Tattoo mania, a popular fashion statement.

An old adage says that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Today, it lies in the hand of a tattoo sketcher.

Tattoos have become an immensely popular fashion statement among youth these days. People today regard tattoos a way of asserting one's personality and a marker of their identity. Exposure to Western culture has transformed youth immensely as love for tattoos has taken hold. Tattoos have also become influenced by international music stars and sports heroes who often display elaborate body art.

The craze for getting a tattoo or a set of tattoos is on the rise among youth in twin cities. They are keen on getting different portraits, patterns, name initials, etc. tattooed on their visible body parts. Many of them are going in for cover-up tattoos to get rid of their old designs.

'The tattoo culture is equally popular among boys and girls. Girls get tattoos made on their neck, wrists and ankles and boys get these made on their arms. It is important that one gets a tattoo from a reputed tattoo parlour because they use properly sterilised needles,' said Arsalan Awan of InkIsland Studio in Rawalpindi, who works as a tattoo artist.

He said tattoos are made with needle guns using inks. Now, with the popularity of the art, a number of tattoo artists are using modern techniques and skin-friendly inks for their clients, he said.

'We are using skin-friendly inks to get accurate results as we ensure that our customers get the exact design chosen by them,' said Mr Awan. Care must be taken at all costs as a tattoo made with an unsanitary needle can lead to an infection and pose health risks, he added.

Youngsters are doing this under the influence of their friends and social media just to add a style element to their personality.

'My tattoo is a moon and it signifies my motto in life, which is to guide people in darkness like a moon does,' remarked Abdul Rehman, a businessman.

Zohaib Khan got a tattoo on his neck. 'I got crescent moon as a reminder that no matter what, things do change. One tattoo, at times, can have varied meanings. It has an individualistic touch. It represents a person,' he commented.

'A tattoo has now acquired different connotations-it is used to profess love, to honour the dead, and sometimes nothing. Since a tattoo is going to be a part of them, they might as well know it in and out. Not all clients understand the meaning of what they are getting on their body. Some do know the story in and out as well. It is a...