Craze for permanent tattoos on the decline

Craze for permanent tattoos on the decline

Remember the period when one out of every ten youngsters got permanent tattoos? Well, now the trend — and craze for permanent tattoos — has gone down considerably.

While Sekar, the owner of a leading tattoo store in Chennai, attributes it to the fact that corporates sometimes do not recruit people with tattoos, college youngsters cite relationship issues. "The number of youngsters who get tattoos that display the names of their loved ones has come down. They have perhaps realized that in case of bad relationships, they will have to get the tattoos removed," says Nivetha, a final year engineering student.

Shaan, who owns a tattoo store in Besant Nagar, offers a different perspective. He says, "College students probably don't get a tattoo done because they encounter problems during the visa process, where health concerns are raised."

Joel, who has just entered college, feels that youngsters now have newer things to experiment. "As the craze for tattoos has come down, college goers are not interested in what has already come and gone."

Many college girls feel that it is much better to get temporary tattoos than get a permanent one and regret it later as they are unsure of what they want. Experts cite reasons like increased awareness towards allergic reactions and skin infections to account for the reduction in number of people opting for permanent tattoos.

However, there a few who still swear by permanent tattoos. Shivangi, a final year student, recently got a permanent tattoo that reads 'maa om paa'. She says, "It is my way of letting my parents know how much they mean to me. It's like my good luck charm." So, will permanent tattoos make a comeback? "You can never predict youngsters," signs off Shaan
.