Expressing oneself – tattoos

Situation

One of your friends is pondering the question whether he/she should get tattooed. His/her parents are strictly against his/her plan. Since he/she knows that you are a critically thinking person he asks you for advice.
First, you want to get information about the reasons why people decide to get a tattoo and the consequences such a decision might have for their future lives.

Getting informed

First you are going to listen to a BBC programme on tattoos.

Then you will read a text on the same topic.

Text: Are tattoos good or bad?

Read the article carefully. Then write down reasons why people want to get tattooed and consequences of getting inked.

Tattoos are a divisive topic and they mean different things to different people. For some, it’s a piece of art, and for some, it reflects personality. People have been putting tattoos on their bodies for thousands of years. At various periods in the history of cultures – western and eastern – tattoos have gone in and out of fashion. But piercing needles into your skin can get not only painful but also scary.
Let’s first understand how tattoos affect your skin? Tattoo breaks the tissues of the topmost layer of the skin, which can cause tattoo skin diseases like skin infections, allergic reactions, etc. There are numerous side effects of tattooing. It can cause fever and chills.
Its side effects are relative and change from person to person. It depends on the prior health conditions of an individual. Pre-existing medical conditions of a person can get worse due to tattoo problems.
But, it is impossible to completely reject the idea of having tattoos because many see it as a form of self-expression. Getting a tattoo is a statement of one’s individuality – it shows everyone who they really are. Furthermore, a tattoo can be a great reminder of a person, place, thing or a major event that the tattooed people treasure, and one they wish to stay with for the rest of their life. And tattoos can be used to cover scars and skin discolorations. This is a great reason to get a tattoo: an unsightly scar, or ugly skin blemish can be either covered or ‘beautified’ by a clever tattoo artist.
So, when getting a tattoo insisting on safety precautions is very important to ensure protection from the side-effects of tattoos.
The long-term effects of tattoos must also be looked into before tattooing. Some people drop the idea of body artwork because a visible tattoo is a problem for government jobs in some countries. The candidates can be rejected for this one reason. It is a significant disadvantage of tattoos.
Wanting to get rid of one’s tattoos involves risks, too, such as poor wound healing, skin discolouration, and scars marks. There are several laser tattoo removal side effects too.

Adapted from Tattoo Side Effects: Is Tattoo Good or Bad? (manmatters.com) and 10 Great Reasons to Get a Tattoo – All Day Tattoo

Reasons why people want to get tattooed and consequences of getting inked

Material-based writing

Writing: connectors