The body art world spawns new trends at an incredible rate, but the newest one is probably not what you would expect. It doesn't make use of new technology, it doesn't tell you if your blood sugar is too high, it doesn't even get much exposure to the world unless you walk around with your hands in the air. It is the armpit tattoo. Armpit tattoos have been around for a while, but all of a sudden it is a trendy spot to stick new ink. I found it somewhat perplexing, so I dug a little further to see why someone would want to stick a tattoo in the stinky underarm pit. It didn't take long to discover the appeal of such a tattoo. I assumed the sheer pain associated with sticking a needle into the tender flesh of the underarm would be a deterrent, but I was wrong. Instead, people are embracing the pain and artists are happy to oblige their client's wishes with glorious results. From what I've seen, flowers tend to be the most popular choice for an underarm tattoo. Maybe it's for the irony. I can imagine people making a joke of smelling the flower, only to get a whiff of something a little less pleasant. Other popular choices are geometric designs, optical illusions, and funny tattoos. The kind of ha-ha funny that goes along with the location. For example, one girl got a fortune cookie tattoo that reads “You Stink.” Other people apparently don't find the trend so funny. With article headlines like, "Armpit Tattoos are the Latest Stupid Decision People are Making", clearly someone at New York Post doesn't think too highly of them. The article doesn't offer any reasons as to why armpit tattoos are dumb, but it does mention the unlikely possibility that the ink could block your sweat stream, a claim that I haven't personally found any evidence for. However, that isn't to say there aren't a couple of things you might want to be aware of before getting an armpit tattoo. Shaving the armpit is not enough. The hairs tend to be thick, and to get a good clean tattoo, you need to wax your armpit before getting the tattoo. Not the end of the world, I'm sure it's not as painful as getting the tattoo itself, but it might make the skin sensitive and cause more pain during the tattoo procedure. It is one of the most painful locations to get a tattoo, so bear this in mind if you tend to be sensitive to pain. No one wants a half-finished tattoo because they couldn't handle the experience. If you can handle the pain, and are looking for an unusual or discreet tattoo, this might be a good option for you. For the time being they are still unique, and it's a fun way to show your bolder side. One question that still remains unanswered for me is: will people with armpit tattoos shave their pits to allow the design to be seen, or will they simply let the shrubbery run its course and cover a piece of the design? If you have an armpit tattoo or feel like weighing in, drop a line in the comment section below, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Sources: http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/16/armpit-tattoos-are-the-hot-body-art-trend-youre-going-to-be-obsessed-with-6711351/ https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3812352/people-are-now-getting-tattoos-on-their-armpits-so-would-you-try-this-bonkers-new-ink-trend/ http://nypost.com/2017/06/16/armpit-tattoos-are-the-latest-stupid-decision-people-are-making/ http://theberry.com/2017/06/16/armpit-tattoos-are-the-newest-baffling-body-art-trend-lr/ http://herpits.com/want-to-tattoo-your-armpits-read-on-before/ http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/armpit-tattoos-body-art-trend/
