Trend of Larger Tattoos Could Have Worrying Health Consequences

Mashable - Evolutionary biologists argue that we humans climbed to the pinnacle of our mammalian tree as a result of a penchant for sun and sex. And that our human prowess was guided, if not driven by our adaptation to life on this sun-drenched planet (a remarkably high proportion of our genome is associated with UV receptors). While the potential dangers of too much sun on the skin are well known, what about the new skin fashion-du-jour — tattoos?

Since the 1960s there has been a huge growth in our interest in all things brand-like. Not only for clothes, cars, jewelry and watches, but increasingly also more indelible branding on the skin — and with the rise of inked corporate brands, sometimes quite literally.

It’s fair to say there has been a veritable explosion in tattooing in the West over the past 20 years. As much as 10% of the general population is now tattooed, rising to almost one in four young adults, mostly driven by an apparent urge for subgroup identity/branding or aesthetics. But no longer just the small butterfly/birds or the “I love Mum” of yesteryear, we now have the gigantic swathes of tattoo sleeves on footballers and their followers, their WAGS and retinues.

Read more: Mashable