Temporary tattoo
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A temporary tattoo is an image on the skin resembling a true tattoo, but is non-permanent. Temporary tattoos can be drawn, painted, or airbrushed, but most of the time these tattoos are transferred to the skin. Temporary tattoos of any kind are used for numerous purposes including self-expression, identification, and advertising. For example, actors who wish to add to their character's distinctiveness might take temporary tattoos painted on the skin by hand or using stencils as part of their cosmetic ritual.
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[edit] Temporary transfer tattoos
Old fashioned tattoos, which were first made popular as inserts in bubble gum, were poor quality ink transfers that often resulted in blurry designs and could easily be washed or rubbed off. Nonetheless, these lick-and-peel temporary tattoos became a well-known piece of Americana.
Modern temporary transfer tattoos are made of ink and glue, and last much longer than older temporary tattoos. In this process, the tattoo is applied to the outer surface of the skin and remains until such time as the image fades away (typically after 3-5 days) or is removed.
While most temporary tattoos are created commercially for advertising or as novelty items, the process of creating has been adapted to the fine art of lithography by Jessica H. Meyer. Viewing them as legitimate works of art, Meyer pushes the aesthetic boundaries of temporary tattoos in terms of their artistic qualities and size. By allowing the public to interact directly with a work of art, Meyer's work allows wearers to explore ideas about their own identity and the limits of her control over the medium.
Temporary tattoos usually consist of five main elements: the front of the sheet of paper, the back of the sheet of paper, ink, glue and a protective plastic sheet. The front of the sheet is covered with a special coating upon which the tattoo image is printed with special inks. A layer of glue is then applied on top of the image. A thin, transparent plastic sheet is placed over the front of the sheet to protect the image and glue layer. The back of the sheet is left untreated and has a list of ingredients and instructions printed on it.
Transfer temporary tattoos are usually applied by removing the plastic sheet, placing the image face down against the skin and moistening the backing with a wet paper towel or cloth. The backing can then be carefully removed, leaving the image in place.
[edit] Henna
Henna, also known as Mehndi, is another form of temporary tattoo. Coming from a south Asian tradition, henna uses marks made by the stains of silver nitrate on the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Traditional henna is drawn in geometrical patterns on the hands, feet, and face, but modern henna is applied in any shape anywhere on the body. Unlike other forms of temporary tattoos, henna does not allow for a full range of colors but only shades of reds, browns, and blacks. Also, the process of applying the tattoo and allowing it to absorb ultra-violet light, means that henna tattos once done take minutes, not seconds to be ready, like other temporary tattoos. However, with this extended finishing time, comes a long lasting result. Most henna tattoos can take up to two weeks to fade from the skin.
[edit] Temporary airbrush tattoos (TATs)
Temporary airbrush tattoos (TATs) are another kind of temporary tattoo. Like other forms of temporary tattoos, TATs are applied to the surface of the skin and do no damage to the skin. TATs are created by placing a stencil to the skin and delivering the tattoo ink with an airbrush. Unlike temporary transfer tattoos, the TAT artist can control delicate elements of the temporary tattoo while it is being produced. Which is much more similar to the true permanent tattoo experience.
Temporary Airbrush Tattoos have been in existence for many decades and are largely used in marketing, advertising and the entertainment industry. Because of the constant research and development of superior airbrush equipment and inks, airbrush tattoos today so closely resemble real tattoos that many people cannot tell the difference.
[edit] Semi-permanent tattoos
Some practitioners offer tattoos that they claim to be temporary, but will last for a period of years rather than days. These are applied using a tattoo gun, and are therefore the closest substitute for the permanent tattoo experience, including the discomfort. These tattoos are supposed to gradually fade away over time, leaving no trace. Some tattoo artists claim that the inks are inserted closer to the surface, allowing them to gradually slough off, while others claim to use special inks that naturally disperse over time.
There is some discrepancy as to whether these semi-permanent tattoos are in fact "temporary tattoos" at all. In practice, semi-permanent tattoos have had mixed results, and caution would say that any tattoo performed by inserting pigment under the skin should be considered permanent.
