Tattoo as art, the drivers behind the fascination and the decision to become tattooed

Gender Differences in Subjective Pain Perception during and after Tattooing

Background: The aim of the research was to analyse the impact of gender on pain perception during and directly after tattooing, with the following predictors as covariates: the body area chosen for a tattoo, the character of the pain, the time it takes to complete the tattoo, bleeding, the level of stress, analgesics taken before the tattooing procedure, and the cycle phase. Methods: A total of 1092 participants took part in this study (F: 863, M: 229). A proprietary survey was used in the research, including patient characteristics and questions relating to the above-mentioned variables. Multiple regression analyses were used for continuous outcomes and multiple logistic regression analyses for binary outcomes. Results: Factors increasing pain during tattooing include: time B: 0.35; 95% CIs: 0.27–0.43; p = 0.001; bleeding B: 0.36; 95% CIs: 0.00–0.72; p = 0.052; level of stress B: 0.45; 95% CIs: 0.31–0.60; p = 0.001; pain medications taken before tattooing B: 1.42; 95% CIs: 0.60–2.23; p = 0.001. Factors increasing pain after tattooing include: time B: 0.21; 95% CIs: 0.15–0.27; p = 0.001; bleeding B: 0.47; 95% CIs: 0.20–0.72; p = 0.001; level of stress B: 0.15; 95% CIs: 0.04–0.26; p = 0.001. Conclusions: There was no difference between females and males in pain intensity during tattooing. Directly after the procedure, however, pain intensity was higher in women when compared to men. The most important factors increasing pain were time, bleeding, and the level of stress.

Tattooed and Non-Tattooed Women: Motivation, Social Practices and Risk Behavior

Abstract This study aimed at identifying motivations, risk behavior and social practices, comparing tattooed and non-tattooed women. 316 women (50% tattooed) were surveyed online, answering questions on sociodemographic data, social practices, motivations, and risk behavior. Data collection strategies included snow-balling, social networks, personal contact, and visits to tattoo parlors. The main results indicate that the majority of women express satisfaction with their physical appearance after getting tattooed, and wouldn’t get the tattoo removed. Being tattooed correlated with risk behaviors such as casual sex with unknown people, alcohol and drug use, and psychopathology. The sample presented more similarities than differences between tattooed and non-tattooed groups, suggesting that growing popularization and social acceptance of tattooing has led to a decrease of the differences between the groups. Such results may inform future research and the production of informative materials aimed at demystifying negative stereotypes associated to tattoos.