Young People’s Tattoo and Piercing Experiences

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Table of Contents

Analysis
Physical Self
Emotional Self
Personal Growth and Consciousness
Collectivity
Reflexive Analysis
References
Appendices
Appendix 2: The Thematic Map

Analysis

Body art in the form of tattoos and piercing is widely discussed by the public because many persons have different visions of this phenomenon while referring to their ideas and personal experiences. The qualitative data received with the help of working with the focus group has been analyzed according to the principles of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to interpret the participants’ experiences related to their vision of such body art as tattoos and piercing.

The main purpose of the IPA is to provide information on how participants can interpret the meaning of body art in their life with references to the fact that they have or had tattoos and piercing (Palmer, Larkin, de Visser, & Fadden, 2010, p. 100). The epistemological position related to the participants’ experience is based on the idea of meaning-making because it is necessary to find answers to the question of how individuals make meaning about body art. According to the stated epistemological position, it is assumed that individuals make sense of such a phenomenon as body art while referring to their personal negative or positive experiences.

To answer the research question, the received data was coded with the focus on making exploratory commentaries (Tomkins & Eatough, 2010, p. 245). Much attention was paid to describing the participants’ actual vision of body art and its meaning in descriptive commentaries and to analyzing the participants’ interpretation in the abstract commentaries. Commentaries of the linguistic aspects provided the information about the individuals’ emotions associated with perceiving their own and tattoos and piercing, the body art of their partners, and the artists represented on bodies of the other people (Appendix 1; Palmer et al., 2010, p. 101).

As a result of coding the transcript, four master themes as Physical Self, Emotional Self, Personal Growth and Consciousness, and Collectivity were identified (Appendix 2). It is important to note that the participants of the focus group demonstrated the readiness to discuss their tattoos and piercing from the perspective of their connection with the physical body. Thus, tattoos and piercings were perceived as part of the person’s physical body and appearance. The participants also focused on the discussion of the role of emotions, desires, and intentions while choosing body art, deciding to do a tattoo or piercing, and while speaking about their tattoos and piercing.

The other revealed master theme is Personal Growth and Consciousness. The participants actively discussed the role of body art in changing their visions of self. Furthermore, the participants also pointed at the changes in their visions of the other people and their understanding of being a part of the group. Thus, one more identified master theme is Collectivity (Appendix 2). Although perceptions of the body art are often different, young people make meaning about tattoos and piercing while focusing on such four perspectives as physical, emotional, conscious, and collective; thus, the young people focus on the vision of the physical body changed with tattoos and piercing, on emotions and intentions beyond the decision, on the vision of self as a personality, and the vision of self as the part of the group.

Physical Self

This master theme is originated from such superordinate themes as Permanency of Tattoos and Piercings, Necessity of Looking after the Physical Body and Body Art, and Scar as a Mark. The participants did not demonstrate equal participation in the discussion of all these themes, and each of them focused on discussing one or two of these themes.

Permanency of Tattoos and Piercings

Permanency of the modern body art can be discussed as questionable because of the modern technologies which allow removing not only piercing but also tattoos. This possibility to get rid of tattoos and piercing can influence the people’s decision and their meaning of the body art because of providing a kind of choice while regarding the physical appearance (Randall & Sheffield, 2013, p. 112). Thus, David points at the fact that “the permanent nature of tattoos have changed somewhat” (Appendix 1). This idea is reflected in the discussion of Jo’s experience with taking out the nose piercing (Appendix 1). It is easier today to get rid of tattoos and piercing, and young people refer to the questionable permanency of body art while deciding to do tattoos or piercing.

The necessity of Looking after the Physical Body and Body Art

Discussing the issue of care, the participants focus on challenges associated with looking after body art. Four participants accentuated the necessity of care about body art because of possible infections, traumas, and discomfort. Jo states that “piercing does take a lot of kind of care” (Appendix 1). Mandy supports the idea of claiming “if I look after it properly, then surely it shouldn’t be a problem” (Appendix 1). Thus, to look after the body art means to understand the physical self and demonstrate not only the difference but also responsibility for the health (Quaranta et al., 2011, p. 775). The other side of the problem is the readiness to get rid of body art instead of looking after it. Infections caused by the absence of care make people think about physical discomfort. Thomas explains the situation, “I was just like ‘I’ve got no chance of carrying on with this’” (Appendix 1). The aesthetic nature of body art is not discussed when people have problems with healing holes or scars.

