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Zayn Malik’s Face Tattoo: Did He Do It?

By Christina St Jean
Published on: 00:52 PST, Mar 13, 2016

Tattoos have undergone a resurgence of sorts over the last several years, going from the realm of the sketchy to a representation of living art. It seems as though people from almost every segment of society has them, either on their arms, legs, or back, but Zayn Malik’s recent decision to commemorate the launch of his new album, Mind of Mine, with a tattoo on his newly-shorn head has gotten people wondering.

To be sure, getting a tattoo has a long and distinguished history. The Polynesian culture has a tradition of tattoos dating back 2000 years. However, Zayn Malik’s decision to get a tattoo on the side of his head leads to a bunch of questions for those who have tattoos and for those who don’t.

The confusion about the meaning of Malik’s tattoo did not help the young singer. Several fans thought that his tattoo was a tribute to his mother, Trisha, who is famously close with her son. It was soon revealed that the initials on the tattoo, M.O.M., were instead a tribute to the album he is about to release. The implications about Malik getting a tattoo on his head, however, can be serious.

According to About.com, it is frequently difficult to find an artist willing to give tattoos on highly visible areas such as the face because it is fairly well known such tattoos still carry prejudice to the extent that the person with the tattoo might have a hard time finding employment. While Malik does not have to worry too much about employment, given his new solo album is set to bow, as a celebrity he does carry a lot of influence with kids who might make the decision to get a similar tattoo.

Health Impact News reports that all tattoos carry with them a certain degree of risk, such as scarring, granulomas (small bumps that form around any material your body sees as foreign), or complications during an MRI.

However, Yahoo! News suggests that perhaps the new ink is not a real tattoo, but perhaps a transfer of sorts for use in his video for the second single, “Like I Would.” It was also speculated that perhaps the tattoo was fake as a result of the caption, “Like I Would.” Yahoo! News suggested that the caption alone might mean that the tattoo is actually fake.

One of the unintended side effects of receiving tattoos for some people is pain. Reports indicate that 10 percent of the population who get tattoos also experience various symptoms including pain, itching, and infection that sometimes requires antibiotics.

Tattoo aficionado Jinxi Caddell, editor of Out of Step Books, noted that the pain associated with a head tattoo was quite unlike anything she had ever experienced previously.

“There is just something about the sensitivity and pressure applied to the noggin that doesn’t quite compare to any other place I have been inked (yet),” she wrote on her website, Jinxiboo.com.

Given the amount of pain associated with head tattoos, it would seem a significant move on Malik’s part to choose to get a tattoo in that spot. However, Malik is also known for his collection of tattoos, the number of which currently sits at over 20.

Regardless of whether Malik’s tattoo is real, the image of the tattoo on Malik’s head has definitely gotten fans and media talking. Malik has not given a statement to date about the new ink, and fans continue to wonder about it. Given that sort of publicity and the upcoming release of Malik’s new album, what harm could come from a post of a head tattoo?

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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