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What Do I Need to Know About Tattoos?

Are you thinking about getting a tattoo? With the rising popularity of tattoos in North America, chances are that at one time or another you have considered getting a tattoo. Before getting a tattoo, however, it is important to fully understand the process so you can assess the risks and make sure that you end up with a tattoo that you will be happy with for years to come.

What is a Tattoo?

You of course know what a tattoo is, that is why you want to get one. You may not be sure how a tattoo is created, however. Despite what it looks like, a tattoo is not drawn onto your skin. Instead, a tattoo is created by using an electric tattoo machine to inject pigments under your skin. The fact that you are having implements put under your skin means that getting a tattoo can be risky.

Making Sure Your Tattoo is Safe

You can be exposed to a number of health risks when getting a tattoo because the process involves breaking your skin. This leads to two possible problems: infectious diseases and allergic reactions.

The most significant risk in getting a tattoo is catching a blood-borne infection such as tetanus or hepatitis, or even HIV, in the worst situations. You run the risk of becoming infected if an instrument is used on you that had residue blood on it from a previous patron who carries a blood-borne infectious disease. While the potential of contracting a fatal disease just to get a tattoo may seem scary, in reality the risk of catching an infectious disease can be largely minimized in professional tattoo parlours. This is done primarily through the exclusive use of single-use tools. This means that blood will not be passed between patrons.

A less significant risk is that the trace metal elements in the tattoo pigments, particularly in red and green pigments, will cause an allergic reaction. While obviously not as serious as contracting a communicable disease, having an allergic reaction to the tattoo pigment can cause the skin around the tattoo to swell up and become itchy, and even to start to ooze fluids in more serious reactions. While allergic reactions are rare, if you have sensitive skin and are concerned about a potential reaction, have your tattoo artist to first do a spot test to ensure that you are not allergic to any particular pigment.

Finding a Good Tattoo Artisit

The most important step in finding a good tattoo artist is to look through their portfolio and make sure that their style and skill is up to your standards. You will have this tattoo for a while, so you need to be comfortable that your tattoo artist can create something you will be happy with. For a safety reasons, it is important to make sure that you only use tattoo artists that are fully licensed in your jurisdiction. Because they are licensed, they will likely have gone through a series of courses on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. Do not, however, just rely on their license. Make sure that their studio is professional and clean. If they have a messy workspace, they will probably not be as concerned about cleanliness as they should be.

Are Tattoos Forever?

While tattoos will fade over time, this is a very drawn out process that cannot be relied on to quickly remove a tattoo. That means, in order to avoid embarrassment, make sure you only get a tattoo that you will be happy having for the rest of your life. Of course, in egregious situations, a laser treatment can be used to accelerate the natural fading process. This process, however, is not perfect, requires repeated visits to the technician, and in rare situations can even cause permanent scarring. Which is all to say that it is easier to make sure you will be happy with your tattoo before you get it.

Tattoo Design - The Unspoken Art

An enticing, yet taboo body art continues to make waves all over the world. Ideally, tattoos made its beginning over 5000 years ago and are massively diverse as the people who wear them. As there has been a growing fascination with tattoo art, the immensely growing popularity is sacred and innovative. Traditionally and commercially, the markings reflect the depth and potential of the imagination. In recent years, styles of tattoos have emerged to the forefront of artistic mediums and cultural developments. Today, tattoo artists develop tattoo flash which is a folder that allows them to display all of the artwork.

The word tattoo derives from two major components: Polynesian and Tahitian. Polynesian word 'ta' means to strike something and the Tahitian word 'tatau' means to mark something. Tattoos are created by inserting colored materials beneath the skin surface. It is speculated that the first tattoo ideas were actually designed by accident. An individual had a small wound that was rubbed with dirty and ashy hands resulting from a fire. When the wound healed, the person noticed a permanent marked stain.

Dating back as far as 3500 years ago in the Artic, archaeological evidence demonstrated a significant form of tattoo. The tattoos were in the form of a carved human figurine. More over, the remains of mummies discovered in Bering Strait and Greenland indicated that tattooing was a basic element of ancient traditions. Generally, mythology is the key factor as the origin of tattooing is directly associated with the creation of the sun and the moon. Ethnographically, Eskimos practiced body art and ironically enough, was most common amongst women. This would later be an inspiration for the female tattoo gallery as well as feminine tattoos. Although you will discover that there are frequent references for tattoo practices in the Artic, the first was actually recorded by Sir Martin Frobisher in 1579. Frobisher 'ink' identifies the Eskimos he encountered in the bay that currently bears his name.

Generally, expert tattoo artist were respected elderly women. They received extensive training as skin seamstress signified precision. Specifically, it needed to be precise as they 'stitched the human skin' with tattoos. Tattoo designs directly created for such purposes were usually applied by freehand, but in some instances, a rough outline was sketched upon the area of the application. The evolvement of body art or tattoo art is absolutely prevalent. Although the people who wear them are diverse, so are the actual tattoo pictures. Whatever the outcome, the process for the desired physical transformation exceeds the social perceptions circumscribing them.