Most of us get tattoos simply because they look cool. In some cases, they may have a meaning behind them, however there’s usually no practical benefits to them. 

There are cases however where tattoos can have practical uses. Below are just 5 examples of times when ink can be used to solve a problem. 

Medical condition alerts

In an emergency situation, a tattoo could be used to alert medics of specific conditions that you may have. This could be anything from diabetes to a serious allergy. Paramedics may not be able to look up your medical notes in an emergency situation – particularly if you have no ID on you at the time. A tattoo could be useful for warning medics not to use certain drugs or attempt certain procedures.

Paramedics are only trained to check the wrists and neck for such tattoos so make sure to place them in these locations. Contrary to popular belief, tattooing the letters ‘DNR’ or ‘Do not Resuscitate’ on your chest will not prevent a medic from resuscitating you – it does not count as a legal contract. Similarly, there’s usually no point in tattooing your blood type on your arm as paramedics are obliged to check your blood type anyway. 

Scalp micropigmentation

Scalp micropigmentation is pretty much a form of scalp tattoo used to create the impression that your hair has more volume. It is becoming an increasingly more popular procedure amongst those with thinning hair – tiny dots are added to the scalp, which can convincingly look like extra follicles. This procedure can also be used to hide scars on the head. 

You should always visit a specialist clinic when undertaking this procedure – it is not something that a regular tattoo artist will be trained to do.

Iris discoloration concealment

You may have heard of people getting their eyeballs tattoos. This is usually a form of extreme body art, however there are practical uses for corneal tattoos. Eye injuries or birth defects can sometimes lead to noticeable discoloration on one eye. Corneal tattoos can be used to conceal these defects.

Such a procedure is carried out in a medical setting by an ophthalmologist. While some specialist tattoo artists can carry out corneal tattoos, these generally only for aesthetic purposes.

Permanent make-up

If you like to regularly wear make-up, but hate having to apply it every day, why not consider permanent make-up? This is essentially make-up tattooed onto your face. Everything from eyeliner to lip blush can be inked on. Using ink, it’s also possible to conceal scars, freckles or mild vitiligo. Such a procedure is definitely more common among women, but men can get it too.

Permanent make-up treatment can cost a lot of money and generally has to be carried out by a specialist. 

QR codes

QR codes are codes that lead to a specific web page when scanned with a mobile phone camera. It’s possible to get QR codes tattooed on specific parts of the body – when someone scans your body with their phone, they can be led to a specific web page. If you’re willing to get creative enough, this can have all kinds of practical benefits. 

A QR code could open up a webpage or social media page, which could display all kinds of important information about you. It could be a page telling people medical information about you or it could even open a legal contract. If you’re a business owner or freelance agent, you could even use it as a fun marketing stunt (instead of trading business cards, you could ask people to scan your tattoo and lead them to a business website or online portfolio). Just remember that the tattoo will be permanent and so any webpage you link to will need to be for life too.