Tattoos, a trend considered taboo 20 years ago, have become mainstream over the past decade.
Summer and spring are the most popular seasons to get tattoos because there’s so much skin being shown off. Eastern Michigan University students have easy access to a surplus of tattoo parlors located in Ypsilanti, many within walking distance of campus.
Dawn Cooke, a tattoo artist at Depot Town Tattoo who has been tattooing for 14 years, said the summertime is always a busy time for tattoo shops. Now that getting inked is slowly becoming a social norm, she said customers should take into consideration how tattoos are perceived in the professional world, especially for college students.
“I believe people should consider their career options when deciding on the location of a tattoo,” Cooke said. “Visible tattoos tend to limit employability, and I try to discourage people from getting hand and face tattoos, sometimes even going as far as refusing to do the work. In this economy, where so many people are looking for jobs, having visible tattoos could automatically disqualify you for a job you could be well qualified for.”
Evil Dave from Liquid SwordZ tattoo parlor also said he tries to discourage face and hand tattoos, feeling that society just hasn’t quite begun to accept tattoos in visible places especially in the workplace. Being that a lot of their clientele are college students, cover-ups are at the top of many artists’ list of tattoo work, and many are generally bad work and of significant other’s names.
A newly popular location for tattoos for males and females clients is now the rib cage but it is a painful place. Cooke said females have grown tired of the negative connotations attached to the infamous tramp-stamp, and that’s why a lot of females now stray away from that location. For the guys, getting a whole or a half-sleeve tattoo is what’s in.
Tattoos are permanent, but they can be removed. The process is expensive and very painful, more painful than the tattoo itself.
Evil Dave said, “If you’re going to get it done, get it done right.”
To view Evil Dave’s work along with the other artists go to liquidswordz.biz/ and view Cooke’s work at DepotTownTattoo.com.
Tips for summertime tattoo care are:
• Stay away from standing water like hot tubs and direct sunlight until it heals.
• Use antibacterial soap and a scentless lotion like Jergens to provide moisture.
• For healed tattoos, use sun screen to protect your color.
• Never pick, peel or scratch a tattoo during its healing process.
• Wear loose clothing to prevent rubbing that can cause damage.
