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106-year-old tattoo artist becomes Vogue’s oldest cover star

<p>Apo Maria ‘Whang-Od’ Oggay has made history as the oldest woman to have featured on the cover of <em>Vogue</em>. </p> <p>Regarded as the last mambabatok of her generation, Whang-Od was born in the remote village of Buscalan in the northern Philippines’ province of Kalinga in 1918, and entered the world of tattooing at just 16 years old. </p> <p>As <em>Vogue Philippines</em>’s editor-in-chief Bea Valdes explained of their decision to feature her on the cover, “we felt she represented our ideals of what is beautiful about our Filipino culture.</p> <p>"We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve, and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity.”</p> <p>And Whang-Od was the perfect choice. <em>Vogue Philippines</em>’ demonstrated as much when they wrote on Twitter that “the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery &amp; beauty” are imprinted on her skin, and that Whang-Od embodies the “strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Apo Maria “Whang-Od” Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit. </p> <p>Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery &amp; beauty on the skin. </p> <p>Read more on <a href="https://t.co/2F1mJ5iQWG">https://t.co/2F1mJ5iQWG</a>. <a href="https://t.co/urVcA3g2Ek">pic.twitter.com/urVcA3g2Ek</a></p> <p>— Vogue Philippines (@vogueph) <a href="https://twitter.com/vogueph/status/1641276503433572353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>As tattoo anthropologist Dr Lars Krutak found out for <em>Vogue</em>, it was through Whang-Od’s father’s mentorship that she launched her career in tattooing. She was the first - and only - mambabatok of her time, and would spend her time visiting neighbouring villages - and beyond - to “to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who have crossed or about to cross a threshold in their lives.”</p> <p>Her own life story can be found on her skin - featuring everything from her accomplishments to her ailments, and even the names of past lovers - in a story of beauty, bravery, and the heritage of the Kalinga tribe. </p> <p>For men, tattoos reflected them as “a headhunting warrior”, while women were typically tattooed for “fertility and beautification”. As <em>Vogue</em> reported, the elder women of Kalinga say that “when they die, they can’t take their beads and gold with them to the afterlife. They only have the markings on their body.” </p> <p>As <em>Vogue</em> went on to cover, decades of colonial erasure had a significant impact on batok - in Kalinga, village girls had to cover their arms, while many others abandoned the art. </p> <p>But through Whang-Od and her descendants, the ancient art of batok will continue - both in Buscalan and the rest of the world. </p> <p>Batok itself, as explained by the <em>Vogue</em> team who had the honour of receiving a tattoo from Whang-Od, involves “an unused gisi, a bamboo stick with a thorn attached to one end” and a pattern traced “using a length of grass dipped in the soot and charcoal mixture”. </p> <p>The process then sees Whang-Od hold the inked gisi in one hand, while she “uses a larger stick to whack it with her right hand, driving it over a hundred times per minute into the flesh until the three dots are filled and oozing with blood and ink. She dabs at them with a wet wipe before deciding to go over the freshly wounded spots again for good measure.”</p> <p>And now, Whang-Od has been teaching her craft to her grand-niece, Grace Palicas. </p> <p>Under Whang-Od’s mentorship, the thousand-year-old tradition will live on, as the next generation of stick-and-thorn artists strive to preserve their craft, and share it with the world. </p> <p>As for Whang-Od herself? Her plans are quite simple, with the artist explaining that “when visitors come from far away, I will give them the tatak Buscalan, tatak Kalinga for as long as my eyes can see.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“A mockery of my tipuna”: Traditional tattoo camera filter sparks outcry

