About Temporary Tattoos
Body art has been a fascination for centuries. Tattoos are not always preferred due to their permanent nature. Temporary body tattoos offer a fun option. It's a process that's rich in history and full of opportunities to try something on for size, experimenting with designs, dressing festively or using in costume wear
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History
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The art of temporary tattooing has been practiced in several countries. Henna art is perhaps the most predominant. Henna is a reddish ink traditionally painted in various swirling designs to the hands, feet, legs, arms or any other part of the body. Young women used these types of tattoos in various ceremonies and celebrations, as early as the Bronze Age in eastern parts of the world. India is especially known for its henna artists. Henna ink comes from the Henna plant and can last from two to four weeks depending on where the henna is applied and how often that area comes into contact with water. Indigo is another ink used in temporary body art. The dark blue die is applied in similar patterns to henna.
In the United States small transferable food coloring tattoos have been circulating as early as 1912 when Cracker jacks introduced their "prize in every box" to increase sales. Baseball card tattoos started circulating in the 1970s. Since then the popularity of temporary tattoos as they are now known has risen and they are manufactured in thousands of designs.
Types
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Several designs currently include, animals of all sorts whether realistic or mythical, arm, ankle and wrist wrap-around designs, angels, flowers, fairies, sports themes, symbols, sparkle tattoos, glow in the dark tattoos, automobiles, flags and holiday themes. Some tattoos are designed to look resemble painted henna. See Resources for online vendors that offer the opportunity to design your own.
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Size and Duration
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Temporary tattoos come in all sizes, from tiny ones no larger than a ¼ inch to large ones that can cover a person's entire shoulder blade. The majority of temporary tattoos cover approximately 1 to 3 square inches. Most of them will last five to seven days if kept clean and applied properly. After a tattoo has been sitting in its package for several years it can become harder to apply and will not stick as well.
Application and Removal
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To apply, the area of skin should be cleaned and then the plastic sheeting should be removed from the surface of the tattoo. It is placed face down and then a wet washcloth or paper towel is used to soak through the paper backing. Pressure is applied for about 30 seconds and then the paper is removed. If you want to remove a temporary tattoo before comes off naturally, then you can saturate the tattooed area with rubbing alcohol or baby oil and then wipe away after about 10 seconds.
Misconceptions
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Not all temporary tattoos are used by teenagers that aren't old enough to get a real one. For many people temporary tattoos are simply a fun way to express something or add to an outfit; however some tattoos serve a higher purpose. When going on vacations, field trips or other outings, some parents opt to apply temporary "if I'm lost" tattoos on their children. Produced by Tattoos with a Purpose, LLC, these safe, non-toxic and hypo-allergenic tattoos can be applied to a visible area such as the back of the hand or arm. The tattoos say "If I am lost please help me be found" and provide an area to write in a phone number and contact name (see Resources below).
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Naomi Judd
