Tattoo artists are increasingly leaving their mark on Western culture, but a study released on April 21 reveals for the first time how their designs will deteriorate as their human canvases age.
Tattooed celebrity trailblazers as diverse as David Beckham, Angelina Jolie and British “first lady” Samantha Cameron have helped bring body art into mainstream culture, but will they be regretting their choice as the years pass?
Ian Eames, a researcher in fluid mechanics at University College London, has created a mathematical model which can be used to predict the movement of tattoo ink particles over time, and give an idea of which designs age better.
Photo: Reuters
照片:路透
“Tattoos are incredibly popular worldwide with more than a third of 18-25 year olds in the US sporting at least one design,” said Eames.
The paper, which is published in the Mathematics Today journal, will enable those considering getting a tattoo to accurately predict how their design will look in 20 years’ time.
Eames said the study would “pave the way towards assessing whether there are any long-term health implications” and provide “an idea of how their chosen design could look several years down the line.”
Photo: EPA
照片:歐新社
Tattoo inks are a suspension of water-insoluble particles, such as mercury, which are injected under the skin using a needle.
Over time, these inks become dispersed as the cells which contain them die, divide or leave the body.
“Skin type, age, size, exposure to the sunlight and the type of ink which is used all influence how a tattoo disperses with time,” explained Eames.
(AFP)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
刺青藝術家正不斷深化他們對西方文化的影響,不過四月二十一日發表的一項研究,首次揭露他們的刺青圖樣,將會隨著人類皮膚老化而變質。
刺青先驅大衛‧貝克漢、安潔莉娜‧裘莉與英國的「第一夫人」莎曼莎‧卡麥隆,都是不同領域的名人,也是把身體藝術推向主流文化的推手,不過他們會不會在多年後,後悔他們早年的選擇呢?
倫敦大學學院一位流體力學研究員伊恩‧埃姆斯,建立一套用於預測刺青墨水粒子隨著時間轉變的數學模型,並且提供哪種圖樣有較好耐久性的概念。
埃姆斯說,「刺青在世界廣受歡迎,美國十八歲到二十五歲族群,有三分之一以上會現出至少一個圖樣。」
這篇刊登在《今日數學》期刊中的論文,將讓正考慮刺青的人們能夠正確預測他們的圖案在二十年後將呈現出的樣貌。
埃姆斯說,「這篇研究將會『讓評估(刺青)對健康長期影響的研究更為成熟。』並且提供『人們在選擇圖樣時,能對其圖案數年後可能呈現的樣貌有個概念。』」
刺青墨水是種像是水銀的一種不溶於水粒子的懸浮液,以針頭將它注射到皮膚裡。
因為吸附這些墨水的細胞隨著時間而死亡、分裂或是離開人體,導致墨水逐漸分散開來。
埃姆斯說,「膚質、年齡、體型、曝曬程度與使用的墨水種類,都會影響刺青隨時間而分散的情形。」
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
A: Wow, three Taiwanese restaurants just won the 2024 “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards. B: Awesome! Which three restaurants? A: Taipei’s Logy at No. 22 and MUME at No. 34, and Taichung’s JL Studio at No. 33. B: Actually, there are many more great establishments in Taipei. How about other Asian cities? A: Singapore claimed nine spots this year, making it Asia’s new “food capital.” A: 2024「亞洲50最佳餐廳」名單揭曉了,台灣有3家餐廳上榜。 B: 好厲害,哪3家? A: 台北的Logy和MUME分獲第22和34名,台中的JL Studio獲第33名! B: 其實台北還有很多好餐廳,那其他的亞洲城市呢? A: 新加坡今年入選9家,可說是亞洲美食之都。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
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