<p dir="ltr">The emergence of social media filters that allow users to project traditional Māori tattoos onto their faces has caused controversy, with concerns raised about the protection of Māori identity and intellectual property.</p> <p dir="ltr">The filters, given names like “Māori Mask” and “Māori Face Tattoo” and projecting mataora, moko kauae, tatua and other traditional tattoos, have appeared on social media platforms such as Snapchat, using open-source Lookery software to enable real-time modification of people’s faces in photos.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8e092ecf-7fff-b23f-fcd0-44a1d24b92e6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Anyone can create filters, which are shared openly across the platform, with Instagram offering a similar feature.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/maori-tattoos1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Filters available on Snapchat that allow users to project traditional Māori tattoos onto their faces have sparked controversy. While two filters (left, centre) have been removed, one (right) is still available  Images: RNZ, Author</em></p> <p dir="ltr">While some see these filters as helping make Māori culture more accessible and revitalise mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge), others say it is damaging - particularly if they’re created from a non-Māori perspective.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When people wear a fake Prada or Gucci bag, people are quick to call it out. However, when tauiwi (non-Māori people) create Māori art for profit, everyone thinks it's great,” Māori activist Karu Martin said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There are people who need to take responsibility when they are using Māori culture in an international space or platform to understand that they have consequences and ramifications."</p> <p dir="ltr">In Māori cultures, moko and tatua are unique expressions of a person’s whakapapa (genealogy) and identity, with traditional Māori tattoo artist Julie Paama Pengally adding that the tattoos represent more than what the creators of these filters could fathom.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Those elements are strongly connected to our whakapapa, our atua (ancestors), and our being,” Paama Pengally told the <em><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018857427/growing-anger-over-use-of-moko-mataora-in-image-filters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RNZ</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As soon as you take something from a culture without permission and you misrepresent it, and you displace that culture from doing what they want to do with those things themselves, then you're appropriating.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That's a mockery of my tīpuna that you're wearing on your face, just so you can have your two seconds of fun.</p> <p dir="ltr">"For me, it's a long-lasting reminder that if I were to have that on my face, people would look at me sideways."</p> <p dir="ltr">But social media platforms are the only culprits when it comes to the commercialisation and appropriation of moko, with the sequel to Avatar and video games Borderlands 2077 and Grand Theft Auto drawing criticism for depictions of moko.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, a Māori musician for the metal band Alien Weaponry who got his mataora last year, said he is weary of the commercialisation of moko.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's being made by some stranger on the other side of the world to be provided to the masses that don't belong to our culture,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"These ones in the games are blatant rip-offs - they follow the same patterns and all of that.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Places that take inspiration have taken the concepts, and then designed something completely different."</p> <p dir="ltr">Since <em>RNZ</em> approached Snapchat for a comment, the platform has removed the filters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, didn’t respond to questions.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a2b76514-7fff-ebc0-700e-4df9ebfe0d9a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: RNZ</em></p>

Body

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Kiwi journalist hits back at viewer’s complaints about her Māori tattoo

<p dir="ltr">A popular New Zealand newsreader has hit back at an irate viewer who has repeatedly complained about her traditional Māori face tattoo, asking him to keep his comments for “another lifetime”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Oriini Kaipara made headlines in 2021 when she became the first person to bear a moko kauae - a traditional Māori tattoo that covers a woman’s lips and chin - while anchoring a prime-time news broadcast in New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">While many viewers have applauded Ms Kaipara, others were less kind, with one repeat objector prompting her to take to Instagram to respond on Thursday, saying she had “had enough” of his complaints.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Today I had enough. I responded. I never do that. I broke my own code and hit the send button,” the Newshub presenter shared with followers in a since-deleted post.</p> <p dir="ltr">The viewer, identified only as David, had written to the entire newsroom to complain about Ms Kaipara’s tattoo, which he mislabelled as a “moku” and said was “offensive” and “a bad look”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We continue to object strongly to you using Māori TV presenter with a moku, which is offensive and aggressive looking. A bad look,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">David also objected to the use of te reo Māori during broadcasts, despite the fact that the Māori language features in most Kiwi TV broadcasts.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She also bursts into Māori language which we do not understand. Stop it now,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Instagram, Ms Kaipara shared her full response to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you for all your complaints against me and my ‘moku’. I do find them very difficult to take seriously, given there is no breach of broadcast standards,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I may, I’d like to correct you on one thing – it is moko not ‘moku’. A simple, helpful pronunciation guide of ‘Maw-Caw’ will help you articulate the word correctly.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I gather your complaints stem from a place of preference on how one must look on-screen, according to you. Moko and people with them are not threatening, nor do they deserve such discrimination, harassment or prejudice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Moko are ancient cultural markings unique to the indigenous people of Aotearoa, myself included. We mean no harm or ill intent, nor do we deserve to be treated with such disregard. Please refrain from complaining further, and restrain your cultural ignorance and bias for another lifetime, preferably in the 1800s.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She ended her message with, “Nga mihi matakuikui o te wa,” a polite te reo Māori farewell, and signed off as “the lady with the moko kauwae who speaks Māori but MOSTLY English on TV”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/newshubs-oriini-kaiparas-response-to-viewers-complaint-about-her-offensive-moko-kauae/LWLE2VNRPXM2GJTQ73Z3FNME74/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em> after, Ms Kaipara said the viewer had been “relentless” in his complaints.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These types of complaints are being sent by a minority,” she told the publication, adding that she receives plenty of “lovely and thoughtful” messages from viewers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The fact that my existence triggers some people is testament to why we need more Māori advocates in key roles across every sector.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Kaipara, who is of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi and Ngāi Tūhoe descent, has previously said she got her moko in 2019 to remind herself of her identity as a Māori woman.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I doubt myself, and I see my reflection in the mirror, I’m not just looking at myself,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m looking at my grandmother and my mother, and my daughters, and those to come after me, as well as all the other women and Maori girls out there. It empowers me.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d248cbbc-7fff-de3f-a32a-984cc801f082"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @oriinz (Instagram)</em></p>