Scar as a Mark

The concept of a ‘scar’ was frequently mentioned by the participants in their discussion of the physical aspect of the body art. The risk of scarring is discussed by Rachel who notes that it is “something that you would have considered when choosing” (Appendix 1). Tattoos can be discussed as the scars, as it is stated by Jo who is ready to scar the body “for life” (Appendix 1). Moreover, scars from a piercing can change the appearance significantly. Removing the piercing, people view scars differently, for instance, Thomas points at the ‘value’ of scars (Appendix 1). The risk of scarring provokes the active discussion of the role of physical appearance and its association with body art because a scar can be discussed as a reminder of a person’s wrong choice (Anastasia, 2009).

Emotional Self

The master theme is based on the discussion of such superordinate themes as Readiness to Spend Time and Money and Need for the Best Tattoo. These themes are grouped according to the participants’ desires, motives, emotions, and intentions reflected in their speech, and they should be analyzed as interconnected.

Readiness to Spend Time and Money and Need for the Best Tattoo

The desire to have tattoos and piecing cannot be challenged by such issues as time and money. Thus, David claims that people “don’t think about money” (Appendix 1). This idea is reflected in Jane’s words, “I think I’d rather spend thousands and get a nice one to be fair” (Appendix 1). While describing her experience, Jo states that it was “certainly a large a large amount of time” to do the body art (Appendix 1). From this point, time and money do not influence the persons’ decision, and the origin of the decision is a desire to have body art (Heywood et al., 2012, p. 52). Quality of the tattoo or piercing and the reputation of the master are more important factors in comparison with the time and money aspects. Jo emphasizes that it is necessary to “do a lot of research into the person” while seeking the master (Appendix 1). The focus on the master and quality is important to make the responsible decision and avoid problems (Mayers & Chiffriller, 2008).

Personal Growth and Consciousness

The master theme is associated with such superordinate themes as Importance of Choice to Look after, Remove, or Regret, Vision of Oneself, and Body Art as the Reflection of Independence and Maturity. These themes are connected, and the most important one to explain the young people’s meaning of body art is Changes in the Vision of Oneself.

Vision of Oneself

The participants are inclined to discuss tattoos and piercing as the reflection of their vision of themselves. This vision can change with age, and body art helps to focus on these changes. Thus, changes are observed in decisions on tattoos and piercing and in the persons’ visions of their independence and responsibility (Mayers & Chiffriller, 2008). Furthermore, body art becomes perceived as associated with personality. For instance, Mandy states, “my tongue piercing is part of who I am” (Appendix 1). That is why body art is the physical demonstration of the individual’s vision of oneself.

Collectivity

This master theme is associated with such superordinate themes as Being Part of the Group, Feeling of Identity, and Differentiation. To understand the nature of young people’s vision of themselves as a group, it is necessary to focus on the discussion of two themes: Being Part of the Group and Feeling of Identity.

Being part of the Group and Feeling of Identity

Having the piercing or tattoos, a person perceives oneself as a member of the group. The feeling of personal identity changes with the focus on the idea of collectivity. Discussing people with the body art, Thomas states, “I’m one of these people” (Appendix 1). Thus, his tattoos provide him with a feeling of identity and belonging to a unique group. The participants also accentuate that they discuss people with body art as more attractive because of the focus on likeness (Appendix 1; Heywood et al., 2012, p. 53). Persons with body art are discussed as the impressive community which attracts because of their internal likeness and difference from others (Quaranta et al., 2011).

Summarising the findings, it is possible to state that young people make meaning about tattoos and piercing while focusing on the physical body, on the emotional component, on the idea of the personality’s development, and on the idea of belonging to the community. Those young persons who have the body art focus on the right of the other people to have different visions of tattoos and piercing, but being the ‘part of the group’, they are inclined to accentuate the role of care, the risk of infections and scars, the role of the quality of the body art, the vision of oneself as independent and responsible, and the feeling of identity. Body art serves as a kind of individual expression and emphasis on personal differences.

