Women with tattoos seen as promiscuous -Study

Written by Tunde Ajaja - Nigeria

Tattoo is often regarded as a fashion statement, which has largely been embraced my some and strongly despised by some others. Be that as it may, it is simply defined as a picture or design that is marked or drawn on a person's skin by making small holes in the skin with a needle and filling them with coloured ink.

It is believed in some quarters that men do it mostly to enhance their masculinity or for some identification but there are mixed perceptions about women having it, sometimes connoting that such women do it to express their confidence and create an identity for themselves.

Meanwhile, a study by some researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio, United States, found that men are likely to see women with tattoos as more sexy and promiscuous.

In fact, a 2003 study reviewed by medicaldaily found that men are more likely to approach a woman with a butterfly tattoo on her lower back compared to one with no tattoo. Interestingly, it was found that such men perceive such women (with tattoo) to be open to romantic advances, ready to have sex on the first date, go out on a date and be more sexually active.

However, in a study to examine how tattoos influence public perception of women, Lisa Oakes, a researcher involved some psychology students comprising 135 females and 86 males in the study. Oakes showed them four photos of a woman. In one of the photos, the woman had no tattoo, while in the three other photos, she had tattoos with different inscriptions.

Marked for life? Are your tribal marks attractive or repulsive?

Written by CHIOMA GABRIEL - Nigeria

As incredible as it may seem, many people find tribal marks repulsive.

The first time Akinwunmi travelled to the United kingdom several years ago, he recalled how a little white girl approached him where he was seated at the airport and studied his face. Akinwunmi had four long horizontal lines deeply etched on his two cheeks.

The girl was aged about six. Akinwunmi was initially embarrassed at the way the girl stared at him. Her parents were seated a few yards away and not knowing how to send her away, he decided to engage her in a conversation.

Then, the girl came clean to ask about the marks on his face and he told her he fought and killed a lion. Impressed, she ran back to her parents shouting on top of her voice that she wanted her doll and a biro. She was shouting that she had just met a brave man who had killed a lion.

The little girl drew the attention of many who shifted their gaze to Akinwunmi's direction and wondered at him. Some of the men even nodded in admiration at his bravery and the little white girl returned, holding her doll and a biro. She lovingly caressed Akinwunmi's face and the marks on his face before giving him her doll for his autograph.

Now visibly embarrassed, Akinwunmi held her hand and told her he didn't fight or kill a lion but that the marks on his face were tribal marks he got as a child. On hearing that, the little girl shifted away and screamed in horror, shouting that he was a savage. Her scream attracted airport officials who came to her rescue and found her pointing at Akinwunmi's tribal marks as the face of a savage.

That was over thirty years ago.

Now, Akinwunmi is 57 years and happily married. He has five kids. None of whom has tribal marks.

" I cannot subject my children to the embarrassment I suffered over the marks I have on my face. Even in my school days in Nigeria, they called me all sorts of names because of the severe tribal marks my grand parents put on my face. As a young man, I remained a virgin for a long time because the kind of ladies I wanted to date rejected me due to the marks on my face. The greatest thing that happened to me was getting educated and qualifying to be a doctor otherwise it would have been disastrous for me.

Ikeja beauty parlours: Home of deadly glamour

Written by Anna Okon - Punch, Nigeria.

From the dingy shops and dubious tools of self-acclaimed hairdressers under the Ikeja Bridge, Lagos, come a most unexpected service: breast enhancement.

The Lagos traffic snakes along the main road from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, crawling sluggishly towards the bridge which leads to the Oba Akran Road. A similar scenario plays out under the bridge where rows of shops line both sides of the road. Smartly dressed young men and women are everywhere, clustering around these shops, while some are by the road side calling on pedestrians, trying to entice them for patronage.

This place is known as Ikeja Under Bridge. It is an area that has always been home to both male and female artisans in the beauty business.

Recently, however, men appear to have upstaged women in the business. It is now a common sight to see young men hovering along the fringes of the roundabout linking Obafemi Awolowo Way and Oba Akran Avenue, soliciting customers and taking them to nearby shops.

One of these shops is owned by Linus Solanke (not real names), a hairdresser. He is one of those who make extra money by renting out their shops on a short-time basis to other hairdressers who need space for a few hours to attend to their customers.

Solanke's salon, a makeshift space, is equipped with a wall mirror and a few straight-backed chairs and it has become a haven for other young men who do hair braiding, pedicure and manicure body piercing, tattoos, permanent eye lashes/brows, permanent lip colour and other services. For each client attended to in his shop, Solanke charges between N300 and N400.

While in their salons, one easily understands why men are taking over the business. Unlike their female counterparts, the young men take their time to do their work and their charges are very flexible. Whereas the women charge between N2, 500 and N3, 000 for hair 'fixing,' the men take as low as N1,000 or less and they hardly leave a client unattended to.

Pencils.

Sent by Hiyab H. Tsegay - Eritrea

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS,

   WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.
5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF

   TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

Pencil Art:



We all need to be constantly sharpened. This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you.