TV

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Bindi Irwin shares touching meaning behind new tattoo

<p dir="ltr">​​Bindi Irwin has shared more details regarding her new tattoo, which she recently got in honour of her late father, Steve Irwin – and to celebrate her own daughter, Grace Warrior.</p> <p dir="ltr">During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 23-year-old gave fans a closer look at her forearm tattoo, which features an alligator next to her 11-month-old daughter's name written in her dad's handwriting.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When beautiful Grace Warrior was born, my first words were that she's our graceful warrior. And that's how she actually got her name," Bindi explained on the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">During the interview, Bindi, who was joined by her mother, Terri Irwin, and brother, Robert Irwin, 18, said it was important to feel like her dad was with her every step of the way, "no matter what happens in life".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm really blessed. I have such a wonderful family and I feel like dad is always with us in everything that we do," she added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bindi first revealed her tattoo to her fans in January on Instagram. In a touching post, the mum-of-one explained it was her way of paying tribute to her father, who died in 2006.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is my dad's handwriting to keep him with me, always. Our dear alligator, Daisy, is next to these words to represent our conservation work as Wildlife Warriors. And my beautiful wedding ring in bloom," she continued, referring to the ink on her wedding finger.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Validation every day of the three most important things in my life: family, purpose and unconditional love. ❤️ Since Grace's breastfeeding journey ended, now felt like the perfect time for this empowering artwork."</p>

Relationships

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Tattoos not a turn-off in emergency doctors

<div class="copy"> <p>To test whether patients in distress and fear were adversely affected by the appearance of the emergency room doctor attending to them, a group of US medicos spent nine months pretending to have tattoos and body piercings.</p> <p>The result? Most patients didn’t care a jot.</p> <p>Researchers Marissa Cohen, Donald Jeanmonod, Holly Stankewicz, Keith Habeeb, Matthew Berrios, Rebecca Jeanmonod, all from the St Luke’s University Health Network in Pennsylvania, asked physicians to slap on fake tattoos and piercings before attending to people admitted to emergency rooms.</p> <p>Following their treatments, the patients were approached by one of the group, and asked to rate their care. They were asked whether the doctor had been courteous, and whether they were trustworthy. The matter of body art was never raised.</p> <p>More than three-quarters of respondents gave top marks to the doctors, regardless of whether they looked like an insurance claims adjuster or a roadie at rock festival.</p> <p>The results were a surprise. A literature review <a rel="noopener" href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e006578" target="_blank">published in 2015</a> found that although location and setting can influence trust levels, “patients often prefer formal physician attire” in their attending medico.</p> <p>Cohen and her colleagues suggest that the new results “could simply be a factor of the time in which we did this study”. Tattoos and piercings have become increasingly acceptable at all levels of society, with as many as a quarter of Americans under the age of 60 having some skin art.</p> <p>“Regardless of reason,” the doctors conclude, “current widespread hospital policy forbidding visible body art in providers in the ED for professionalism concerns or patient satisfaction does not appear to be founded.”            </p> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=21738&amp;title=Tattoos+not+a+turn-off+in+emergency+doctors" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/tattoos-not-a-turn-off-in-emergency-doctors/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Andrew Masterson. </em></p> </div>