Reflexive Analysis

Reflexivity as the ability to evaluate oneself and the personal impact on the research is important to be followed in qualitative research because reflexivity can provide answers to the questions about the research’s scope, focus, assumptions, and limitations. According to Shaw, the researcher’s vision influences all the stages of qualitative research, including the collection of data, interpretation, and analysis (Shaw, 2010, p. 234). That is why it is important to focus on reflexivity to avoid biases in the discussion of findings.

Focusing on personal reflexivity, it is important to note that my subject position influenced the research process partially because I am interested in discussing the issue of body art and people’s motivations to do tattoos and piercing. Thus, coding the data and identifying themes, I focused on the themes which can explain why young people decide to do tattoos. I was also interested in the issue of unexpected challenges associated with body art and focused on the theme of hygiene and care in the research.

While discussing the epistemological reflexivity, I should state that I had a particular epistemological position and focused on the idea of meaning-making while referring to the young participants’ experiences. Thus, I assumed that young people with the body art saw themselves as the specific group and focused on this limited area while prioritising the themes. From this point, the discussion of the participants’ other experiences and visions can contribute to further research on the topic.

References

Anastasia, D. (2009). Living marked: Tattooed women, embodiment, and identity. Humanities and Social Sciences, 69(9), 3759-3770.

Heywood, W., Patrick, K., Smith, A., Simpson, J., Pitts, M., & Richters, J. (2012). Who gets tattoos? Demographic and behavioral correlates of ever being tattooed in a representative sample of men and women. Annals of Epidemiology, 22(1), 51-56.

Mayers, L., & Chiffriller, S. (2008). Body art (body piercing and tattooing) among undergraduate university students: “then and now”. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(2), 201-3.

Palmer, M., Larkin, M., de Visser, R., & Fadden, G. (2010). Developing an interpretative phenomenological approach to focus group data. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 7(2), 99-121.

Quaranta, A., Napoli, C., Fasano, F., Montagna, C., Caggiano, G., & Montagna, M. (2011). Body piercing and tattoos: a survey on young adults’ knowledge of the risks and practices in body art. BMC Public Health, 7(11), 774-789.

Randall, J., & Sheffield, D. (2013). Just a personal thing? A qualitative account of health behaviours and values associated with body piercing. Perspectives in Public Health, 133(2), 110-115.

Shaw, R. L. (2010). Embedding reflexivity within experiential qualitative psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 7(3), 233-243.

Tomkins, L., & Eatough, V. (2010). Reflecting on the use of IPA with focus groups: Pitfalls and potentials. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 7(3), 244-262.

Appendices

Appendix 1: The Annotated Transcript
Appendix 2: The Thematic Map

Appendix 1: The Annotated Transcript

Superordinate Themes	Emergent Themes	Original Data	Exploratory Comments
Permanency of tattoos and piercings Choice to look after, remove, or regret Readiness to spend time and money	The choice to remove and get rid of body art Tattoos change RegretTime and money are not barriers for those who want to make tattoos	David (lines 1-7): I think there’s a different divide these days between permanency of tattoos and piercings because you can reverse things somewhat now, and have things removed, so the permanent nature of tattoos have changed somewhat now whereas, you know, we’ve all seen people that have had tattoos the people, you know, putting on weight, losing weight and over time they look different now, you know, people can have that choice now of getting rid of things rather than having to live through it and regretting those decisionsDavid (lines 254-256): But correct me if I’m wrong people don’t think about money do they because they get them done over so many hours, you know, they kind of just go and get things done I don’t know every week or whatever	Descriptive comments: It is easier today to get rid of tattoos when they make people regret about the decision. Linguistic comments: “that choice now of getting rid of things” –accentuated importance of the provided choice. Abstract or conceptual: Permanency of modern body art is questionable.Descriptive comments: Planning to do a tattoo, people do not think about money and can make them during weeks. Linguistic comments: “so many hours” –accentuated length of the process of making tattoos. Abstract or conceptual: People’s decisions about tattoos are not associated with money or time issues. The reason to do a tattoo is associated with a real desire to have it.
Permanency of tattoos and piercings Body art changes the vision of oneself Readiness to spend time and money Caring about the physical body Need for the best tattoo Scar as a mark	Being bored with the piercing, a person chooses to get rid of it Vision of oneself can change Vision of body art can change Piercing needs much careTime and money are resources necessary to do a good tattoo Need for the best master Responsible approach to selecting the master Tattoo is a scar on the body	Jo (lines 10-15, 30): Yeah, I had a nose piercing the main reason that one kind of came out is because I caught it on my on one of my rings and ripped it slightly so and I looked like ((inaudible)) I, I, I, I took that out intending to let the sort of the expanded hole kind of heal up a little bit and then put it back in again then just didn’t bother, I had my eyebrow done and I got bored with it, so I looked at myself one day ‘actually I don’t think I want that in ((inaudible)) and let it heal over They do yeah that- that sort of piercing does take a lot of kind of careJo (lines 269-273): I mean mine my first one ((inaudible)) there to there that was done over four sittings because of the intricate nature of some of the kind of hieroglyphs that I’ve got around it and that was done over four sittings and cost me two hundred and seventy, to get it done but it meant it was certainly a large a large amount of time that it took so Jo (lines 287-291): I have a look and see what, what they’ve done previously a good tattoo artist will have a portfolio of work that they can show you, speak to other people that they know, ask who they’ve tattooed if you can speak to that person and do a lot of research into the person, that’s gonna scar my body for life and just find out exactly what that person’s all about	Descriptive comments: Having the piercing, a person should think about healing the holes which can be ripped. A person can become bored with it. To have the piercing, it is necessary to care of it. Linguistic comments: “one day actually I don’t think I want that in” –Jo points at the fact that some day the vision of the piercing changes; “a lot of kind of care” –piercing is associated with much care Abstract or conceptual: Some problems with healing holes or ripping in case of piercing can make people get rid of rings after a time. The vision of body art can change depending on the person’s vision of oneself. Piercing needs care, and it seems to be a problem for some people.Descriptive comments: To do intricate tattoos, it is possible to spend much time and money. Linguistic comments: “it was certainly a large a large amount of time” –Jo points at time spent to make the desired tattoo. Abstract or conceptual: Time and money are important issues while discussing tattoos, but they are not barriers. Descriptive comments: To decide about a master to do tattoos, it is necessary to examine portfolios and choose the best master because tattoo is permanent. Linguistic comments: “do a lot of research into the person” –Jo emphasizes that it is impossible to choose any master without examining the information about him; “gonna scar my body for life” –tattoo is a scar on the body which is there forever, tattoos are permanent Abstract or conceptual: Doing tattoos, persons should be responsible in their choice of a master because they are going to change their body forever. Jo points at the necessity to avoid problems and choose the best master because of the factor of permanency.
