Scary beauty trend: Men tattoo their lips pink

 The pain associated with this bizarre make over is nothing as long as the outcome is the pink lips which make the girls go “gaga”.The other day, in one of the busiest markets in Lagos, “Ikeja Under-bridge” a guy in his mid 30s was getting his lower lip tattooed pink, in what looks like a […]

 The pain associated with this bizarre make over is nothing as long as the outcome is the pink lips which make the girls go “gaga”.The other day, in one of the busiest markets in Lagos, “Ikeja Under-bridge” a guy in his mid 30s was getting his lower lip tattooed pink, in what looks like a very unhygienic tattoo parlor. I thought it was just an isolated case, a guy who just wanted to be different, like the girl who tattooed Drake’s name on her forehead.
But it got me curious, and after doing some research, it seems this really is a trend among Nigerian men. We are gradually losing the natural lip color of our men to tattoo guns and pink ink. Too bad as many are still rushing to have theirs tattooed despite its medical implications.  
According to one of the tattoo artist who I met in the course of my research, young men pay around 7,000 Naira to have their black lips cleaned of excess skin and tattooed with a pink paint to make them lighter. It is not only a makeover that is severely painful and injurious to health of these potential young men but quite a fortune to have them.
 Although the young man in the tattoo parlor, who was tattooing his lips, didn’t show any signs of pain, I bet having a sensitive spot like the lips tattooed can’t be very pleasant. Of course the results are permanent, but according to Nigerian Best Forum, it has a number of downsides. First, there’s the pain associated with the process, then the possibility of skin irritation, as well as a prolonged stinging sensation and inflammation of the lips. If not properly done, you can even grow keloids.
 And considering some of the careless attitudes of few tattoo artists who do not wear rubber gloves in the course of the operation, I’d say the risk of infection is pretty high. Improper sterilization of tattooing needles, guns and tattoo ink in public tattoo parlors can cause a wide range of diseases and skin reactions.                 
Tattoos can cause skin problems such as granulomas (red bumps caused by inflammation) and keloid scars, and they can provoke allergic reactions, making skin itch and break out. These allergic reactions can occur with no warning, years after you get your tattoo. The process of getting a tattoo also puts you in danger of getting deadly diseases such as AIDS, tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C (although you can reduce your risk by selecting a good tattoo parlor).
 I mean a sane person wouldn’t buy world’s deadliest diseases with his money. Most of these diseases do not have a cure. With all these possible medical implications, if you still find nothing wrong and deadly about this bizarre beauty makeover that comes with turning lips to pink, then please young men help yourself. After all many people have done stranger things in the name of beauty and they will continue to do so.
Dogara writes from the Department of Mass Communication, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai.