Know Your Tattoos
September 3, 2024
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Like them or not, millions of people across the globe have them. Tattoos are seemingly everywhere.
Tattoos are a form of body modification that dates back to 3250 B.C. The oldest known person to have a tattoo was found beneath a glacier in the Alps. His body displayed more than 60 tattoos, composed mainly of simple dot and line designs.
The tattoos of today are much more complex and colorful. According to Tattoodo, tattooing involves the use of a tattoo machine that has groupings of needle points to push into the skin. Tattoo ink is injected directly into the dermis, or the second layer of skin. A University of Arizona study found that nearly every brand of tattoo ink uses different ingredients, and there are no regulations governing tattoo ink. Pigments include heavy metals, original minerals and vegetable- or plastic-based colors. Inks also use a carrier to keep the ink more evenly mixed. Alcohols, distilled water and propylene glycol are some common carriers.
A recent study from Psychology Today found that people with tattoos are more likely to be “experience seekers.” In addition, a poll released by the Oxygen Network and Lightspeed research indicates that 59 percent of women in the United States have tattoos compared to only 41 percent of men.
