PicoBlog

Trigger warning: Themes of self harm.

There have been mixed opinions on tattoos since the beginning, however as well as being ‘alternative’, some people now consider them a form of self-harm, with others turning to them as a substitute.

Modern day tattoos started in New York City, when Martin Hildebrandt, the first professional tattoo artist, set up his tattoo studio in the mid-19th century. During this time, people with tattoos were thought of as having a ‘criminal character’. This opinion is still around today, with tattooed people still sometimes struggling to get a certain job.

However, some people have a very positive opinion of tattoos. From a tribute to a loved-one, to expressing your aesthetic, people love getting them. It’s well-known that getting a tattoo can be painful, with some people refusing to get one solely due to the pain it may cause. However, others describe the feeling as being therapeutic, but is this due to it being a self-inflicted type of pain? Some who battle with mental illness turn to self-harm because inflicting pain on themselves and being able to control the amount of pain they feel can create a sense of euphoria. Can the same be said for when you get a tattoo?

To some, pain can be addictive. This is down to that feeling of euphoria. Those who suffer with mental illness usually have a chemical imbalance, and so when this pain is inflicted, their hormones can change, and this alters the chemicals in the body, leading to different feelings. The hormone Cortisol is stress related, and when it’s low, it leads to feeling sluggish or detached. Self-harm boosts this hormone, and so gives the body a quick sense of excitement, explaining why self-inflicted pain, whether that’s self-harm or tattoos, can be addictive.

Tattoo fans will often find TikToks on their For You page that ‘joke’ about how getting a tattoo is ‘like self-harm but you get a cute tattoo as a “reward” at the end’. Though, there is a positive to this outlook of tattoos, which is that they can be used as a substitute to self-harm, and people chasing the same feeling or recovering can turn to a safer, more positive act.

A tattoo can be seen as a permanent ‘scar’, but instead of one caused by self-harm, it can be seen as a positive, and can even act as a happy memory for the person, for example if it was their first time getting a tattoo. People can get a tattoo(s) showing their growth, journey in life, or difficult times that they have overcome. This includes surviving self-harm. Tattoos can also cover up old scars, so can be helpful to those trying to move past a dark stage in their life.

Olivia Callaghan is a mental health blogger who has bipolar disorder. She now uses tattoos to cover her self-harm scars from the past. In her words, Olivia describes tattoos as ‘something beautiful to cover up the negative.’ She described getting the scars covered on her right arm as an ‘extremely emotional and life-changing moment.’ Olivia is a great role model to those dealing with mental-health related issues, and shows that there is alternatives, whether that’s from getting tattoos or another way to find beauty or art, or anything that will bring a piece of positivity into your day.

If you are battling with self-harm, here are some links you might find helpful:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/if-you-want-self-harm/ 

https://www.priorygroup.com/mental-health/self-harm-treatment

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