Spiderman’s mask on the upper arm to flaunt while flexing a muscle. A dragon on the wrist to flash on the playground.

A few tattoos ? of the stick-on variety, of course ? here and there have become a must for every kid in the mood to show off a little.

A taboo in school, tattoos have, however, kept the junior junta company all through the summer, and are sure to be plastered on during weekends and long breaks in the months to come.

Popular designs

Tattoos, whether parents like them or not, have become something of a style statement. And the more grisly the better.

“Children of today are far from scared or uncomfortable to see human skulls and spiders. Most of them in fact ask for tattoos of scorpions and snakes to stick on their arms,” says a salesperson at Cash, a store in Sreeram Arcade that stocks a range of these frightening creations.

Though one might prefer to see benign images of Scooby Doo and Mickey Mouse ruling the kiddie charts, apparently even when shops stock these, they don’t move very well.

“Especially boys don’t like cartoon characters for tattoos, unless it’s a superhero like a Spiderman or a Superman,” explains a New Market store owner.

It’s the cobra, leopard, lion head, bat and skull that the guys gun for. In fact, coloured tattoos are usually passed up for the stark black look.

A few feminine pieces like a mermaid or princess, butterfly or flower are also available, but girls are less likely to pick up a tattoo than their male counterparts.

Paper perfect

Imported from Hong Kong, the stick-ons are widely available across the city on strips that each contain a few different designs.

They are easy to wear and remove. The chosen design is cut out of the strip and placed against the skin. A few dabs of water on the paper surface fixes the pattern to the skin.

“Once wet, you have to press it hard and it automatically gets stuck,” explains a spokesperson for Desi Boyz, an accessories store in Metro Plaza.

The stickers are water-resistant and stay on unless rubbed off with oil, cold cream or alcohol.

But it’s not enough to just stick the designs on, it’s crucial to wear them in style.

“Little girls wear a lot of off-shoulder dresses nowadays and a back tattoo goes very well with these,” says stylist and beautician Sabina Yah of Sunflower.

Apparently, stick-on anklets are a big hit with city girls, flaunted to best effect with capris and short skirts. “Dragons are a hit with the boys,” adds Sabina, who regularly gives stick-on tattoos to children at her Russell Street parlour, and hasn’t noticed any after-effects like skin rashes.

Price range & pick-up zones

The imported tattoos are available both in Sreeram Arcade as well as Metro Plaza. A few shops in New Market stock them too.

For simple styles like a thin band of skulls or a bolt of lightening, the prices are as low as Rs 40 per strip with around 10 tattoos on it.

The price of more elaborate ones goes up to Rs 40 per piece, and Rs 100 or Rs 150 for the coloured kind.

Pictures by Pabitra Das
Model: Sayon