A tattoo is a permanent or a temporary marking done by inserting ink into the layers of the skin to create desired patterns on the skin. It is highly popular among both men and women around the world. Body tattooing was also popular in the ancient culture. Body tattoos were considered as a mark of identity among people belonging to different tribes and communities.
TEMPORARY TATTOOS:
As the name suggests, such tattoos last temporarily on the skin.
Temporary tattoos look as real as permanent ones and can be tried before choosing a real one. Temporary tattoos can be painted, drawn, or airbrushed, but most of the time these are transferred to the skin. Temporary tattoos are used for numerous purposes like self-expression, identification, and advertising.
Let us check out different methods of applying temporary tattoos on the skin
1) Transfer tattoos: Temporary transfer tattoos are made of ink and glue and are applied on the outer surface of the skin. A temporary tattoo is made of five elements. A front sheet, a back sheet, paint, glue and a plastic film.
How does a temporary transfer tattoo work?
The front sheet has the image printed with different inks. A layer of glue is applied over it and covered with a thin plastic sheet that protects the image and the glue. The back sheet is left as it is.
How to apply a transfer tattoo?
Applying transfer tattoo on the skin is a very easy process. All you need to do is first clean the surface of the skin where you wish to place the tattoo.
Next, take the tattoo in your hand and peel off the plastic sheet. Place the image facing the surface of the skin and moisten the back sheet facing you with water. Press it gently for a while and remove the sheet. You can now see the tattoo on your skin.
How long they stay?
The temporary transfer tattoos stay on the skin for about 3-5 days till the image fades away naturally. It can also be removed by washing with soap and water anytime.
2) Pen/ ink tattoos: Temporary tattoos can easily be made on the skin using different colored ball-point pens. One can create their own designs and insignias. These can be easily removed by soap and water. Since these tattoos are made of ball-point pen and ink, one should keep them away from the contact of water to avoid smudging.
3) Air-brush tattoos: These are also called as Temporary air-brush tattoos (TATs)
These are created by placing a stencil design on the surface of the skin and delivering the tattoo ink via air-brush. The design looks quite neat.
4) Henna tattoos: Henna also known as the Mehndi, is used to create temporary tattoos on the skin. Henna leaves are dried and churned to obtain a dry powder which is packed and sold. The powder is mixed with tea-water to create a paste. Normal water can also be used but tea water gives more color; therefore, it is preferred.
The paste is used to draw delicate patterns on the hands and feet, and can be applied in all sorts of designs anywhere on the body. The paste is allowed to stain and dry on the skin for few hours. Unlike other temporary tattoos, henna allows only limited range of colors like shades of reds, browns, and near-blacks.
Also read : Permanent body tattoos