Body

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Dolly Parton sets the record straight on tattoo rumours

<p>Dolly Parton has set the record straight on the long winding rumour about her body being covered in tattoos.</p> <p>It’s said the country music star wears long sleeves to cover up the ink running up and down her arms.</p> <p>But that doesn’t seem to be the case.</p> <p>Speaking to People magazine, the 74-year-old said, "I do have some tattoos, that's true. But they're tasteful. I'm not a tattoo girl.”</p> <p>She goes on to explain that she was unwell for a period of time and required a feeding tube which left a scar on her side. </p> <p>She didn’t want to be constantly reminded of her health issues, so she decided to get tattoos over it.</p> <p>"My tattoos are pretty, they're artful and they usually started out to cover some scar, not to make a big statement," she revealed. "Ribbons and bows and butterflies are the things that I have. I was very sick for a while and I had to wear a feeding tube. It left a little indention in my side and I didn't like it because I'm so fair that scars turn purple on me.</p> <p>"I had a little beehive tattooed over it — a little yellow-and-brown beehive with a tiny little bee on top of the hive. The mouth of it is that little sinkhole."</p> <p>But Parton joked that she never says never, and there's still time to live up to the tattoo hype.</p> <p>"Who knows, I may get some more later. I may just have to get covered with tattoos just so everybody could be right!" she said. </p>

Beauty & Style

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Scarred for life: henna tattoo turns young boy's Bali holiday into nightmare

<p>A mother has sent out a warning to those who get henna in Bali: Don’t.</p> <p>Despite being warned of what to do and what not to do in Bali, henna had managed to escape the “do not” list.</p> <p>It was only after a woman’s son got a henna tattoo on their last day in Bali,  but it turned red, itchy, raised and sore a week after returning home.</p> <p>“My 10 year old son got what we thought was a ‘henna tattoo’ on our last day in Bali and it wasn’t until a week later, after we’d returned home, that it started turning red, itchy, raised and sore. It wasn’t henna!” she explained to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/bali-henna-tattoo-leaves-boy-scarred-for-life/news-story/350899ccdd929314b20f9c52da8a566e" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>.</p> <p>It gets worse, as the family has no idea what the dye was mixed with.</p> <p>“We believe it was black hair dye mixed with … God knows what, as apparently it’s cheaper to purchase and mix with chemicals. It may have been mixed with petrol or kerosene we’ve since learned. After a course of prednisolone and cortisone it isn’t itchy and red anymore, but my son will probably have scars for years to come.</p> <p>It has upset her son so much that the family are considering a plastic surgeon to undo the damage left by the tattoo.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3vnCcBgg4G/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3vnCcBgg4G/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Do NOT get a henna tattoo in Bali! This photo may be alarming to some, but I hope it may spread the word about the dangers of henna tattoos that many tourists sign up for, blissfully unaware that this seemingly natural henna product, is quite possibly hair dye mixed with harsh chemicals like petrol. Sadly, this is my dear friends son, who I just happened to run into at the doctors last week. Her son may be scarred for life and his Mum can only say ‘if only I knew!’. Her full story will be on my travel website @journeystocome soon, but for now, trust me avoid the henna tattoos. #bali #hennatattoo #travelwarning</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/catrionarowntree/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Catriona Rowntree</a> (@catrionarowntree) on Oct 17, 2019 at 8:08pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“To the point that we are now consulting a plastic surgeon. Please, be very cautious when considering a henna tattoo, especially for your children.”</p> <p>They’re not the only ones to have an adverse reaction to henna in Bali.</p> <p>“Back in the 90’s I had one done on my ankle....my ankle swelled up like a balloon!!!” one person shared.</p> <p>Another said that the same thing had happened to their husband.</p> <p>“This happened to my husband... terrible experience for him. It’s will get worse before it gets better I am sorry to say. It won’t scar for life - use bio oil when it stops blistering and weeping. My husband has no scar.”</p> <p>Others said that it could take a while for the damage to heal.</p> <p>“It took 6 months for my son’s arm to heal from a bad Bali tattoo,” one person explained.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Dolly Parton’s secret revealed: Why you’ll never see her with short sleeves on

