Debrah Dragon asked:


Just about any youngster wants to go out and get him or herself tattooed. This is because tattoos are a way of self expression, that is unique and unlike any other form of self expression. Most youngsters are looking to get a favorite band tattooed on their bodies or even the face of a celebrity, however not many young people know that getting a tattoo removed is very difficult, after all twenty years from now this band is going to be old school and you might be considered a dork if sport a tattoo of a heavy metal band.

Tattoos are a permanent marking applied to the body by a special instrument and ink. Tattoos are often used as a form of self-expression though it is part of some cultural traditions. There is a large variety of tattoo design, styles, colors, and shapes. Professional tattoo artists often will design an original creation based on the consumer’s request. There is no lack of places on the skin where people have received tattoos. From the head to the toes, tattoo designers and consumers are consistently getting more creative when it comes to getting “inked”. Tattoos need to be especially cared for to prevent infections and fading. Using sunscreen on the tattooed area does assist with reducing the amount of color fade and an antiseptic cream should be used to cover the entire area immediately after the procedure to promote the healing of the skin. It is possible for the tattoo to be permanently removed but it requires a long, expensive and sometimes painful procedure.

For people who do not wish to have a permanent tattoo placed on their body, there is a wide assortment of fake or temporary tattoos which can be purchased in stores. The tattoos are applied by cutting out the design and using the self-adhesive side of the tattoo to stick onto the skin then completely wet the tattoo with a sponge or washcloth. Apply steady pressure for approximately 30 seconds and carefully peel back the paper backing. The tattoo will remain on the skin from a day to several weeks, depending on what area of the body the tattoo is applied, how often the skin is disturbed by touch, motion, or bathing. The tattoos typically do not wash off with just soap and water but can be removed with baby oil or lotion applied with a cotton ball or washcloth. Temporary tattoos come in a variety of styles and are often marketed towards younger children and feature popular cartoon characters, animals, and gender-based designs, such as pink flowers for little girls, and sports themes for little boys. Teenagers and adults also have a large selection of popular designs to choose from. There are many designs which are created for specific body regions, such as the neck, ankle, wrists, upper arm and lower back. Tattoos for these areas generally resemble a bracelet-like design which wrap around the area.

Henna is a plant from which dye is extracted and is often used as a body paint . The Henna paste is applied to the skin with a paint brush or a plastic cone. The body art is painted, usually in intricate designs, and wrapped in tissue or tape to seal in the body’s heat. The sealing procedure helps to darken and intensify the color of the Henna. The wrap remains on the skin overnight. Depending on the paste’s quality, the reddish-brown colors of the design can last from two weeks to several months.

Using henna gives you the best of both worlds, you get to have a tattoo as well as replace it with a new tattoo once you are tired of having it around. You can also opt for many quick tattoos that you can sport one day and it will fade a few days later. Giving you all the more room for self expression.



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Charles Kassotis asked:


Tattoos have been around since prehistoric times. Egyptian mummies have been dug up displaying tattoos. Humans frozen in glaciers 4,000 years ago bear tattoos. Cultures like the Maori in New Zealand use them as particular markings. And more recently, people wear them to express themselves. Some people think of their tattoos as art, and consider their bodies as the canvas on which the art is displayed. Because of the way society has begun accepting tattoos, it is relatively easy to obtain them. However, it is important to make sure that you are getting a good tattoo from a reputable tattoo artist.

Tattoos that are not properly applied can end up looking hideous. They can also become infected and cause a great deal of discomfort and health problems. If your tattoo is messed up for some reason, it is extremely difficult to have it altered or removed. You also need to ensure that you are dealing with a true professional. Someone who does not put the pigments in right can cause permanent (and unwanted) discoloration, or even cause more dire health problems.

For the most part, getting a tattoo is relatively routine any more. The key is to find a good tattoo parlor. One of the best ways to do this is to get recommendations from friends. If you have a friend whose tattoo has turned out particularly well, find out where she or he had it done. You should also find out about the overall experience. Any tattoo is going to involve some degree of discomfort or pain, but it is not normally excruciating. Find out how satisfied your friend was with the experience.

Next, it is important that you go in and check out the tattoo shop yourself. Look around to see how clean it is in general. Does the owner try to keep it fairly tidy? What about the instruments? Are they properly sterilized after use? You can even check the chair, stool, or bed used for the clients. Do they try to keep it clean? These are important considerations. You want to make sure that the tattoo location offers an atmosphere that is comfortable to you, especially if you are getting the tattoo somewhere you wouldn’t normally let other people see.

Many states require licenses for their tattoo artists. Check out what the requirements in the state are, and make sure that your tattoo artist is properly credentialed. You can also try to get further references for work done. Talk to a few people who had their tattoos done at the location so that you can get a better idea of the overall experience. Find out how long the person has been in business, and where he or she learned the art. You want to make sure that you have a true professional, and that will lower your risk for problems.

