A tattoo past 50? But you don't think about it! This is perhaps what many would have thought a few decades ago, and probably still a few today. However, tattoos are not new, and in many cultures, this type of adornment as well as other forms of body modification have ritual importance and are therefore essential stages of a well-lived life. Only the democratization of tattooing as a purely aesthetic and expressive concept, and initially associated with a marginal or alternative way of life, has made it rather reserved for young people in our Western societies.
But as these once-alternative youths age and settle into more bourgeois lifestyles, their tattoos aren't going away. The sight of patterns inked on aged skin therefore normalizes year after year, as people with tattoos take to the bottle. Which is not without giving ideas to their withering friends, who are therefore more and more numerous to take the step of the first tattoo, even at an advanced age. Lower the taboos! So here are a few things to know about tattooing seniors, and the precautions to take before joining this painted cohort.
So, who and how do you get a tattoo when you are over 60? Demographically, it tends to be more of a female population, which takes the plunge once older. This is probably explained by the fact that the stigma associated with tattooing was even stronger for them than for men during their youth. So why not give in and get this tattoo, the mere thought of which would have been enough to make them die of shame when they were 20 years old?
For this population, the tattoos made tend to have a certain symbolic significance. Many opt for example to have surnames inked:those of their grandchildren for example, but also sometimes that of a loved one who has passed away, which naturally tends to happen more and more often with advancing age. We are far here from young people who practice stick and poke in a daze in the evening, this form of tattooing without a machine where the ink is introduced into the skin point by point, accessible to all but giving of course a more "amateur" result — what convicts and prisoners did and still do , with the means at hand.
No, seniors get tattooed by a professional in a salon, in line with the symbolic value they attach to this approach. These tattoos are not done lightly, and a certain ceremonial must therefore accompany them. It is also quite ironic to think that those who will have to live the longest with their tattoos are not necessarily those who think the most about having to spend the rest of their lives with these inscriptions on their skin. This is because older people get tattooed in a more intimate way, while the practice among young people is more determined by the gaze of others and external validation, both positive (a tattoo deemed beautiful or cool) and negative (a tattoo that will shock his peers).
As we have seen, the motivations of older people who get a tattoo are often symbolic. We most often want to remember an important person or event - even without having Alzheimer's! However, old age is a period that is often accompanied by major changes, not all of which are unfortunate like the loss of loved ones mentioned above. It is also a period when one reaches retirement, when one can indulge in hitherto neglected passions or travel, when one can separate or lose a spouse, but also meet new people and remarry... In short, this is not the last chapter of his life, but a new one, which should be filled with experiences of all kinds - and tattooing is one of between them par excellence.
In other words, the tattoo symbolizes a certain renewal in the lives of these seniors, who show at the same time that they are not as old-fashioned as one might think! And we know that seniors have the same needs to please and to please themselves as the rest of the population. They are also sometimes in the singles "market". A tattoo can help you look more beautiful. On this subject, there are also so-called cosmetic tattoos:procedures aimed at emphasizing the eyebrows or erasing certain spots and dermatological marks.
Because of its association in popular culture with youth and a certain more alternative way of life, tattooing also allows many seniors to exorcise their fear of aging. They reach an age when their skin withers and marks appear on it. Getting a pattern or an inscription inked on it is a way not so much to fight this aging of the skin, as to accept it and live with it, to prove to yourself that if the skin certainly changes, it is not for so ugly and incapable of being aestheticized.
A tattoo is for life... but that doesn't mean it will stay beautiful all the time. It is necessary to maintain it so as not to end up with a puffy and coarse work on the skin. The advice that follows is true for all tattooed people, whose skin is in any case getting old, but is all the more relevant for elderly people whose skin has already begun to show the signs of age. . The advantage, however, is that the skin is already marked, an elderly person getting a tattoo will avoid the unpleasant surprises that sometimes await the youngest when their body begins to wither.
The skin loses its suppleness with age. This means that in order for his tattoo to not lose any of its shine and sharpness, it needs to be properly maintained. For this, regular hydration with cream or body milk is essential. It will also be necessary to be wary of excessively prolonged exposure to the sun, and always protect the tattooed skin with cream, and preferably screen 50 – especially for a colored tattoo, whose shine could well fade in the sun. Even the chlorine present in abundance in certain swimming pools is an enemy of tattooing that you have to be wary of!
The condition of the skin is also something to consider when choosing the location of your tattoo. Some parts of the body are more prone to sagging skin than others. This is the case with those that are regularly bent, or the inside of the arms, which often tends to dangle in older people. We will therefore favor a part of the body where the skin remains quite tense:the calves and ankles, or the back for example. The tattoo is a sort of trauma inflicted on the skin, which becomes thinner and more fragile with age. Like a medical procedure, it therefore requires a body capable of regenerating itself, as it would with a scar. Discuss with your tattoo artist, especially about the desired pattern. Something too heavy, for example, might just prove too much for the skin to bear, and therefore result in a seemingly messy or sloppy result.
Finally, the aging of your tattoo also depends on the qualification of your tattoo artist:try to find out before choosing a salon. For this, nothing better than word of mouth:do not hesitate to ask the youngest already tattooed in your entourage. They may be surprised to learn that grandpa or grandma is thinking of getting a tattoo, but they should no doubt welcome it with enthusiasm! About tattoo artists, know that the tattoo world is not always very inclusive, and that some tattoo artists are unfortunately not trained to tattoo the darkest skins. It will therefore also be necessary to inquire beforehand, and do not hesitate to ask the question in a very frontal way.
Good news, however, it is a priori no more painful to get a tattoo at an advanced age than when you are young! It all depends on where the tattoo is placed, with some areas being much more sensitive than others — any where the skin is thin and/or lots of nerve endings congregate — and of course your own resistance threshold to pain — but this one doesn't particularly change over the years.
