New celebrity dentist loves art of tattoo

Celebrity dentist Dr. Mario Guiang Jr. is a big fan of tattoo and he wants the whole world to know that there's nothing wrong with it.

"I want to get away with the stereotype that tattoo is for criminals. We've been used to reading stories or watching movies with criminals having lots of tattoos. Tattoo is an art," said Guiang, during an exclusive interview in Timog recently.

Guiang, a fitness and health buff, wears a tattoo on his right biceps in Samoan style. There's an eagle and dragon icons on his black tattoo.

"The eagle is inspired by my travels. I love to travel around the world. And when you fly, you aim high! I have so many dreams and visions. On the other hand, the dragon is an ally of rat. In feng shui, my animal sign is rat," said Guiang, who praises artist Jerard Cayabyab Martinez of Tarlac for his tattoo.

Guiang also said that he fully supports local Tarlac artists as he envisions the best of Tarlac through social media postings.

The award-winning dentist said that his love affair with tattoo has just started.

"After biceps, I plan to have tattoos on my shoulders and then chest. I have to stop there," said Guiang, a social media sensation, who endured a nine-hour session when he got his first tattoo.

Added Guiang: "At first it was painful. But the pain itself reminds me of my struggles. Once you surpassed it, you become a better person."

No pain, no gain!

But did you know that having multiple tattoos can strengthen your immune system?

A study published in the American Journal of Human Biology showed that people who had received multiple tattoos had stronger immunological responses which make them more capable of fighting off infections.

It showed that people with more tattoos generally had immune systems that were more easily able to retain their levels of immunoglobulin A than those with fewer tattoos.

“They don’t just hurt while you get the tattoo, but they can exhaust you. It’s easier to get sick. You can catch a cold because your defenses are lowered from the stress of getting a tattoo,” said Christopher Lynn, one of the study's authors.

Now you know. There's more to inking than you think! - ROBERT REQUINTINA