#tattoofacts

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Tattoos have become a mainstream form of self-expression, but many myths and misconceptions still swirl around them. Let's dispel the ten most common myths to ensure you make informed choices about this permanent form of body art.

Here are 10 common myths about tattoos

Tattoos are Permanent and Cannot Be Removed:

While tattoos are designed to be permanent, advancements in laser technology now allow for effective tattoo removal.

Tattoos Always Fade Over Time:

While tattoos can fade, proper aftercare and sun protection can maintain their vibrancy for many years.

Tattoos Hurt Too Much:

Pain tolerance varies from person to person, and many describe the sensation as more uncomfortable than painful.

Tattoos are Unprofessional:

Attitudes toward tattoos in the workplace have become more accepting, especially in creative and modern industries.

You Can’t Donate Blood if You Have a Tattoo:

Many blood donation centers allow tattooed individuals to donate blood if they meet the required waiting period after getting tattooed.

Tattoo Ink is Unsafe:

Reputable tattoo parlors use FDA-approved inks and maintain strict hygiene standards to ensure safety.

Tattoos are Only for Certain Types of People:

Tattoos are a form of personal expression embraced by people of all backgrounds, professions, and ages.

You Can’t Get an MRI if You Have a Tattoo:

While some older inks contained metals that could react during an MRI, most modern inks are safe, and issues are rare.

Tattoos Have to Be Big to Look Good:

Small, intricate tattoos can be just as meaningful and aesthetically pleasing as larger pieces.

All Tattoo Artists are the Same:

  1. Getting a tattoo is more painful than giving birth to a child.

HAHAHA, this one really made me laugh!

FALSE: Absolutely false. Getting a tattoo is nowhere near as painful as giving birth to a child. When you get inked, it does hurt, but the pain while tattooing is nowhere similar to the one when a women delivers a baby. If at you wonder what it feels like to get a tattoo, then the best description for it is – it’s like scratching a bad sunburn, or when several ant bites you on one place, nothing more than that. It is painful, but not like childbirth.

2. Multicolored Tattoo Can’t Be Removed.

FALSE: It is however true that colors like yellow, white and pink are the most difficult to remove even with laser treatment also. But black colored tattoos can be removed with laser as they respond better to laser treatment. Also, the more pigments there are in a tattoo, the more likely it won’t be removed.

3. Tattoo guns contain only a single needle.

FALSE: Have you ever seen a tattoo gun? NO….. Actually, tattoo guns contain multiple needles which are grouped in odd numbers, which depends on how much coverage and shading the tattoo requires.

4. Scratching or peeling a healing tattoo won’t harm the final tattoo.

FALSE: However, scratching or peeling or pricking at a tattoo can even cause a permanent loss of pigmentation in those areas.

5. Applying a lot of ointment can heal a tattoo faster.

FALSE: In fact, applying a lot of ointment to a tattoo can cause bubbling at the surface of the tattoo and complicate the healing procedure because the skin can’t breathe due to too much of ointment on the area. Also, if you keep your tattoo too dry that can cause the skin to crack. So, there needs to be a medium application of ointment rather not too much not too less.

6. A medical- grade autoclave is always required to ensure the disinfection and sterilization of tattoo tools.

TRUE: In fact very true! A medical- grade autoclave is always required because boiling or disinfecting liquids are not the same and hence do not provide the same results as does the medical –grade autoclave.

7. Getting into a chlorinated pool with a tattoo will fade the colors.

FALSE: The truth is chlorine cannot get below the first layers of skin just like a needle and, therefore, chlorinated water cannot cause the colors to leak out or fade. And, and you don’t have to worry about chlorine fading your precious tattoo. However, make sure that you do not enter into a pool with an unhealed tattoo that is still oozing and raw, that’s all the precaution is!

8. With a tattoo donating blood is not possible.

FALSE: It is not true however, according to the American Red Cross, if you are tattooed at a parlor that uses proper sterilization and is state regulated, you can donate blood even immediately. On the other hand, you cannot donate blood until a completion of a year after getting inked.