<p>Dolly Parton, country singer, has been in the public eye for more than 50 years. In that time, she has never worn a top with short sleeves.</p> <p>For many years, avid fans of the singer have been speculating that her arms are covered in tattoos, but there has never been any proof.</p> <p>However, comedian Rosanne Barr confirmed the rumour in an appearance on Craig Ferguson’s talk show back in 2011.</p> <p>"Do you know who's totally tattooed?" she said, according to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&amp;objectid=12257243" target="_blank">The NZ Herald</a></em>. "I shouldn't even tell this. Dolly Parton is totally tattooed.</p> <p>"She showed me. She's got all these awesome tattoos all over her body — no black or blue lines, all like pastel, gorgeous bows all over everything."</p> <p>The existence of the tattoos was also backed up by<span> </span><em>Absolutely Fabulous</em><span> </span>star Jennifer Saunders, who said she saw the artwork after bumping into Parton in a restaurant.</p> <p>"She literally just opened her top," Saunders recalled on<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94a9NNxEYdM" target="_blank">Channel 7's Sunday Night</a>.</em></p> <p>"And she wasn't wearing a bra.</p> <p>"They were the most beautiful angels and beautiful butterflies and baskets of flowers in pastel-coloured tattoos."</p> <p>Despite Parton asking Saunders not to tell anyone, she wrote about the experience in her autobiography.</p> <p>Parton has denied the existence of the tattoos in the past but confirmed their existence in 2017 to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/01/dolly-parton-tattoos-fan-art" target="_blank">Vanity Fair</a>.<br /></em></p> <p>"I don't really like to make a big to-do of [the tattoos] because people make such a big damn deal over every little thing.</p> <p>"But most of the tattoos, when I first started, I was covering up some scars that I had 'cause I have a tendency to have keloid scar tissue, and I have a tendency where if I have any kind of scars anywhere then they kind of have a purple tinge that I can never get rid of.</p> <p>"So mine are all pastels, what few that I have, and they're meant to cover some scars. I'm not trying to make some big, bold statement."</p> <p>If fans think that they’ll be able to see the tattoos more often, they’d be wrong. Parton performed at the Grammy Awards with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus and despite wearing a sheer top, she kept her tattoos hidden with a flesh coloured material.</p> <p>Scroll through to see Dolly Parton’s long-sleeved looks over the years.</p>

Music

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How a mum’s Groupon tattoo session went horribly wrong

