Tattoos in Mauritius

Tattooing has been practiced worldwide since ages and in all types of civilizations as far as history dates. Though there is still a lot of taboo regarding tattoos, mostly based on religious views, the phenomenon has increased in fame during the past years both for men and women. A tattoo is a design/drawing that the bearer has, done with ink that stains the upper layers of the skin to make the drawing. In Mauritius too, tattoos are seen as trendy and a large part of the population has at least one of these designs be it as some sort of cosmetic idea (eyebrows, lip line, mole etc) or simply as a fashion item.

There is not a lot of tattoo shops in Mauritius though the cost of getting one done is relatively reasonable as compared to other countries. The most common ones are Allan Tattoo in Rose Hill (466-5908) and Blue Dolphin Tattoo in Ste Croix and Grand Baie (254-1448, www.bluedolphintattoo.co.nr); a number of less famous shops is also present like Cliff Tattoo and more are opening as more people become interested in doing them. Though prices vary based on the size of the tattoo and the different coloured inks to be used, in general the smallest one is at Rs600 while bigger ones can reach up to Rs10,000 for one coloured ink designs and even more for different coloured ones. Though tattoos cannot be removed in Mauritius, the closest place to go to for removal is La Reunion.

Getting a tattoo requires a lot of thinking since it will stay where you want to get it done for life. While some people go for stuff that reminds them of a certain important point/event/person in their lives, others go for things that they simply like. Professionals are always there to guide them through their choices, offering portfolios of designs to choose from and advice on what would look good on some particular parts of the body (a tattoo can be done on any part of the body; long ago Japanese had face tattoos, it is all a question of taste and what would look good on you!). Common tattoos include tribal designs, Chinese writings (names, horoscope) with men going for more macho looking tattoos like snakes, dragons, skulls etc and women going for softer things like flowers, fairies, angels, butterflies etc.

The legal age to get a tattoo done is 18 years and it is done under sterilised conditions with all safety measures. It is often required of the client to sign a paper excluding the tattoo maker of any subsequent lawsuit if the process should go wrong or any eventual illness resulting from the tattoo. Needles are sterilised and broken out of their packets in front of the client and the skin to be tattooed is disinfected prior to getting started. It is requested of the tattoo bearer to avoid exposure to the sun after it is done for the first month, apply a cream (Fucidin/Vaseline) onto the tattoo for it to dry safely and use a glycerine free soap during the first week. Counselling is also offered in case there is some irritation or rash but generally these cases are very rare.