9. You can always get a bad tattoo removed with laser.

TRUE: Yes, it is true that laser tattoo removal treatment is gaining popularity, but there are a few pointers to be considered. Firstly, it hurts… it literally hurts a lot! Secondly, it is very pricey affair, and moreover your area where you got inked will be left with a pretty visible scar. Most importantly, laser removal of tattoos depends on the quality of the ink used in the tattoo, if the ink used in your tattoo is of high quality then it may not completely vanish from your skin.

10. You can contract HIV/AIDs from tattooing.

FALSE: If you are getting tattooed at a parlor that uses proper sterilization and is state regulated, hygienic and clean and uses fresh new needles for every sitting, there is hardly any reason to worry about getting HIV. Just a precaution, everyone claims to be a tattoo artist these days, make sure you are not getting tattooed by a shady dude under a staircase of a bar, then the minimal chances of contracting diseases via tattoos are there.

11. Don’t get any water on your tattoo.

TRUE: Yes, you must not “soak” a new tattoo, only a gentle hand-washing of it is required in order to remove harmful bacteria from the healing tattoo. Make sure when you shower, just apply a little extra coating of ointment to the tattoo and avoid direct water splashing on it. Also, when done with bathing just blot off excess ointment. That’s all!

12. You are disease ridden if you have a tattoo.

FALSE: Absolutely false, nothing like that. As, having a tattoo has nothing to do with your state of health. In fact, few decades back it was believed that tattooing would spread HIV, hepatitis or other diseases. Today, there are many procedures for sterilization and even the industry is regulated, contracting HIV or any other disease is also nothing but a myth. Every professional artist uses sterile equipment before tattooing.

13. Tattoo loses its form when the body goes through a transformation.

FALSE: Losing or gaining weight is a huge body transformation. If your tattoo is not too detailed to begin with, losing weight will not change the look of your tattoo. Though, lines that run too closely together could blend and cause a distorted image that too a bit, but this is a very rare occurrence. Similarly, weight gain also causes minimal changes in each body area. The only problem with weight gain, however, is the possibility of stretch marks. If you get stretch marks in the area of your tattoo, then it will spoil your ink. And if the stretch marks are deeper than the damage will be more – and it is irreversible

14. Tattoo stays forever.

FALSE: Tattoo will generally not go like that, but the fact remains that tattoos are not as permanent as you think. It is highly likely that your tattoo will begin to fade as time passes especially due to too much sun exposure, or improper healing etc. However, there are still measures that slow down the fading of tattoo to some extent, but, it can’t be completely unavoidable.

15. Making a tattoo makes you look cool or gangster.

FALSE: No, it isn’t like that. No tattoo can make you look cool or gangster. Tattoo is just a type of art that is done on one’s body. It has nothing to do with making people look cool or gangster.

16. Tattooed people are hooligans.

FALSE: It is not like this. This is just a mindset of few who personally do not like getting inked or them who are inked that’s all. Stereotyping is a common habit amongst us all and eradicating it absolutely is not possible, but you go and get inked if you want……now is the right time to start.

17. Is it a good idea to show off your love through a tattoo?

FALSE: Actually it depends on situations, as such there is no problem in getting inked to declare your love for your partner as long as you are 100% sure that yes this is the one you are going to get along all your life. More often than not, at the spur of the moment thing may change, your own tattoo start to bring sadness to you whenever you will see it after the break-up. Well, I am not saying that you will surely get a break-up but just in case, when things start to turn sour it is a bad idea.

18. Getting a tattoo will make you look better.

FALSE: There is a famous saying, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” You may take tattoo a reason to make you look better, but that is not true, it only depends how you take beauty, what is the definition of beauty for you. That is all and nothing much. Your looks have nothing to do with your tattoo and vice versa.

19. Avoid exercising immediately after getting a tattoo.

TRUE: You should try to avoid exercises that may pull or stretch your newly tattooed skin. Like: if you got a new tattoo on your chest, there are certain weightlifting moves which may be irritating. Irrespective of the type of exercise you usually do, apply some moisturizer and cover the area with a bandage to reduce irritation and abrasion. Also, bathing just after your workout just to wash off any sweat and salt that can be potentially irritating. Finally, you should avoid contact sports until your tattoo is completely healed to reduce the risk of skin abrasion. Most importantly minimum gap of 48hours is a kind of must before working out after getting a tattoo.

