Tattoos gaining acceptance, popularity in mainstream culture

As the weather begins to warm up, Winston-Salem State students begin flaunting their personal designs, saying good-bye to clothing and hello to tattoos.

 Tattoos are permanent designs, carved in the skin with needles and ink and can be very painful. 

"It [getting my tattoo] hurt really bad and it was annoying," said Damien Smith a junior social work major from Rowland. 

"I just wanted it to be over." 

The price of a tattoo varies from size and the location the tattoo is going on the body. 

 A tattoo artist from Kingpin Studio on West Lee Street in Greensboro said, "Our basic minimum price for a tattoo is $40, but it still depends on the location [on the body]."  

People with darker complexions need to use darker colored ink, because lighter ink colors aren't as visible.

It can take two to three weeks or in some cases longer for a tattoo to heal depending on the size. Burning and tingling sensations are common for the first week. The tattoo will properly heal as long as the person is following the correct care procedures.  

"I want to get a tattoo over the summer but I don't take pain very well," said Kendall Balknight a junior mass communications major from Charlotte. 

"I see a lot of students with tattoos on campus and think many people try to impersonate what they see on television," Balknight said. 

Celebrities like Angelina Jolie and 50 Cent showcase their tattoos in films and music videos. Tattoo reality television shows like "L.A Ink" and "Miami Ink" on the TLC channel show viewers what it's like to be in the shoes of a tattoo artist. 

"Television shows glam up tattoos, and therefore have made them more popular in general to young adults," Smith said.  

Tattoos have become more acceptable and are now easier to obtain. According to a "U.S. News & World Report" article there are an estimated 20,000 tattoo parlors operating in the United States and on average a new establishment is being added every day.

" I don't see tattoos being more popular in the last decade than they are now," said Leo Morrissey the associate professor of art. 

"It depends on the location, like Cincinnati for example or another urban area where tattoos are more acceptable," Morrissey said.

"Men have more visible tattoos while many women tend to have tattoos in discreet locations but I think men and women are equal when it comes to having tattoos."

Some tattoos bear personal meaning, and others may lead to regret. 

In some cases people even design their own tattoos.

"I have five tattoos and was 25 years old when I got my first one; I drew all of my tattoos and have not experienced any regret," Morrissey said. 

He also said the only visible tattoo he has is located on his forearm and that getting his tattoos was not very painful. 

"My first and only tattoo is of a Capricorn, which is my zodiac sign. 

I decided to get it on my birthday to celebrate turning 20 years old," Smith said. 

"I highly doubt I will ever experience regret for my tattoo unless for some reason my birthday isn't really my birthday." 

When people decide they are no longer happy with a tattoo, laser removal treatment is an option.  

However, it can be costly, time consuming and uncomfortable. 

According to a "New York Times" article, Catherine A. Kniker, a senior vice president for Candela, a laser manufacturer, calculated that Americans might have 100,000 laser tattoo removal treatments this year.