Love them or hate them, the tattoo trend isn’t slowing downanytime soon.
According to IbisWorld.com, the tattoo industry is expected to increase 4.6% in 2019, raking in around $1.7 billion. Yes, that is a “B” for billion.
With more and more people from across all economic, socialand educational backgrounds getting tattoos, some employers have changed theirstance on tattoos being visible in the workplace.
“We have a lot of interns that come in and have tattoos – half sleeves and full sleeves,” Director ofDowntown Experience Alison Hamling said. “It doesn’t change my perception ofthem as a person or employee.
“It does seem like more employers are open to hiring peoplewith tattoos.”
While tattoos have been around for thousands of years, thetattooing process and industry have come a long way.
More tattoo artists are moving away from old-school coil tattoo guns to new rotary guns, apprentice tattoo artist Zane Brugman with Project Ink’d Tattoo and Piercing Shop in Greeley said.
“Rotary machines allow tattoo artists to use cartridges withneedles rather than the traditional long needles,” Brugman said. “Rotarymachines make it easier to swap out needles and they are actually better forsanitation because you just get rid of the cartridge.”
Rotary machines are used in a more circular, constant fastmotion that keeps consistent pressure on the back of the needle, Brugman said.The process is smoother and less hard-hitting going into the skin thantraditional tattoo machines are.
“Rotary machines are less heavy and are easier on artists’ hands,” tattoo artist James Foster with 33 and 1/3 Tattoo Shop in Denver said. “These new rotary machines let me tattoo longer without my hand getting tired or cramped.
“Plus, they make tattooing less painful for the clients,” headded.
In addition to advancements in tattoo guns, artists haveseen vast improvements to ink styles and colors.
“There are a bunch of different styles of inks, like the UVstyle inks,” Brugman said. “You still have your standard colors, but now thereare brighter colors, pastels and just different variety of tones for eachcolor.”
The new inks stay in the skin longer and have less chancesof fading, Foster said.
People tattoo themselves for a variety of reasons. Whetherthey get inked to show pride, rebellion, love or something else, there’s astory behind every tattoo.
And much like any industry, tattoo artists see trends andfads come and go.
According to the online media company, Refinery 29, some ofthe popular tattoo trends people are expected to see in 2019 are hand and eartattoos, imperfect illustrations, larger tattoos and floral pieces.
“There are quite afew people wanting more realistic pieces,” Brugman said.
The growing popularity of tattoos has lead to the rise inregrets – helping boost business for laser tattoo removal technicians likeShelley Novello, owner of Ink-B-Gone, 124 W. 5th Ave., Denver.
Novello got into the tattoo removal business in 2006 afterher kids started getting inked.
Novello offers laser tattoo removal that over a number of sessionsremoves nearly all traces of a tattoo from the body.
“Lasers use light that are attracted to pigment,” Novellosaid. “The lasers breakup the pigment into tiny microscopic pieces that yourlymphatic and immune systems will pick up and carry away.”
The number of laser removal sessions and cost depends on avariety of factors such as size, type of ink used and color of tattoo.
Before laser removal, the only options for removing anunwanted tattoo was to surgery to cut them out or dermabrasion, a process that”sands” away the outer layers of skin to remove the surface and middle layersof a tattoo, Novello said.
When Novello first opened her business, clients sought her skills to remove old or highly visible tattoos. However, over the past few years, Novello has noticed a change in why her clients want a tattoo removed.
“I hear this all of the time, people go in to get a tattoo -which is meant to be permanent- but they go in there thinking ‘this is justtemporary because if I don’t like it, I can have it removed,'” she said. “WhenI come in on a Monday, I can’t tell you how many emails I have from peoplewanting tattoo removal because there’s a line or color they don’t like, or itdidn’t turn out how they wanted.
“They actually go in thinking that if they don’t like it,they can just get it taken off,” Novello added.
While the new inks and techniques are great for tattooartists, they can lead to longer removal times for laser technicians.
“The inks today are made a lot better than older inks andare much more difficult to break up and remove,” Novello said. “Some colorswon’t come out.
“Don’t go in and get a tattoo thinking ‘no problem, it’lljust come out,'” she added.
