Are tattoos addictive? Find out..


Bangalorean’s don’t need the intoxicants anymore to get high. With almost fifty tattoo artists in the city today it is obvious why tattoos are a hit. But what many may do not know is that getting inked once can be addictive. The tattoo artists also speak about this new kind of addiction – tattoo addiction.

The trend of tattoos which was previously seen mostly among music fanatics slowly spread to the outer word affecting everybody. Today, there is no dearth of clients for tattoo artists no matter which part of the day it is, their studios are mostly packed. Girish from Brahma Tattoos says, “I get my clients who often come back wanting for more. One of my clients has been coming to me for the last seven years, and I have already made close to 13 tattoos all over his body.” Girish has been in business for almost eight years now, and he has seen the change in the trend. “Earlier there were not as many people who wanted tattoos, now I get my customers in regular basis.” he adds.

When asked if getting tattooed is turning to be an addiction “Yes, it is,” replies Girish. “The first few times, people are kind of apprehensive because of the needles and other things that we use while tattooing, but something brings him back again, and again. Once a person gets done with his second tattoo, that’s when the addiction starts.” But what fuels the addiction? “The pain,” says Pradeep Menon, a tattoo artist, and the owner and proprietor of Dark Arts Tattoo Studio, Bangalore. With a valid explanation, Pradeep explains, “Just below the dead skin of the epidermis are special cells called epithelium. When you cut, burn, pinch, or tattoo into this layer, endorphins are released.”  He added, “Endorphins is the substance which gives you a kind of kick that people slowly get addicted to.”


And this is precisely why there are so many people in the city, irrespective of age who want to get inked. Some stop after a few tattoos, but there are others who don’t seem to get enough, like Rima, a student pursuing her B.Com in one of the city colleges. She got her first tattoo three years ago, and a year later she got her second and now she is back and wants to ink both her hands – one with a mermaid and the other with a butterfly. “It’s an art that never fades away. When I got my first tattoo I could have never thought that I will end up with so many of them.” says Rima who has a total of three tattooes showing off her designs. Nanu, a techie from the city who has seven tattoos still wants more. “I am going to Goa this December where I’m planning to cover my whole back with a tattoo. It is expensive but I’m ready to bare the expenses.” he says.

With a lot of young artists opening their studios in the city, there definitely is a huge demand among people for getting tattoos. Dominic Savio a tattoo artist and he has been in the business for more than a year. He says, "I get a lot of the clients coming for the second time and a lot of them keep coming. The urge to get a tattoo doesn't saturate easily.”

All’s well that’s inked well and with an array of outlets available too satiate one’s addiction, tattoos are much more than a trend. It’s after all, an art that does not fade away.