“When I first became familiar with tatoos, Retinol products were only available by prescription, so it never occurred to me to wonder if they were okay for tattoos. I have a new tattoo and my favorite lotion has some form of retinol in it, and it gave me pause. Is there any general school of thought about the use of retinoids on tattoos? And does the age of the tattoo make a difference?” – jzm

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“I got a new tattoo yesterday (my second) 6 years after my first. Alright, so, I know from reading here that plastic wrap is not good for a new tattoo, but my artist, and all artists in my city (very small country by the way) advise to do that, so I need to ask here. Is it alright to leave my tattoo uncovered? I don’t want it to get infected, but on the other hand, I know that plastic wrap is really bad. The thing is that I have a cat and a dog, who are always inside the house (my dog sleeps outside though), but I have cat and dog fur all over me all the time on my clothes, and I’m used to that, so if I leave it uncovered (it’s on my right shoulder blade), wouldn’t it get contaminated easily? And also what about clothes rubbing it? And my bra strap?
I did cover my tattoo with plastic yesterday after removing the bandage and this morning after showering, so do you think I should remove it and leave it alone?” – Estef

You think you have it rough because your boss makes you cover up your tattoos at work? You want to cry “discrimination” when your school makes you remove your piercings? Try living in Japan, where you can’t even enter the local gym or water park without hiding your ink.

Although many Japanese people get tattoos simply for decoration, just as in every other country in the world, Japan still takes a very antiquated view of tattoos and still associate them with the Yakuza (Japanese mafia). Gyms require tattoos to be taped or wrapped and public bath houses ban those with the colorful body decoration. And now even amusement parks are blocking anyone trying to enter with exposed tattoos.

I really think it’s high time for Japan to join the 21st century and realize that not everyone wearing a picture on their body is a criminal. The rest of us can appreciate that we still have a lot more freedom to express ourselves with our art, even if we still have to cover up for work.

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