Going further

The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian "tatau", which means to mark, to draw or to strike. The root "ta" means "drawing" and "atua" means "spirit, god". Dr Berchon, translator of Cook's second voyage to Tahiti in 1772, was the first to use the word tattoo; it was turned into the French "tatouage" at the end of the 1700s. Tattooing has been practised for several thousand years all over the world. It can be done for symbolic, religious or aesthetic reasons.

Ink is injected under the skin with needles. The skin is made up of three layers (epidermis, dermis and hypodermis), and the ink is deposited between the dermis and the epidermis. The depth of the puncture varies from 1 to 4mm depending on skin types and parts of the body, the thickest areas being the back, the elbows and the knees, for example.

Are we all equal when it comes to tattooing?
How colours look (and black too) varies with the skin's natural pigmentation: colours will be brighter on light, thin skin, unlike very dark to black skin.

There is also the risk of allergies: latex, plasters, etc. Talk to your tattoo artist about it before any procedure.

"Problem" skin calls for particular attention, and sometimes a contraindication to tattooing; talk to your dermatologist if in doubt:

• Acne:
  Acne-prone skin should be treated before considering a tattoo. Some treatments dry out the skin, can cause itching and slow down healing: tattooing is therefore not recommended.
• Psoriasis and eczema:
  A tattoo puts stress on the skin and may therefore trigger a flare-up in people who already have these conditions. Treatment with cortisone rules out a tattoo. You need to wait several months after the end of an eczema or psoriasis flare-up before tattooing the affected area.
• Vitiligo:
  When tattooing, colours will be brighter on the depigmented areas and more "classic" where melanin is still present. Be careful: a tattoo may possibly trigger a flare-up of vitiligo.

• Moles:
  They must not be tattooed but worked around, because a tattoo could make it harder to monitor any change in them. Freckles, which are flat, pose no medical problem to being tattooed.
• Skin cancer:

Full black should be avoided so as not to hinder monitoring by a dermatologist, if they have given their approval for a tattoo.

• Scars:
  They can be tattooed if they are old enough (at least one year). Keloids (raised overgrowths of scar tissue) rule out tattooing completely.
• Sun:
  A tattoo ages along with the skin. To protect your tattoo or tattoos, avoid exposure to UV (and use a high-protection sunscreen). Regularly applying a moisturising cream is also a good way to look after them.

The quality of the inking and of the inks, as well as the care given during healing and afterwards, determine the "lifespan" of the tattoo.

Placement also needs to be taken into account, because skin does not keep the same firmness all over the body.
The style of the design is another factor: the finer the line, the more it will fade over time; the same goes for colours, which inevitably lose their vividness after a few years (especially if exposed to the sun).

If it is too small and detailed, there is a good chance it will turn into a greyish blur over the years.

So we can say that the pieces that best stand the test of time are those that
contain few details, thick lines, airy linework, and possibly large areas of solid colour with little shading, properly inked. Japanese, old school and new school styles are very good examples.

Skin can also shift with significant changes in weight (loss or gain). You therefore need to take this into account before booking an appointment.