The Meaning of Gambling Related Tattoos

The meaning or interpretation of symbols and icons changes over time. Depending on cultures and beliefs, symbols can be significant in completely separate ways to different people.

Body art fans will be aware that a tattoo can offend one culture but be supported by another. It is something to consider before getting inked.

The meaning of some tattoos can change over time from positive to negative or vice versa. As with many things, it is literally how you react or perceive something that denotes a meaning to you. Historically tattoos were a popular custom to show strength of character. The pain endured from a tattoo was seen to enhance the individual’s spiritual wellbeing. Whereas now they are seen as a form of self-expression.

Dice, card and roulette tattoos, which come under the gambling umbrella in style, all have different connotations. It might not just be that the owner likes to play slots online.

We look at the connotations of gambling tattoos in more detail below:

Dice

Dice tattoos can have varied meaning. The most obvious is the ‘roll the dice’ attitude to life. Typically, a free spirit, they do not pre plan and lets life take them on an unknown route.

The number rolled on the dice is also significant and can denote a winning attitude to life or luck.

Dice are often included in other tattoo designs rather than drawn alone and therefore the surrounding context can influence their connotations.

The image below and text suggests a daredevil attitude to life and someone living on the edge.

Playing Cards

Just as with dice, the face of the card will have different connotations. These could be a royal flush, an ace, a king or any combination.

The most popular hand used in tattoo design is the Royal Flush, made up of the ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of all one suit (hearts, diamonds, spades or clubs). This is the ultimate winning hand in poker and symbolises power. 

Certain singular cards have meaning as well such as the joker which can signify a playful character, and some believe this is a good luck charm.

Connotations can differ wildly over time, such as the Ace of Spades. In the 17th century it was considered good fortune, but come the Vietnam War where soldiers wore the card on their helmets, it came to symbolise death.

Roulette Wheel

Again, the roulette wheel is a symbol in itself and also the numbers that are shown on the tattoo design.

The wheel is a symbol of risk, but for large payouts. In this way it can show the euphoria gamblers get from risking it all to win! 

Everything you should know about small tattoos

You may have seen this new trend emerge these last few years: small tattoos are gaining in popularity, and you may have felt tempted to have one inked on your skin. However, little beauties such as those you can see on the Black Hat Tattoo’s gallery (and they have even more and more recent pics on their Instagram), come with their own features, which means that there are some things you need to know before contacting your favourite tattoo artist to get a new piece of art on your skin.

Less is more on small tattoos

Depending on the size you are considering for your small tattoo, you should know that you will be able to add more or less details to your piece. If it’s 3 to 4 inches big, depending on the shape of your tattoo, you may be able to add quite a lot of detail to it—you may even have a whole landscape drawn onto your body, you probably have seen these very trendy tattoos here and there on the Internet already!

However, if you are going for a very small tattoo, know the limits of your skin: as it ages, the lines composing your tattoo will expand a bit and might become a bit blurry. While this is perfectly normal, it is something to keep in mind when imagining and designing your tattoo. If you want a rune, for instance, you may have to consider the size of it in relation to the way it is traced: if the lines composing it are close to each other, the tattoo cannot be less than a half-inch high.

Nevertheless, no matter how big you want your small tattoo to be, remember that sometimes a simple design can be more effective than something very intricate. Keep it to a minimum of lines, and it will age well; but not only that, it will also be more pleasing to the eye from the start. No one likes to squint at any piece of art to understand what it represents! This is of course more true of very small pieces, but this nonetheless can be good advice for anyone.

What makes a good small tattoo design?

Anything can become material for a small tattoo. Quotes are pretty popular and a good way to have a tattoo which people will want to talk about with you. If you have a favourite poem, saying, song lyric, or even movie quote, that might be a good inspiration for your tattoo, or at least a good place to start. You will have to determine the writing style which your tattoo artist will use, and for that, do keep in mind the advice given above concerning the size of your lettering.

Symbolic tattoos are also a great idea. They are intriguing, and should you want it, their meaning will be known to no one but yourself. After all, a triangle on your wrist may mean nothing to a stranger, but could mean a lot to you, and makes for a great small tattoo.

