tattoo artistes in Uganda who runs a tattoo parlour on Park Royale arcade in Kampala, says the practice of people tattooing themselves is fast gaining popularity and acceptance, especially among young people.

He says most of his clients range from young professionals like lawyers, bankers to university students. Most critics were infuriated by Itungo’s tatto. As a woman, they wondered how she could allow her body to be “desecrated” so. Kutesa says women are out-numbering men at having tattoos.

“In fact, back when I had just started, people came for tattoos, but were not sure what type and where they wanted them. Today, with the Internet, social networks and all, clients come with their own designs and ask me to inscribe them on their bodies. They also know exactly where they want them.”

Why get a tattoo?
Kutesa says many young people get tattoos because they perceive it is fashionable and trendy. He attributes this to increased exposure to celebrity culture through entertainment media — the Internet, television and magazines.

“Celebrities the world over are trailblazers and trend-setters when it comes to style yet for some reason, most of them sport tattoos. So, young people get tattoos because their idols have them.”

This, he says is deeper than meets the eye: “Parents want their children to look up to the traditional professions like doctors or lawyers for success but young people are seeing this success in other places. They prefer basketball players, musicians and soccer stars. These are the people who have this kind of lifestyle (tattoos). Naturally, they will take after the same.”

Most importantly, however, tattoos are a form of expression. “People sport tattoos of things they have a fondness for or believe in as a way of telling the world that that is who they are. A good example is what Itungo did,” Kutesa says.

He expresses amusement that people should find it outrageous that this art form is gaining ground.

“If we are adopting the latest in information technology and other global trends, why is it shocking that global social trends are catching on?

How safe are tattoos?
The process is unlikely to transmit disease simply because tattoo artists might be careful and clean. However, there are few regulatory agencies making sure they adhere to hygienic standards. Alfred Hamya, a skin doctor at St Peter’s Pharmacy in Kampala, regards tattooing as risky, though there is no evidence of widespread transmission of disease.

“Complications resulting from tattoos are relatively rare considering the popularity of tattooing. However, the introduction of foreign substances into the skin can result in a toxic or immunologic response.

Tattoo pigments may contain industrial organic pigments, including polycyclic compounds, sandalwood and brazil wood, as well as aluminium, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, silica, sulphur, titanium dioxide and barium sulphate, each of which may be the cause of a skin reaction like a rash or be toxic.

Locations
Most detractors were outraged that Itungo’s tattoo appeared so prominently on her upper back. Hamis Karim, a tattooist in Entebbe, says where a woman places a tattoo on her body is indicative of how assertive she is with her message or how fashionable she perceives it. Placing a tattoo on the lower back is daring.

The wrist can be covered with watches or bracelets if they become an inconvenience at a particular time — say a job interview. Ankle tattoos are also believed to be fashionable and sexy.

Karim, says that some women might want tattoos in confidential places because it makes them feel sexy and adorable to their partners. “Some women require an artist to place a tattoo as far down as their thighs, on their breasts and even the lower parts of the abdomen because they feel they will look adorable and sexy to their boyfriends or spouses,” he says.

He further adds that some put tattoos in these locations because they have always wanted to get a tattoo yet do not want society to look down on them because they have one. Therefore, putting a tattoo in private places helps them hide them for their convenience.

Is tattoo removal possible?
It is not easy to remove a tattoo once it has been etched into the skin. But recent technology can with the help of visible light lasers. Still, others are more difficult usually because of the colours involved. For example, black, Hamya says, is easy, but green is hard.

Essentially, the Q-switched lasers used in tattoo removal smash the cell containing pigment. The debris colour is then removed by the body. But it is not as simple as that. “The laser treatment itself creates a wound that can become infected if unprofessionally handled,” Hamya says.

Other possible side-effects include changes in skin colour and scarring. The laser could change the colour of the pigment, but not remove it. Other options include surgical removal or a cream. A dermatologist can determine which method is best.