Caring about the physical body and piercing is a challenge Scar as a mark Being one of the group Body art as the reflection of independence and maturity	Physical discomfort Physical trauma The piercing is a bad idea Caring of the piercing is a challengePiercing leads to scars Visions of scars are different Value of scars Feeling of identity Belonging to the group One of these people Feeling of maturity Independence Accentuated individuality Changes in the vision of self Age to do a tattoo	Thomas (line 24, lines 26-29): So I was kind of like that with him squeezing them and I was like ‘mm that wasn’t good’ and eventually I think because of that trauma they started to migrate and then, you know, I’d take them out, which and they’re staple shaped so that was a bit of a challenge, and wash them and put them back in and eventually I was just like ‘I’ve got no chance of carrying on with this’Thomas (lines 76-77, lines 101-105): I think it depends on how you’d view a scar if whatever piercing you’d chose had to be removed I think it depends if you if you d- don’t mind that and you can take value from it like the scars I’ve got on my chest, I take value from them because it was a life experience, whereas if you I, I guess, you know, if you’ve got a facial piercing or if it was in a private area you know, you’ve got to think would you be happy with a scar if that was ever, you know, pulled out or removed or whatever in that area. Thomas (lines 197-201): I don’t know if anyone else feels if they’ve got tattoos or not here but for me when I didn’t notice it before, but when I didn’t have any I saw people tattoos and go ‘oh they’ve got tattoos’, whereas now it sounds like ‘yeah oh you don’t have a tattoo’ it’s kind of like an in group and out group in a way, not like a good or a bad group but it’s there are those people I’m, I’m one of these people. Thomas (lines 389-393): also with tattoos I think when I was 18 I thought ‘yeah I’m an adult, I’m quite mature and stuff’ and even now when I’m only 21 and, you know, I- I’m looking back and thinking ‘I’m a completely different person since going through university’, so yeah I think even with that I think you should- they should speak to the individual and make sure they know exactly what’s going on	Descriptive comments: Having problems with the piercing, a person can choose to take it out because of impossibility to care of it anymore. Piercing can cause physical discomfort. Linguistic comments: “that wasn’t good” –thoughts about the piercing as a bad idea; “a bit of a challenge” –the care of the piercing is associated with challenges and problems; “’I’ve got no chance of carrying on with this’” – absence of desire to have the piercing anymore. Abstract or conceptual: First thoughts about problems associated with the piercing are results of some physical traumas, physical discomfort, and absence of the effective care. These thoughts can lead to the desire to get rid of the piercing. Descriptive comments: People discuss scars caused by the piercing differently. Linguistic comments: “you’d view a scar” –vision of a scar dependence on a person; “can take value from it” – scars should be associated with some values or be personally important. Abstract or conceptual: Removing the piercing, people have scars, and their visions of scars can be different. A person should be ready to have a scar after removing the piercing. The scar can be discussed by a person as a problem or as a reminder of a wrong choice.Descriptive comments: People having tattoos discuss themselves as belonging to the group. They do not discuss a group as good or bad. Linguistic comments: “I’m one of these people” –tattoos provide a feeling of identity and belonging to the group of people. Abstract or conceptual: Those people with body art discuss themselves as the part of a unique social group. It provides them with the feeling of identity. Descriptive comments: Doing tattoos at the age of 18, people point at their independence. However, then they become different persons. Linguistic comments: “I’m quite mature and stuff” –tattoos provide a feeling of maturity. Abstract or conceptual: Tattoos provide the feeling of maturity because they are discussed as a result of the ‘adult’ decision. Doing tattoos, young persons declare that they are independent adults. The problem is in changing the vision of tattoos in some years as a result of the personal development.
Caring about the physical body Scar as a mark Choice to look after, remove, or regret Being the part of the group Body art as the reflection of independence and maturity Feeling of identity	Infections ruin the positive vision of body art Risk of scarring Importance of choice Belonging to the community Popularity Age in the body art Body art influenced by the society	Rachel (lines 33-36): I think like the best, well that’s a bit of a bad word to use, like the best piercing girls can get I like the belly button piercing I think it’s a feminine thing but then the amount of people I’ve seen that’s got infected and it’s completely ruined the femininity aspectRachel (lines 115, 117-118): I think scarring doesn’t put me off, I think if you decide to get it done the risk of scarring is something that you would have considered when choosing I guess Rachel (lines 347-355): There was a very famous tattoo artist in [area of Bristol] in Bristol where I live and when he died he died in a like a biker accident he was only about forty something, they had to close the entire [area of Bristol] area for the volume of people that showed up to his funeral, it looked like, like a bit of a mafia funeral it was huge there were like loads of really big bold men in suits very tattooed, he was like the most famous tattoo artist probably in Bristol and erm when he died they just had to cos the graveyard was right next to my senior school so like the entire, we had to come out of school to watch this huge funeral, it was massive so it was like they can become huge public figures with a reputation they can build up. Rachel (lines 406-410): more dangerous tattoos so when you’re 18 you can pretty much do anything you like just like there’s nothing a 40 year old can do that an 18 year old can’t do aside from maybe money issues, so I think if they