Thursday  Jul 28, 2005

Q: What is a Five-Year Tattoo? A: A Scam!

From our friend Jessica:

I spoke to a woman the other day who said her sister had a five-year tattoo. Wow, I thought, that’s sort of a good idea. But how would it work, would it fade slowly, or disappear right around five years?

The answer is somewhat disturbing. So called semi-permanent tattoos are the same as regular tattoos, though the artists claim to tattoo lightly so as to place the ink close to the top of the skin. Dermatologists agree, however, that this makes no significant difference. If the ink is under the skin, it will remain there. These tattoos will most likely fade more quickly than other tattoos, but generally unevenly, leaving scarring and a bad looking design.

Dr. Arthur Morris, a plastic surgeon, says, "A tattoo only lasts if it goes into the dermis [the layer of cells below the epidermis]. In other words, there is no possible middle ground." In the same article, Lal Hardy, a secretary for the A.P.T., is quoted as saying, "Professional tattoo studios won't go near these so-called temporary tattoos. It is hairdressers and market stalls who are doing them. The people doing it may even believe the tattoos are temporary, but those getting them are guinea pigs."

Even more distressing, many people chose designs that they think they won’t have forever- like a practice tattoo. They are left with scarring, and an inferior design.

If you want a tattoo that will not remain, the options are stick-on tattoos (those using rice paper are considered the best), or henna.

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