If you thought tattoos were more of a “guy thing” — it turns out you were wrong. Statistics show there are more tattooed women than men. No wonder the most popular tattoos are angels and hearts. However, in the tattooing industry, there are more male tattoo artists than female ones — so that slightly balances the chart.
The word “tattoo” appears even in the Bible (“Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves.” Leviticus 19:28), and there is evidence of tattoos in ancient cultures. Excavations in Europe revealed tools used for tattooing from the late Paleolithic period (between 38,000 BCE and 10,000 BCE). The tattoo pen device was invented by Thomas Edison in 1876 — but the modern method of tattooing uses a tool called a “tattoo gun,” which starts with drawing the design on the skin, then applying it with the device.
During tattooing, the skin is punctured between 50 and 3,000 times per minute (crazy!). Common areas for tattoos are the shoulders and back, although almost any part of the body can be tattooed. The most painful areas for tattoos are under the armpit and above the waist — and if you’re not into pain, try the shoulder. It will hurt less there.
Want to remove a tattoo? Know that black ink is the easiest to remove — while green and yellow are the most difficult. Overall, removing a tattoo is more complicated than getting one. On average, only 20 percent of tattoos can be fully removed without leaving any marks. Removal also costs four times more than getting the tattoo, and the process is long and painful. If you’d rather try a temporary tattoo, you can go for “permanent makeup,” which lasts between 3 to 5 years. The difference between the two lies in the depth of the needle and the type of pigments used. Convinced?