attention-seeking, rebellious, risk-taker: the personalities most likely to be inked
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a tattoo can kick off infection, allergic reactions and blood-borne diseases caused by dirty equipment, poor tattooing practices and bacteria-tainted dyes. getty
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people get tattoos for many reasons, including marking a milestone, commemorating a life transition, memorializing a lost loved one, or covering scars. perhaps they just want to carry a pretty flower or work of art around with them forever. regardless, more people than ever are going under the needle — nearly 40 per cent of canadians have at least one tattoo.
studies have found that the typical profile of a person who gets a tat is extroverted, attention-seeking, often rebellious and prone to risk-taking. still others want to prove their mettle, as in, “i sat through all the pain to get this tat so i must be tough.”
dr. alexandra zidenberg, post-doctoral researcher at mcgill university and incoming assistant professor at king’s university college, says some people report a higher need for uniqueness, while others value their esthetic quality.
watch any pro sport and you’ll see a rogue’s gallery of body bling, from colin kaepernick’s 13, to lebron james’ 16, david beckham’s more than 40, and natasha kai’s 60. musicians, too, are commonly branded: justin bieber has over 60 tattoos, bif naked 75, and blink-182 drummer travis barker boasts some 100 images covering 70 per cent of his body, including on his head, neck and face.
clearly some people can get hooked — enough to warrant a british tv series called my tattoo addiction. but according to zidenberg, getting inked is more likely to be a one-off event.
“appreciating them for their esthetic quality, or wanting to continue telling your story, is more of a motivation [for] getting several,” she says. “it wouldn’t be a clinical [addiction] issue unless it was causing the person distress or interfering with their life.”
we like the pain of a tattoo
zidenberg — who herself has eight tattoos — says the allure of a tat may be less psychological and much more about the physical effect.
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“the pain of it releases endorphins, like a runner’s high, which make you feel good afterwards,” she says.
in fact, according to dr. rike moon writing in science world, your body interprets the needles puncturing your skin as a form of trauma or injury, which activates the sympathetic nervous system causing a rush of adrenaline that releases the endorphins, your body’s natural pain relievers.
toronto-based tattoo artist curt montgomery, who’s inked many a famous flesh, including halsey, joe jonas and sophie turner with his minimalist style, says if there’s any “type” of person who covets tattoos, his experience is that they’re easy going and often chatty, perhaps confirming the extrovert theory.
“for some people, it’s like their gym or running or social time,” he says. “it becomes an event for them. i personally couldn’t get addicted because it hurts. i have about 60, and i think i’m done — i’m almost 42 years old!”
he says popular requests include images of hands in various positions, floral work, and lettering. one repeat customer wanted all the characters from the dungeons and dragons game on his ribs.
“i don’t ask why — i just want to make sure the spelling’s right,” he says.
from dungeons and dragons to picasso
the longest single tattoo session for montgomery was 12 hours on a woman from chicago who wanted 13 picasso illustrations on one arm. he also says he’s etched a lot of butt cheeks as well as one breast, which he says he probably won’t do again because the skin is so thin and sensitive. surprisingly, he says head and face skin is a snap.
“it’s harder to lay the stencil because the hair follicles are a bit coarser than other places on the body. you want a really tight pull on the skin,” he says. “once that’s on, the skin is extremely easy to work on. but it’s a big risk because if it goes wrong and then that’s on somebody’s face or head [forever]. it’s like tight-rope walking on people’s skin every day.”
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the downsides of tattoos
for some people, a tattoo can kick off infection, allergic reactions and blood-borne diseases caused by dirty equipment, poor tattooing practices and bacteria-tainted dyes — sometimes years after getting stamped.
just this past january, the european union instituted new regulations on tattoo inks to reduce health risks. and next year, there will be bans on green and blue pigments, which could limit the types of tats artists can do. the u.s. fda is considering the same restrictions, while in our country, tattoo inks are not specifically approved by health canada, leaving the responsibility up to the manufacturers or importers to meet the requirements of the cosmetic regulations laid out in the food and drugs act, which maintains an ingredient hotlist.
“as far as i know, it’s a thing of the past where they would add not the safest things,” says montgomery. “a friend’s uncle got a tattoo in the late ‘50s and they used green carpet dye. i don’t think [any artist with] knowledge of ink would use cheap or suspect inks.”
tired of your tat?
studies reveal that women are more than twice as likely as men to have their tattoos removed. after all, what was meaningful at age 18 may not be at 60. if you’re tired of your tat, be prepared for a procedure that takes longer than it did to do the tattoo in the first place. it requires several sessions, up to an hour each, a few months apart, spanning two years or more, at a cost ranging from about $200 to $1,500, depending on the size of your stamp. there are currently three methods for removal: laser surgery, surgical removal, and dermabrasion. each one, usually done under local or topical anesthesia, can leave a scar or skin discolouration, and infection is also a risk. and while it’s usually the job of a dermatologist, some tattoo shops specialize in removal with the advent of new laser technology and specific training.
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you can minimize that misery by thinking very carefully about adorning your dermis. do the research to find out what’s involved, with both the inking and de-inking. you might even want to try a temp tat or henna first, which starts to fade after a few weeks (although health canada recommends avoiding black henna ink).
are tattoos a career killer or booster?
the beauty (or not) of body art is in the eye of the beholder, and research shows older generations tend to view them negatively, more so if that art marks a neck or face. plus, some professions, such as finance, legal, education and health care, are not particularly welcoming to those with tats.
surprisingly, psychologists with tattoos were judged more positively, says zidenberg, who conducted recent research in this area.
“i ran the statistics on that paper about three times to make sure it wasn’t a mistake,” she says. “it struck a chord with many people in the psychology and other medical professional communities, about professionalism and what makes someone professional. study results show having a tattoo is no longer as detrimental as it perhaps once was, or there’s more of a desire for tattoos to have wider acceptance.”
zidenberg adds that some potential clients view therapists with a visible tattoo as a sign of openness, confidence, competence and authenticity.
“our study shows it’s not the career death sentence that a lot of people think it is,” she says. “at least not in psychology.”
robin roberts is a vancouver-based writer.
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