<p>Microblading has become the latest craze in the beauty world, with the tattoo-procedure mimicking life like hairs to give you the appearance of fuller brows.</p> <p>And while generally, people walk out quite happy with their new found eyebrows, one woman from Kansas City couldn’t have been more distraught over the final result.</p> <p>Jami Ledbetter was born without eyebrows, so she was ecstatic when her daughters purchased a Groupon for her to have them microbladed in November. But that elated feeling of happiness didn’t last long as she looked into the mirror and discovered a botched job.</p> <p>“I would never wish this on my worst enemy,” said the 42-year-old.</p> <p>“What it’s done to my self-confidence, it’s been hard.”</p> <p>The $250 voucher was for services by a woman claiming to be qualified in microblading. But that clearly wasn’t the case after Ledbetter’s traumatic experience.</p> <p>“I was devastated,” said Ledbetter.</p> <p>“I was even dating a guy, and he stopped dating me at that point.”</p> <p>The mother-of-three’s self esteem took such a hit that she only left the house for work and grocery shopping. She attempted to cover her new brows with makeup, but her attempts at masking the tattoo failed miserably.</p> <p>She then went to another woman who told her she could “camouflage” her eyebrows, but after six weeks, the situation seemed to be getting worse.</p> <p>“It was pretty painful,” said Ledbetter.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjami.mortonledbetter%2Fposts%2F848961932149736&amp;width=500" width="500" height="612" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“I tried to have a good attitude, but it burned a lot. It kind of felt bruised.”</p> <p>It was only when she visited Kara Gutierrez, a licenced and insured tattoo artist who specialises in permanent cosmetics that Jami found relief.</p> <p>“It took everything in me to hold back tears because this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Gutierrez.</p> <p>“Within 24 hours of a botched job, I can remove the bad brow.”</p> <p>Ledbetter is currently undergoing a treatment known as Li-ft – a pigment lightening solution that is tattooed into the bad ink, slowly removing the colour in eight-week intervals.</p> <p>“It’s very unpredictable to how much you can remove, but it works,” said Gutierrez.</p> <p>The cosmetic artist has growing concerns over the industry, as she claims more and more women are falling into the trap of dodgy tattoo artists.</p> <p>“Nobody’s governing this,” she said.</p> <p>“No one is saying, ‘This is the right way. This is the wrong way’.”</p> <p>She has advised those wanting to go through with the procedure to do plenty of research.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Meet the 59-year-old man who has the most piercings in the world

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rolf Buchholz, 59, has taken piercing to an extreme level – with a total of 453 metal piercings on his body, the German man is the Guinness World Record holder. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the world’s most pierced man, it may seem incomprehensible to many how he could carry out his day to day functions like any other normal person. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Buchholz has 278 metal piercings in his genitalia alone. It doesn’t stop there though as the German man also wears a number of tattoos with pride and even has horn implants on his head.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the 59-year-old insists his life is as normal as anyone else, including his sex life. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not a problem at all. I have had the piercings already so long, if there was a problem, I would have got rid of them already long ago,” he told </span><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3799724/worlds-most-pierced-man-boasts-of-great-sex-life-despite-having-278-piercings-in-his-penis/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As well as his downstairs area carrying an enormous number of piercings, Mr Buchholz also has 94 in and around his mouth. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5a2UKH4x2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5a2UKH4x2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Rolf Buchholz (@robuchholz)</a> on Jan 21, 2019 at 4:48am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the 59-year-old confirms he has no complaints in the bedroom, he says it’s a different matter entirely with airport security. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When travelling to the United Arab Emirates for an appearance at a nightclub in Dubai, he claims authorities turned the man away as they were terrified he practiced “black magic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Those who escorted me back to the aeroplane said that it was because of the way I looked and that it was because I am black magic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What do you think of Rolf Buchholz 453 metal piercings? Let us know in the comments below. </span></p>

Retirement Life

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Home and Away’s Lynne McGranger gets her second tattoo at 65

<p><em>Home and Away</em> star Lynne McGranger has gotten inked again – getting her second tattoo at the age of 65. But the body art has a very special meaning behind it.</p> <p>Sitting down with <em>The Morning Show</em> hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies this week, Lynne spoke about everything from celebrating 25 years of acting on <em>Home and Away</em>, to why she decided to get another tattoo in her mid-60s.</p> <p>“We went to Hawaii at Easter for my partner Paul’s 60th,” Lynne revealed. </p> <p>“We’d already said, ‘When we’re over there, why don’t the whole family get tattoos?’” </p> <p>The star, who plays Irene Roberts on the long-running Aussie soap, chose a holiday-inspired palm tree tattoo on her left thigh. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhVGtaoHobp/" target="_blank">A huge Thankyou to the lovely and talented @mistahrussell of @electricparadisetattoo for the wonderful memory of my first visit to #honululuhawaii #palmtree #mahalo</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/lynnemcgranger/" target="_blank"> Lynne McGranger</a> (@lynnemcgranger) on Apr 8, 2018 at 5:34pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Coincidentally, Lynne’s first tattoo was in celebration of her own milestone, during a birthday trip to New York five years ago.</p> <p>“I said to Paul, ‘I might get a tattoo for my 60th’ and I said, ‘Why don’t you get one too?’ … And he’s like, ‘Yeah, okay.’</p> <p>“I got an apple on my ankle, but he saw what I was going through, and he bailed,” Lynne recalled.</p> <p>However, the actress confirmed her partner “did get one in Hawaii!” before joking that she might continue the holiday destination tattoo theme and “go to Germany and get a schnitzel somewhere”.</p>

