Tattoos on the Rise
We have always found creative ways to express ourselves, tattoos allow us to express our story, interests, and feelings in a permanent visual representation for all the world to see. Most countries have been tattooing for ages, some are found on the mummified corpses of ancient Egypt. On the flipside; in South Korea tattoos are illegal, and those who get tattoos typically get shunned by their families.
In America, there are 15000 Tattoo parlors that bring in about $2.3 billion in annual revenue. In the past tattoos were not widely accepted, especially when applying for jobs. However today anyone with a tattoo can have just about any job even if you cannot cover it up.
Even in our classrooms, teachers and students have tattoos. In one of my classes, half of the students have tattoos.
Senior Amy Marchese said, “It’s meaningful to me because it is a quote from a song that really speaks to me and influences my life.”
Science Teacher Brian Pichola said, “ I got my tattoo as a present to myself for my 21st birthday, but I didn’t know what I wanted so I waited until I was 26. The hardest part of the process was sitting still, so I read a good book. They say once you get one tattoo you will want another, however I have not. I plan to get another as a reward for reaching my goal.”
Americans who have a tattoo- 23%
Women who have a tattoo- 19%
Men who have a tattoo- 36%
18-25 year olds who have a tattoo- 38%
30-39 year olds who have a tattoo- 11%
50-64 year olds who have a tattoo- 50%
Getting a tattoo is not as simple as one may think, it could take several sessions. It may be “permanent” however bright colors fade (requiring more sessions) and there is now the technology to laser the ink out of your skin.
A tattoo is a labor of love, the artist takes as long as they need to bring a vision to life on a flesh canvas.
Average cost of a tattoo per hour- $80 to $100
Per hour cost of a tattoo in Brooklyn, N.Y.- $150 to $350
Cost of a laser tattoo removal session- $200
Sessions needed to remove a tattoo- 10 to 15...(10x$200=$2000), (15x$200=$3000)
Increase in tattoo removals over the last year- 32%
The lessons I have learned from other people’s tattooing experiences are, 1; you should want the tattoo for at least a year before you get it, 2;pick a tattoo artist that can truly execute your vision.