20. Tattoo fades away when you get old.

FALSE: It is not true, however, tattoo needs maintenance. All you need to maintain your tattoo is to moisturize your tattoo at least once in a day. Make it a ritual.

21. One can get skin allergy and blood poisoning with tattoo.

FALSE: This is just a general mindset which people usually have that getting a tattoo can lead to skin allergies. There is nothing like that. If you get your tattoo done from the right artist and in the right hygienic conditions, it doesn’t create any problem.

22. People below 18 cannot get a tattoo.

1. Until 2004, tattooing was considered illegal in South Carolina.

2. Until 2006, it was illegal to get inked in Oklahoma.

3. Tattooing is still considered illegal in three countries, and those three countries are: Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

4. This is interesting, recent studies shows that adults with tattoos are more sexually active than those who are without it. So, you have chance to improve your sex life.

5. More often than not, people spell the word “tattoo” as “tatoo” and hence it becomes one of the most misspelled words in the English language.

6. Studies shows that 5% of Americans have had one tattoo covered up by another tattoo.

7. Studies says that 58% of women have at least one tattoo in their body, whereas, only 41% of men have one.

8. Women are twice as likely to get their tattoos removed if compared to men.

9. Black is the easiest color to remove when getting a tattoo laser removed, because it absorbs more laser waves. Whereas, green and yellow are considered to be the most difficult ones to remove.

10. A survey held in 2012 says that 58% – 59% of people with tattoos are women, and the most common tattoo designs they get are hearts and angels. Reference from: www.trendingtattoo.com

11. If you are thinking to get your inner lip tattooed than it is essential for you to know that it takes 3 days for inner lip tattoos to heal, it is because of the rapid regeneration of the cells. Also, that is the reason due to which tattoos in inner lips fades away or disappear completely in 1-5 years.

12. It is very important to know that an unsanitary tattooing practices can transmit diseases like syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV; however, there is still an actual case of HIV being transmitted via a tattoo application to be found.

13. It’s funny but true that 23% of people regret their tattoo designs, and the reason they regret is getting a name tattooed on their body. Just imagine, you get your body inked with your lover’s name and next year he/she is in somebody else’s life. Dipika Padukone is the best example for this…☺ ☺, well, you don’t as long as you are sure your partner is going to be with you forever. ☺ ☺

14. What do you think how these aspiring tattoo artists practice while starting an apprenticeship? No man, they don’t practice on the human body initially, it is risky re baba… ☺ ☺. They are usually made to practice on fruit such as Grapefruit, oranges, and lemons as these fruits have the closest texture to human skin

15. Tattoo numbing creams help relieve the pain, but in some cases these creams may disturb the inking process on the skin, and can affect and deform the visual result of the design because these creams often make the skin swell.

16. Do you know that Montana, Colorado and California are the states with the highest percentage of tattoo friendly people? Whereas, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Florida are the states with highest tattoo discrimination opinions.

17. Albeit, having most tolerant tattoo and piercing policies, only 8% government employees get themselves tattooed.

18. With 14% of all Americans, having at least one tattoo, the U.S. spends approximately $1,650,500,000 annually on tattoos.

19. In the US, Miami is the city where one can find the most tattoo shops, it is like about 24 shops for every 100,000 people. Whereas, Salina, and Kansas are the cities with the least tattoo shops like 2 shops for every 100,000 people.

20. Ankle area is the part of the body where most of the women get themselves tattooed, while men get themselves tattooed, most commonly on their arms.

21. The most expensive tattoo is done with half a carat diamonds, which are encrusted in the skin in place of ink. And the cost of the tattoo is $924,000. It is believed that no one has had it done yet.

22. Usually, the average cost of a small sized tattoo is $45 per hour, while the average cost of a big sized tattoo is approximately $150 per hour. Yes, most often tattoo artist charges hourly rates.