Do you know what body art is? This is the art that is made on the human body. Some of them are temporary, while others are permanent.
There are many forms of body art that are done all over the world. But hardly any of them is as popular as a tattoo. This is one of the most popular forms of body art across the world.
If you are someone who is new to the world of tattoos, there are a few things that you should know.
Tattoos: The History
Tattoos are a form of modification that are permanent. These are done with needles and ink. The inks or dyes are inserted on the upper layers of the skin in order to leave a mark (literally) on the body.
Getting the first tattoo can be painful for some people. But there are many who get most parts of their body covered with tattoos.
Even though this is a form of art, many cultures and societies around the world have a prejudice against tattoos. They are considered taboos. This is especially in the case of Asian and East Asian countries. This is because of the association of tattoos with the Japanese Mafia Yakuza.
If you are someone who is planning to get their first tattoo done, you should be aware of the advantages and the disadvantages of getting inked.
Advantages Of Tattoos
1. Form Of Self-Expression
Tattoos are one of the best forms of self-expression. It is a great way for people to let their personalities come out without even saying anything. You can write a quote that you relate to or draw your favorite character from a cartoon that you hold close to your heart. Your body will act as a blank canvas for you to paint.
2. Boost Self-Confidence
Many people have claimed to become more confident after getting tattooed. People who generally are shy and do not communicate much because of their low self-confidence often seem to become confident after getting their tattoos.
3. Ice Breaker
It has been seen that many times tattoos have become the reason for the initiation of conversation. This can be between two people who share their love for tattoos or between someone who likes tattoos and someone who is interested in design.
4. A New Community
Did you know that there is a whole different community of tattoo lovers? If you like to get inked, you might be pleased to know that it can open the door to a new community.
Tattoos are a form of lifestyle for some people. People who share a love for tattoos easily connect with other tattoo lovers.
5. Speaks For You
There are people who like to get the image of the things they like tattooed on their bodies. If you are close to something, you can just get that tattooed on your body.
For example, there are lawyers with tattoos of the scale of justice on their back. When they meet new people, they will be able to tell that the person with the tattoo might be a lawyer.
Disadvantages Of Tattoos
1. It Can Limit Your Career Choices
Because tattoos are considered taboo in many areas, they have been looked down upon by many societies. This is the reason why in many professional sectors having tattoos is not favored. In many areas, there are no-tattoo policies. While in some sectors, people with tattoos are asked to hide or conceal them.
2. Something Permanent
People get tattooed because it is something permanent. However, this can also become a disadvantage for many people.
You may change, but your tattoo will remain. This means even if you go through a personality change and cannot relate to your old self, your tattoo will remain the same.
3. Ink Allergies
There are many people who develop allergies, and their skin reacts badly to the ink. These are the ink allergies. People who have sensitive skin are more prone to developing these allergies.
4. Health Risks
This is something that everybody knows. So we kept it for the last.
There are many health risks that are associated with tattoos. There have been cases where because of the use of unsanitized needles and other tattoo equipment, people get several transmittable diseases, as deadly as AIDs.
Tattoos In the Workplace: Can Lawyers Have Tattoos?
As we have already said before, tattoos are considered some form of taboo in most societies. This is the reason why it has the disadvantage of limiting the range of career choices. This is where the prejudice lies.
In the United States, for example, there is discrimination based on tattoos in the workplace. In other words, if you have a tattoo, then the employers can fire you or refuse to hire you. And it is all legal.
There are many conservative professions in the world, and law is one of them. Earlier it was mandatory for people who were working in the judiciary to not have tattoos. But everyone is trying to change a little with time.
Now, the policies regarding tattoos have been revised. No matter what position a lawyer holds or how much money lawyers make, if they have a tattoo, they will have to cover it.
To expand the idea, if there is a tattoo on your body and you are a lawyer, you will have to make sure that the tattoo is not visible.
This no visibility policy regarding tattoos is made to provide the freedom to lawyers to do what they want with their bodies as well as maintain the decorum of the job.
Final Words
One of the most famous and popular body art is tattoos. Though these are considered taboo in most parts of society, there are many people who love to get inked. Tattoos are not a new phenomenon. Rather it has been around for a very long time. Even Charles Darwin has mentioned tattoos in his book.
There are, however, many advantages as well as disadvantages of tattoos. While it can be an ice breaker and acts as a form of self-expression in most cases, it can also affect you negatively.
As they are not looked upon with open-mindedness, they can limit their chances of getting a job. For example, there are different types of lawyers but all of them have to abide by the policy of no visibility when it comes to tattoos. Apart from that the health risks that are associated with tattoos are also well known.
Read Also: How can you make your career in civil engineering more promising?