Of course you can also have a more classic drawing, but do bear in mind that a tattoo artist cannot work miracles: do not hope for a very detailed miniature version of the Mona Lisa on your arm, because that may not be possible do draw!

Do know also that, as there are numerous styles for more classic, ‘regular-sized’ tattoos, there are just as much styles for small tattoos? Do have a look at what these are; we personally have a crush for the Korean tattoo style!

Invasive breast cancer strikes one in eight American women each year--that’s more than 230,000 women this year alone. Mastectomies - the surgical removal of the breast or a portion of the breast--can mean the difference between life and death for these women, but losing such an intimate part of the body is often devastating, and the surgical scars left behind may be an unsightly and jarring reminder of the beauty that was once there. Enter one of the oldest forms of body art in the world--the tattoo.

Tattoo art has come a long way from the thick, blue-black, muddy dagger-through-a-heart on the bicep favored by thugs and sailors of yesteryear. Today’s tattoos are often gorgeous, striking works of art, drawn with precision and delicacy in all the colors of the rainbow. People choose tattoos to illustrate or show their deepest feelings or beliefs about themselves and the world around them in words or images. Some choose depictions of favorite birds or other animals, others designs or tribal markings. Small or large, simple or complex, tattoos as a form of body art are a popular and established part of American culture and everyday life.

But what do tattoos have to do with breast cancer?

Today, many women choose to have beautiful, personally meaningful tattoos done to cover their mastectomy scars, either instead of reconstructive surgery or to enhance it. The tattoos depict beautiful flowers in soft, sweeping, flowing designs; animals or birds personally important to the individual; words, sayings, intricate designs and patterns, and even perfectly rendered, realistically colored nipples on breast reconstructions.

Tattoos give the women who choose them a sense of triumph and pride in overcoming invasive breast cancer and its aftermath. They show strength, resilience, and a sense of power over the unknown. What might have been stark and shocking becomes beautiful, full of hope for the future.

Are you one of these strong women? If you’ve had a tattoo done to cover your mastectomy scars, the respected health website Healthline would like very much to hear from you. Healthline is dedicated to making people all over the world healthier through the power of information. It offers objective, trustworthy, accurate, and wide-ranging information about a huge variety of diseases and conditions, including breast and other cancers. It also offers the latest in health news and smart, credible ways to be--and stay--healthier, both physically and mentally.

Healthline is looking for women who have mastectomy tattoos and who are willing to share photos of them, along with why they got them, for a website slideshow on the subject. The purpose? To inform, encourage, strengthen, and inspire other women all over the world who are facing or who have had mastectomies.

By Leslie Vandever

Photo Credit: Tattooroadtrip.com

The process is simple: Just email a clear photo of your mastectomy tattoo to social@healthline.com along with a short description of what the tattoo means to you. You can choose to have Healthline publish your name with your photo or stay anonymous--it’s completely up to you. Just tell them what you prefer in your email.

If you don’t have a mastectomy tattoo yourself, but you know someone who does, please pass this article and Healthline’s inquiry and email address along to them. Knowledge, camaraderie, and being a member of the larger breast cancer community is enlightening and empowering. Passing those qualities along to others is one of the best things you can do for your world.

Show Us Your Mastectomy Tattoos!

Leslie Vandever is a professional journalist and freelance writer with more than 30 years of

experience. She lives in Northern California.

Cosmetic Tattoos, also known as permanent makeup, derma-pigmentation or micro-pigmentation, is a cosmetic procedure in the form of tattooing. With permanent makeup, a person can be left with what appears to be topically applied cosmetics, such as eyeliner or lip liner. Other kinds of cosmetic tattoos can be used on the body, helping to correct perceived imperfections.

Permanent cosmetics have been around since the early 1900s. Famed tattooist George Burchett is recognized as a pioneer in permanent cosmetics. The process became very popular in the 1930s, although it was often done in a discreet fashion. The quality of permanent makeup has vastly improved in recent years, as tattooing equipment becomes more advanced.