Body

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Freckle tattoos are the latest beauty craze

<p>I had to laugh when I saw this trend start to fill my Instagram feed, as I have always had freckles - the real type - and always hated them.</p> <p>But freckles have been gaining popularity over the last few years, and I've finally embraced mine (or at least they don't bother me as much as they used to).</p> <p>However, I don't think I'd ever go so far as to get faux freckles tattooed on, like these bold beauties of Instagram. Scroll through the gallery to view all the looks and continue reading for some words of advice from a cosmetic tattoo expert.</p> <p>Rebecca Hutchinson of Auckland's <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://lashnoir.co.nz/collections/lash-noir-ink" target="_blank">Lash Noir Ink</a></strong></span> offers her take on this trend.</p> <p>"Knowing how permanent makeup can heal and fade, clients would need to be careful they are seeking treatment from a clinic with very good quality products to avoid a future of grey or orange freckles," she says.</p> <p>"Most of us have spent vast amounts of money on serums and beauty treatments to remove pigmentation, so it wouldn't be my cup of tea, but could look cute short-term."</p> <p>Have your say: do you think tattooed freckles are the next big thing in beauty? Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Sarah Simpson. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Judi Dench gets first tattoo for her 81st birthday

<p>Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench has revealed she got her first tattoo at the age of 81.</p> <p>The British icon has the words “carpe diem” tattooed on her right wrist, which translates to “seize the day”.</p> <p>Dench told Surrey Life that the tattoo was a gift from her daughter Finty.</p> <p>“That’s my motto: Seize the day. Finty gave it to me for my 81st birthday – she’s wonderful with surprises," Dench said.</p> <p><img width="514" height="374" src="http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/zvSxXbX3mSQIWza9cMr1GQ-b10M=/fit-in/1200x9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F131964%2Ftattoocloseup.jpg" class="for-lightbox" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Dench added, "Mind you, the company of 'A Winter's Tale,' which I was doing at the time, used to say that it said 'fish of the day.'"</p> <p>The 81-year-old celebrated her birthday last December, but the news of her new ink is only now making headlines. </p> <p>What do you think of Judi Dench's tattoo? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/80s-fashion-trends-making-a-comeback/"><em>15 fashion trends from the 80s that are making a comeback</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/fashion-tips-for-flattering-the-neck/"><em>Fashion tips for flattering the neck</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/05/coat-with-in-built-heating/"><em>The winter coat with in-built heating</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

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One can now keep tattoos forever

<p>Tattoos are a permanent expression of one’s self wherein your skin is the forever canvas, and the younger generations are embracing this trend more than ever before. Now, it seems, some are not content with art that lasts a lifetime: no, today, you can also preserve your tattoos after you die.</p> <p>The National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA) is now offering the option to preserve your tattoos by letting them know you want your art to carry on after you in advance. From there, upon your passing, the non-profit organisation works with an embalmer to remove the tattoo and frame it, sending it to the designated beneficiaries within three to six months’ time.</p> <p>The service comes with a fee though: a membership fee of $US115, plus an annual $60 deposit. In exchange, your family gets $2,000 to spend on the preservation of your flesh art. See the creepy yet interesting results below. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/art/2015/10/rare-nz-painting-to-go-on-sale-in-london/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Rare New Zealand painting up for grabs at Christie's in London</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/art/2015/11/famous-painting-cakes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Amazing cakes inspired by famous paintings</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/art/2015/11/tiny-paintings/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Hyper-realistic paintings so small, you’ll need your glasses</strong></em></span></a></p>

Art