Finally, there are proper ways to care for a tattoo after you get one. Make sure that you follow the instructions given you by the tattoo artist. After all, even the best tattoo can cause problems if you do not properly care for it in the days after getting the tattoo.



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Ron Barrett asked:


If you have decided to expend the time and money to acquire a tattoo, there are several things you must be ready to do to assure yourself of the best possible results.

Before you head down to the tattoo parlor make sure you do not build up liquid courage by consuming alcohol. The truly professional tattooist will not give a tattoo to an inebriated person for several reasons. On an ethical level, he wants you to make an informed decision so you will have a lasting affection for your new body art. Secondly, alcohol makes one bleed more profusely which can not only make it harder to insert the ink but the extra blood flow can wash the ink back out of the skin and leave a spotty tattoo.

Since tattooing requires the breaking of the skin to inject the ink underneath, you will have to take care to prevent any infection from getting into the abraded skin. Your tattooist will treat the skin once finished with an antibiotic ointment and bandage it for you. This initial treatment will give your skin time to start the healing process. How well you maintain this treatment till the skin is healed is up to you.

The original bandage should be removed after a couple of hours and should not be re-bandaged as the wound will need airflow for best healing. You will need to treat the area with antibacterial ointments for about a week. The best choices are Vitamin A& D ointments, Bacitracin or Zinc Oxide ointments. For those allergic to such antibiotics, a water based antibiotic cream such as Curel can be substituted. Under no circumstances should you use hydrogen peroxide. Not only can it bleach the colors of your tattoo but the bubbling effect can wash the color right out from the skin.

When cleaning the area of your new tattoo, you should do it by hand very gently with warm, soapy water. Do not scrub with a rag or apply much pressure. Rinse the soapy water off with cold water and then gently pat the area dry. No not rub or scrape across the tattoo with a towel as this can easily extract the ink or push it around and out of place to blur your design.

The healing skin will flake and form scabs. Do not pick at them or try to remove them before they fall off naturally. This will lift the color right out of the skin. Until your tattoo has healed you should avoid swimming and sunbathing. Chlorine in the water can have a bleaching effect on your tattoo and ultraviolet light can break down the chemicals in the ink. It is best to always keep a good sunblock on your tattoo even after it is healed. Remember that constant exposure to chlorinated water your tattoo may fade a bit over the course of years. If you spend a lot of time in such aquatic environments you will most likely need to get your tattoo refreshed at least once in your life.



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Ben Swank asked:


Choosing a tattoo is difficult. If it isn’t, you have not done your homework. Too often, newcomers will stroll into their local tattoo parlor, pick up a few books or checkout the artwork on the walls, and thirty minutes later sit down in the chair for their session.

This is crazy! Call it short-sighted, or having too much faith in tattoo removal technology (dubious odds, at best), but for something that will be on your body for your entire life, you really need to take a few steps back, slow down, and take your time making a design choice. Here are a few steps that you should consider taking so that you don’t end up with a visible reminder of your bad decision.

Choose your location first: where you get your tattoo often has an impact on the style that you choose. For example, a tattoo that looks good on your lower back likely has a far different style than one that will be placed on your shoulder. Start with the location.

Next choose your design: first narrow down your selection into a style of tattoo that you like, and then narrow it further by finding several designs within that style that appeal to you.

Test drive your design: get some professional transfer paper — this is the paper that tattoo artists use to transfer designs from their books to your skin. Trace the design onto the transfer paper, optionally using a lightbox for assistance. Then have a friend transfer the design onto your skin and fill it in with fine-tipped permanent markers in the appropriate colors. It doesn’t have to be perfect — you just want to make sure the size, style, and colors agree with you.

Sleep on it: now just take your time, continue observing your test tattoo, and trying on different designs. You can see, with a high degree of accuracy and realism, what that tattoo is going to look like on your skin. If you don’t like, just scrub really hard and try again with a clean canvas! Eventually you’ll find a perfect design.

Additionally, if your tattoo will include a lettering style, don’t limit yourself to what you see in the parlor’s books. There are literally thousands of freeware fonts that you can download and install on your computer. You can use a graphics program (even a free one like gimp) to add the lettering to your tattoo design of choice, and then transfer it to your skin with the rest of the test tattoo. Like the design, you’ll eventually find a font that is perfect for your new tattoo.

To some, this sounds like a lot of work, and that’s true. But this tattoo will be with you for a lifetime, so you will want to do your research. Use a tattoo finder to locate a great design, browse through the many free fonts available online, and test drive all of the promising tattoo designs before you ink them permanently. Your effort will be rewarded many fold in the years to come.



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