tried to up it would just uproar and it wouldn’t work anyway, so I don’t think that society has a choice as to what the age should be	Descriptive comments: Infections associated with the piercing cause people’s negative visions of body art. Some kinds of piercing are discussed as feminine. Linguistic comments: “completely ruined” –Rachel discusses infections as the reason to change the whole vision of the piercing. Abstract or conceptual: Infections associated with the absence of care cause people think more about not only aesthetic nature of body art.Descriptive comments: Rachel is sure that thinking about the body art, a person should predict risks associated with scarring. Linguistic comments: “doesn’t really put me off” –Rachel does not discuss scarring as a real barrier to having tattoos or piercing. Abstract or conceptual: Having a desire to make tattoo or piercing, a person is often responsible for his decision because of knowing about such associated risks as scarring. Descriptive comments: Rachel described the funeral of the famous tattoo artist in Bristol. Linguistic comments: “a mafia funeral”, “loads of really big bold men”, “huge funeral, it was massive” –Rachel accentuates several people presented at the funeral. Abstract or conceptual: Emphasizing the number of persons presented at the funeral, Rachel demonstrates her desire to belong to this impressing community. Descriptive comments: Rachel discusses the age influencing a choice of the body art. Linguistic comments: “pretty much do anything you like” –Rachel accentuates how the body art can be differentiated according to age. Abstract or conceptual: The body art is discussed as mostly the choice of young people.
Caring about the physical body Choice to look after, remove, or regret Being the part of the group	Necessity of care Infections Choice to care of the body artAppreciation Differentiation Likeness	Clare (lines 39-41, 43-45): But that’s the thing if you look after it then it should be fine, like me and my best friend ours was done the same day and hers got infected because she wasn’t cleaning it as often as she should be she wasn’t looking after it whereas my Mam was like ‘right you can have it done as long as you look after it’ and I did and I have had no trouble at all and I’ve had it doneClare (lines 154-157): Since I’ve had a tattoo when I see other people with tattoos I notice them more now than I did before, like if I see a woman with a tattoo I’ll take like my time to look at it, and I appreciate it more I think whereas before when I did I’d just think ‘oh she’s got a tattoo’	Descriptive comments: Clarenotes that to have no troubles, it is necessary to care and look after the body art. Linguistic comments: “you can have it done as long as you look after it” –Clareaccentuates that care is the main factor. Abstract or conceptual: The body art is associated with the issue of prolonged care about the person’s body.Descriptive comments: Clarepays more attention to people with tattoos. Linguistic comments: “I appreciate it more” –Claredifferentiates and appreciates people with tattoos. Abstract or conceptual: Noticing tattoos on other people’s bodies, people think about them attractive because of the focus on likeness.
Choice to look after, remove, or regret Body art changes the vision of oneself	Look after properly Part of the person’s identity Vision of oneself No reasons to take piercing off	Mandy (lines 48-50): I’ve heard so many stories like that, kind of like ‘oh my god shall I get it done’ but in the end I was just like I’m going to get it done, I wanna get it done so if like you go to the right place and they do it properly then surely, and if I look after it properly, then surely it shouldn’t be a problemMandy (lines 123-128): I don’t think that like whatever I had done like I thought about whether or not I could take it out because, like it’s not something that I’ve thought about because I would think ((inaudible)) pierced er, I persuaded my (friend) to have her tongue pierced as well and she ((inaudible)) erm but ((inaudible)) I think that my tongue piercing is part of who I am, and so whatever I do in my later life I don’t really want to have to take it out, so, you know, if they don’t like it then they don’t like it	Descriptive comments: Mandypays attention to looking after tattoos. Linguistic comments: “look after it properly” –Mandyaccentuates the quality of the care. Abstract or conceptual: Looking after tattoos, people can accentuate their difference and responsibility.Descriptive comments: Mandydiscusses piercing as the part of her body and identity. Linguistic comments: “part of who I am” –Mandyaccentuates the role of piercing for her vision of herself. Abstract or conceptual: Piercing is not only about the desire, but about the vision of oneself.
Readiness to spend time and money Need for the best tattoo	Regret DesireReadiness to spend much Quality	Jane (lines 74-75): he would have regretted it cos he’s now, now he doesn’t have it, and he’s said he’s so glad that he didn’t get it cos it’s not what he would wantJane (line 247): I think I’d rather spend thousands and get a nice one to be fair	Descriptive comments: Jane tells about the friend who could regret about body art. Linguistic comments: “it’s not what he would want” –The decision is based on the desire. Abstract or conceptual: People are divided into those who want to do this and who would regret about it, and they do not do that.Descriptive comments: Jane tells about the readiness to spend a lot of money to have a nice tattoo. Linguistic comments: “get a nice” –The image and quality matter while deciding on the tattoo. Abstract or conceptual: Deciding on a tattoo, people think about not money, but quality.

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