Rather than being addicted to the physical chemicals produced in your brain while getting tattooed, you're likely addicted to the behaviour of getting tattooed. The chemicals are adrenaline and endorphins, and while they feel absolutely fantastic, it's pretty rare to have a physical craving for them.
You can experience an adrenaline rush from the process of getting your first tattoo, so adrenaline may be one of the reasons people go back for more tattoos. Some adrenaline-seeking behaviors might resemble compulsive or risk-taking behaviors often associated with drug addiction.
Tattoos can symbolize a life story. In some cases, tattoos help process traumatic life events, like loss of a family member or close friend. It can also be a personal adventure. Researchers around the world who study human behaviors have been interested in finding out what makes people modify their body.
Participants reported reasons such as “to keep my mother's memory,” “a way of honoring my first child,” and “presented what I was going through at a certain time of my life.” Some participants (12%) also felt that their tattoos were an extension or expression of who they were.
When you get a tattoo, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals that are produced by your body to relieve stress and pain. When released, they cause a euphoric feeling not dissimilar to a class of drugs called opioids.
Sharp or stinging pain can be described as many tiny bee stings. This kind of pain is usually quite intense, and it feels like the needle is poking deep into your skin. It's sometimes enough to make you want to move away from the tattoo needle!
“Tattooing starts at the body's first line of defense, the skin, and uses it as a canvas to physically bear witness to the assault experienced on body, mind, and sense of self. As such, it often visually and viscerally becomes a source of healing,” Suzanne Phillips, a psychologist, had explained.
It's not unusual for a person to change their mind after getting a tattoo. In fact, one survey says 75 percent of their 600 respondents admitted to regretting at least one of their tattoos.
Tattoos seem to be more popular with people who attained higher levels of education (32%) compared to those with lower education levels (26%). With 38% of adults aged 30-39 being tatted, older millennials are the most likely to get a tattoo.
Women with tattoos use tattooing as an attempt to enhance their body image. The ideal body construct was closely associated with the construct of “woman with tattoos” only in women with tattoos.
Psychiatric disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder, drug or alcohol abuse and borderline personality disorder, are frequently associated with tattoos. Finding a tattoo on physical examination should alert the physician to the possibility of an underlying psychiatric condition.
A study completed in 2007 in Germany evaluating tattooed and non-tattooed individuals using a Big Five Personality Inventory found that tattooed individuals scored higher on the subscale of extraversion, and lower on the subscale of neuroticism (Wohlrab, 2007).
Both men and women agreed that a man with a tattoo looked more masculine, dominant, and aggressive. The researchers concluded that "tattoos may have a dual function: They influence female preference, but also are likely to be important in male-male competition."
When you find it hard to focus and life feels overwhelming, getting any kind of tattoo and feeling the pain from the needle can help to focus your mind on one thing. Many of your other worries melt away in the process. It's a great stress reliever.
Research published in The British Journal of Dermatology found that the nanoparticles in tattoo ink are so small they can penetrate through the skin layers and into the bloodstream. These particles have potential toxic effects in the brain, cause nerve damage and may even be carcinogenic.
A study of 2,395 college students found a correlation between tattoos and self-esteem. And the more tattoos, the bigger the confidence boost. Respondents with four or more tattoos had significantly higher self-esteem than those with less. This was especially among those who reported a history of depression.
Keep in mind: Of the people we talked to (the majority being teenagers to twentysomethings), a whopping 78 percent regret at least one of their tattoos. And 19 percent of participants with two tattoos regret both.
Tattoos are not going out of style. As stigma wanes and quality standards improve, tattoos are steadily gaining popularity and social acceptance. Tattoos are also known to be part of various cultures going back over 6,000 years, so it is safe to assume that they will never fully go out of style.
One showed that tattooed people were perceived to be less honest, motivated, and intelligent; in another, 80% of HR managers and recruiters expressed negative feelings about visible ink on prospective employees.
Tribal Style Designs
Tribal style tats ranked as the most regrettable content choice overall, according to a survey of 600 people by Advanced Dermatology.
Key points. In a study, women rated tattooed men as healthier but not more attractive than men without tattoos. Men viewed tattooed men as more attractive but not healthier than men without tattoos. Women judged men with tattoos as worse potential parents and partners than men without tattoos.
Potential ways tattoos can positively impact mental health include: demonstrating a sense of commitment. encouraging camaraderie with others living with depression. increasing awareness about mental health.
Tattoo needles puncture the first two layers of the skin and deposit ink in the dermis. The reason for this is because the epidermis is continually regenerating. This happens naturally over time, and is helped along any time we exfoliate or use a brush on our skin or get a bad sunburn (peeling skin).
Those attracted to women saw a three-way tie between the upper back, shoulder and hips (with a 3.3 rating). The back: a top-rated tattoo location for women and men. The hip: a top-rated tattoo location for women. The upper arm: a top-rated tattoo location for men.