Tattoo as art | What is a tattoo | Nuances
Today you will not surprise anyone with tattoos on the human body. This no longer shocks, but intrigues and attracts the attention of others. It is very prestigious to have them now: if you have a tattoo, then you immediately seem to become an interesting person.
Tattoos not only change a person’s appearance, but also affect his health. Tattooing is a purely individual matter. And everyone decides for himself whether to do it or not. In this article we will try to figure out: diabetes and tattoo — is it compatible? How does a tattoo affect the human body?
Tattoo as art
The art of tattooing dates back several millennia. In ancient times, it was made in all corners of the world — from the Scythians of the Altai Mountains to the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. After the spread of Christianity, the attitude towards tattoos changed dramatically. This was perceived as a pagan rite. And the tradition of tattooing faded for almost a millennium.
Interest in the tattoo tradition was revived by James Cook, when in 1771 he brought a tattooed Polynesian from the island of Tahiti.
Since then, tattoos have become an attribute of sailors.
On land, only circus performers allowed themselves such liberties.
In the West, Martin Hildebrandt is considered the first tattoo artist. In the 1860s, during the Civil War, he began to tattoo signs of military affiliation on the bodies of soldiers. In order to make it easier to identify them in case of death. And after the war, in New York, he opened the first tattoo studio.
Among aristocrats, this hobby became popular and quite expensive at the turn of the 19th — 20th centuries. The Prince of Wales, during his visit to Japan in 1881, got himself a Dragon tattoo. That served to increase the popularity of the hobby around the world. Even the last emperor Nicholas II got a tattoo.
Despite the increased popularity of tattoos in aristocratic circles, this phenomenon was mainly characteristic of sailors, sex workers and criminals. But in the 50-60s, with the development of the countercultural movement among youth, everything changed. This art has reached a qualitatively new level of performance.
In 1981, tattoo in the Western world moved from small circles to popular culture. From this time on, the variety of styles in tattooing began to grow rapidly.
In Russia, the Soviet government quickly suppressed this method of self-expression, and the tradition migrated to prison. But lately, you will not surprise anyone with inked hands, back or whole body.
What is a tattoo?
Tattooing is pumping ink under the skin by pricking it with a special needle. It is a painful and dangerous process that can harm the body.
Theoretically, any intervention in the body from the outside cannot bring benefit to it.
The harm is as follows:
- if the skin does not heal for a long time, the process of ink rejection begins, which provokes the formation of ulcers and pustules on the body;
- no security guaranteed. In this regard, the spread of infectious diseases (hepatitis, syphilis, etc.) is possible. In general, tattooing can contract more than 22 diseases;
- tattoo ink contains lead and arsenic, which are harmful to health and contribute to the development of cancer. It was also revealed that certain groups of red ink contain mercury, while green and blue inks contain cobalt. These metals are highly toxic and carcinogenic.
- durability of application. High-quality tattoos are quite difficult to remove and sometimes a skin graft is needed for this, after which scars remain.
Scientists have found that even temporary tattoos are dangerous to human health. The greatest danger is permanent tattooing with black ink. After applying this ink, eczema and dermatitis may develop on the body, as well as the development of cancerous tumors.
Scientists from Alabama claim that tattoos improve the immune status. It turns out that people with tattoos are better at fighting infections.
And scientists from Michigan have found that sweating on tattooed areas of the body is halved.
And, if the body is completely covered with tattoos, then with prolonged exposure to the sun, there will certainly be heatstroke.
Can diabetics get tattoos? It is possible, if the diabetes is well compensated and the doctor does not prohibit it. But, you need to know that tattoo artists sometimes deny diabetics their services. Because they don’t want to take responsibility for the possible consequences of tattooing.
Nuances
If you nevertheless decided to make yourself a “tattoo”, the doctor did not reveal any contraindications and the artist agreed to do it, then you need to observe several important nuances:
- compulsory sterilization of instruments in an autoclave. You should not trust the usual alcohol treatment;
- use of single-use paint and done by an artist wearing disposable gloves;
- do not ink tattoos at insulin injection sites.
The tattooing process is quite painful, therefore, such changes occur in the body of a diabetic as:
- adrenaline rush;
- increased blood sugar;
- increased symptoms of the disease.
Therefore, it is necessary to have insulin with you (for type 1 diabetes).It is better to make a tattoo of a small size, which can be done in one visit to the artist. And at the same time, remember that the tattoo will take much longer to heal — 6-8 weeks.
A tattoo is always a risk of blood poisoning. The risk of contracting an incurable disease. Therefore, it should be done only by a professional in this matter, and not by an amateur. And before deciding on a tattoo, be sure to consult your doctor.
I’d like to hear the opinion of readers about tattoos. Would you like to make a fashionable tattoo? Or do you already have it?
