Tattoos in Tbilisi

Just when Lady Gaga disclosed that her tattoos are mainly on the left side of her body to respect her father’s wishes to “keep at least one side relatively normal” Georgian tattoo artists announced the rise in locals “getting a tat.” Tattoos have been in existence for thousands of years. Egyptian mummies have been discovered bearing tattoos. In the 1960s when tattooing rose substantially across Europe and America, Georgia was in the Soviet period where tattoos were thought to be for people with no opportunity for success in life. Therefore there have only been a limited number of tattoo parlours in Georgia, until recently.

International hygienic standards have reduced the threat of infection and hepatitis, thereby increasing the interest in the body art. However, there remains the potential for infection and disease.

Now in Georgia, men and women can get tattoos – permanent and temporary – in beauty centres and salons, as well as the usual tattoo parlour. Temporary art can last a couple of weeks. Permanent pieces can be surgically removed fully or partially, painfully and usually leaving a permanent scar in its place.

Tattoos may have religious connotations, be rites of passage into adulthood, be used as identification, branding, status, ornamental, pledges of love and devotion, souvenirs of battles or major life events, medical signifiers, or protection from evil spirits. They can be cosmetic, enhancing the eyes, lips, and eyebrows.

Religious beliefs regarding tattoos are varied. Some religious groups mark pilgrimages or symbols of faith, others have no objection, while others disallow the disfiguration of the body.

Medical tattoos can signify an allergy, blood group, or medical condition to alert others, especially the medical profession when treating a person; to disguise scars; to mark locations for surgery or radiotherapy; or as pigmentation to resemble body features (such as hair or the areola). Doctors usually recommend waiting six to nine months before tattooing over a fresh scar, while others recommend up to two years to ensure a well-healed surface. Not all scars can be tattooed over though.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).