Types of Permanent Makeup

There are many different types of cosmetic tattooing. Most include the tattooing of lips, eyelids and other areas of the face. Those who regularly wear eyeliner, for instance, can save money and time by permanently tattooing makeup to the eyelids. Some people opt for tattoos on the eyebrows. This could be for those with light-colored eyebrows or those who have lost eyebrow hair from conditions such as alopecia. Tattoos can also be used to line and / or fill the lips for a more dramatic effect.

Facial cosmetic tattoos can be useful in that they save grooming time each day. However, it has even more practical use for those with severe allergies to makeup. There are many people who would like to wear makeup like mascara, eyeliner and lipstick. However, they have adverse reactions to topical cosmetics. With the help of permanent tattoos, some allergy sufferers will be able to enjoy the effects of makeup without the side effects of over-the-counter cosmetics.

Sometimes, permanent makeup is used on the body. Those who have undergone surgery to the breast, for instance, can use tattoos to recreate a nipple. Cosmetic tattoos can also be useful in concealing body scars and other skin imperfections. Those with vitiligo, a disease that causes pigmentation loss, can be left with large white spots all over their body. With the skilled hand of a cosmetic tattoo artist, these spots can be concealed.

Cosmetic Tattooing Results 

The results of cosmetic tattoos can greatly depend on both the skill of the tattoo artist and the quality of the ink. Permanent makeup is a very precise form of tattooing that has little room for error, especially where facial cosmetics are concerned. This should be viewed as one of the most crucial tattoo choices, far more serious than a decorative tattoo that is easily hidden by clothing. 

Those who choose to go ahead with permanent makeup should be aware of the possible need for retouching. In fact, many permanent makeup procedures require more than one visit to achieve the best shade and shape. Eyebrow tattoos, for instance, should be applied lightly at first, as it is easier to go darker from there if needed.

It should also be understood that permanent makeup will fade over time, although the severity of the fading depends on a few factors. The tattoo must be cared for properly during the healing period in order to ensure the best results. Also, areas that are exposed to sunlight are more susceptible to fading. This usually includes facial cosmetic tattoos and any other parts of the body that are regularly exposed. Tattoo inks that are lighter in color will fade the quickest.

Typically, those who are happy with their cosmetic tattoo results will be comfortable with the idea of retouches. Major fading wont happen for years, if the cosmetic tattoo is cared for properly. Eyebrow tattoos and eyelid tattoos, for instance, can sometimes last up to a decade before reapplication is needed. Other areas of the body, however, may never need retouching.

Choosing a Cosmetic Tattoo Artist

This is the most vital step in the decision to get a cosmetic tattoo. Although there are tattoo removal procedures, they arent always completely effective and tattoos should be considered permanent. This is why it is absolutely crucial to choose the most reputable cosmetic tattoo artist. One should not opt for the cheapest or nearest artist; rather, the most qualified.

A consultation will be the best way to find out more about an artist. He or she should be able to answer questions about costs, methods and the risks involved. Always prepare a list of questions beforehand and ask to see a portfolio of the artists work. It is a good rule of thumb to consult with several artists and compare their answers. Even if the first artist seems perfect, this is not the time for a rash decision. It is always best to seek several opinions.

Costs of Permanent Makeup

The cost of permanent makeup can vary quite a bit. On average, a procedure costs between $400 and $800. However, it can sometimes be hard to predict how much a procedure will cost, as it may take several visits to complete the desired result. Many cosmetic tattoo artists charge an hourly rate, with some commanding as much as $150 - $250 per hour. The first visit for one procedure will often take 1.5 2 hours.

Permanent Makeup Regulations

Like any form of tattooing, there are regulations that apply to permanent makeup application. In the United States, the Department of Health oversees the various businesses that offer cosmetic tattoos. Naturally, this procedure must be administered in a sterile environment. While some areas of the world require a cosmetic license on the part of the tattoo artist, other places do not allow cosmetologists to administer permanent makeup. Each country is different and, in the case of the United States, local jurisdictions might have varying laws.

In the United States, the FDA pre-approves tattoo inks used in permanent makeup application. There are dozens of pigment shades used in cosmetic tattooing, all of which should pass the approval of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Although the FDA does actively monitor tattoo inks, the agency does not necessarily act as an enforcer where laws are concerned. Traditionally, local jurisdictions and the Department of Health are more hand-on with cosmetic tattoo artists.