No longer strictly desired by bikers and sailors, tattoos are attracting more people, making them more mainstream than ever.
A study by Leger Marketing showed that in 2002, more than one third of Canadians in the 18-34 age range had a tattoo, with the number growing each year. According to Statistics Canada, the majority of eligible Canadian voters in the 2012 census will have a tattoo.
“Tattooing is rampant right now, and from a respectable shop owner’s point of view, it is like a bad virus,” said Sondra Musa, the owner and operator of The Arthouse Inc. in Kensington.
The number of tattoo shops in Calgary has risen from approximately 30 shops in 2002, to over 100 today, not including basement shops. The proliferation of unregistered shops is due to the availability of the tattooing equipment, which is easily accessible by anyone, due to lack of strict regulations in Alberta.
“The busier tattooing gets, the busier tattoo removal will get. They go hand in hand,” said Musa.
Artists today who “aren’t good enough” to get hired at reputable locations, decide to open their own shop and start practicing, resulting in poor artwork. This along with tattoo visibility is one of the main causes of tattoo regret.
A large part of tattoo regret is people changing their mind about tattoos as they grow older.
Primarily, individuals who get tattooed at a young age end up feeling completely different about it a couple years down the road.
Crystal Scriven, a Gateway server, got her first tattoo at the age of fifteen. She has since decided that she doesn’t like it, but hasn’t considered getting it removed. “Tattoos are kind of like scars. You can have really ugly scars, and you can also have really ugly tattoos,” said Scriven.
While tattoos can be a great way to display something permanent on your body that you feel strongly about, they do require a rather significant thought process. Do your homework.
If you want to find out more about tattoo shops around the city, the Calgary Tattoo and Art festival is at the BMO centre from Oct. 14-16.
Tattoo artists from across the country, and around the world will feature their work.

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