I came across this news article and I was mildly disturbed.
Click

This is a new use for tattoos that I’d never even considered, but I must admit it’s a good idea. However, I was shocked to read that a tattoo artist feared for his life.

Never did I think that tattoos would come into play in the war in Iraq!

I found this article online and it was quite interesting.
The Harvard Crimson

The idea of removable tattoos sounds bizarre to me, but I guess it would be a good thing for people who choose their tattoos too hastily. However, even with this new option on the horizon, I think people should allow themselves a sufficient amount of time to think about what they really want.

A lot of the questions and answers for tattoos are similar to piercings, so I’ll try to just cover the differences.

What does it feel like?
The feeling of getting a tattoo is completely unlike any other kind of pain, even piercings. Some people describe it similar to getting snapped with a rubber band repeatedly. I think that’s the best way to describe it as it’s very difficult to say the feeling in words.

Will it bleed?
Yes, most tattoos DO bleed while you’re getting them done. However, it’s not like you’re going to see blood running down your skin. It mixes in with the fresh ink and the tattoo artist wipes it off as he/she is working. The tattoo may ooze for a while after it’s done but it should stop shortly.

How do I care for my tattoo after it’s done?
Your tattoo artist will most likely give you a special ointment to coat lightly on your tattoo. If you happen to not receive any, you can go to the baby section at Walmart and get some A&D Ointment. It’s a diaper rash ointment but doubles as a skin protectant, and it’s basically the same thing the artist will give you. You’ll want to put just enough on so that your skin looks shiny. For the first day or two, your tattoo should be covered up because it will still be very sensitive. After that, take the bandage off and let it get some fresh air. You can keep putting the ointment on for up to 2 weeks if necessary.

What are some do’s and don’ts for tattoos?
DO wash your tattoo lightly with anti-bacterial, non-scented soap when you shower.
DO wear light clothing for the first couple of days to cut down on irritation.

DON’T shower or bathe in extremely hot water. It will fade your tattoo.
DON’T expose your tattoo to sunlight while it’s still new. If this is impossible, put high-SPF sunscreen on it.
DON’T pick at the scabs. This is supposed to happen and if you pick them off, you will pick a layer of ink off as well.
DON’T peel off dry skin. This is also supposed to happen. It’s just your skin healing.

Will I need a touch-up?
This depends usually on what color of ink you have. The colors that normally need touch-ups are red, yellow, and black. Fortunately, touch-ups are not needed frequently and they are much cheaper than the actual tattoo.

Can I use my own design?
You sure can. Bring in your drawing and your tattoo artist will transfer it to your skin. They may even pay you for the rights to your design.

What if I change my mind?
Unfortunately for some, tattooing is not as changeable as piercings. You can cover up old tattoos, but it’s extremely painful, difficult, costly, and time-consuming to get your tattoo lasered off. This is why I suggest you think carefully before you get something done, and consider having it done on a place you can cover up.

Now that I’ve given you a brief history on tattoos and piercings, I will share with you my own experiences.

For my 16th birthday, I begged my mother to let me get a piercing. She decided the only one she would allow was the eyebrow, so that’s what I got. It didn’t hurt much. By that time I was used to needles, because in my younger years I had a lot of bloodwork done, and I already had 9 piercings in my ears, including the cartilage. So I was accustomed to that kind of pain and it didn’t bother me. I didn’t even flinch. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of it because that was before I got a digital camera.

I loved it…for about 3 months. And then it started to reject. If you don’t know what that means, it’s when your skin “realized” that there’s a foreign object in there and it tries to push it out. It usually happens with surface piercings; piercings that basically sit on top of the skin as opposed to through it. I went to the parlor and the guy thought that if I got it done deeper, it would stay. After 2 weeks of healing, I went back and got it redone. That last for about a month and it started to reject again. I took it out and gave it up. Now I have a lovely scar on my eyebrow, but I can’t complain because it goes with the territory.

The next year, on my 17th birthday, my mom took me to get my first tattoo. On one condition: My dad couldn’t know. He’s vehemently against tattoos and any kind of body modification. That day, I experienced a new kind of pain. The feeling of a needle drilling into your skin for 30+ minutes isn’t exactly pleasant, but I feel that it’s worth it. I got my first tattoo done on my lower back and here it is.

Everyone should have seen the next year coming, because it was my 18th birthday, and I could legally get whatever kind of body art I wanted! This was a double-mod year for me.

I’d been contemplating a certain design for quite a while. It was more painful than the first, but it’s my favorite. I got it done on my right shoulder blade. A tip to anyone interested in getting a tattoo: Red ink is the most expensive! This is a bit smaller than the palm of my hand and it cost me $100. My mother hates it, but I think it fits my personality and so does everyone else I know. A little bit girly, a little bit morbid.

Ever since I gave up my eyebrow piercing, I’d been wanting a new one. The one I had my eye on for a long time was the septum. Yes, this is what you often see cartoons of bulls wearing. That part right between your nostrils. Sounds painful? You’d be correct. But that’s part of what attracted me to it, because it wasn’t something you saw every day. I only knew one person at the time who had it done, and that was my boyfriend. He went to a professional to get his done, and it seemed the man had no clue what he was doing. He had to run the needle through 3 times because he couldn’t get it right, and by the end, my poor Andy was vomiting blood because it ran down his throat.

Frankly, it scared me to death. I didn’t want to go through that, so I decided not to get it. But then Andy started learning how to pierce from someone who’d been trained by a professional. He wanted to do my septum, but I wouldn’t let him since he’d never done it before. And then I watched him do his friend’s septum, and it turned out perfectly. It didn’t bleed, and it grew in straight.

So I let him do mine. A lot of people will say that letting an amateur pierce you is a stupid thing to do, and this is true most of the time. However, I had more confidence in my “amateur” boyfriend than I did in the “professional” who pierced him. I waited until I observed him doing it properly, and only then did I allow him to do it. There was no bleeding. Of course it hurt, but could you imagine a needle going through that part of your nose? It’s said to be the most painful of any facial piercing.

I’m extremely happy with the results. When I got pierced, it was a 16 gauge (relatively small). I have since stretched it to a 14 gauge and I’m considering stretching it again to a 12.

The septum is a great piercing for anybody who is not allowed to have them at work. Whenever I’m headed to work (and usually to class also), I flip it up inside my nose and you would never know it’s there.

I would love to get a new piercing, but my job won’t allow it, and I’m too chicken (and too germophobic) to get anything done below my face. I’ve also been thinking about getting a new tattoo, but I have yet to decide on a design. I’ve been drawing tattoo designs for a while now, and I would love to get my own work done. I’m sure you’ll all find out when it does happen!

Imagine you are walking through your local mall. You want to buy some new clothes for yourself, so you head towards the department store. While shopping, you notice a teenage girl leaning forward, exposing a small butterfly on the lower portion of her back. You finish your shopping and head to the music shop. There, you find yourself standing next to a big, burly man, and his shoulders are plastered with all kinds of gruff-looking artwork. You’re slightly intimidated, until he turns to you and asks your opinion on a new CD.    

Tattoos are everywhere. They have become very popular in this day and age, and amongst all ages. They may give you a certain impression on someone, but that doesn’t always hold to be true. But where do they come from? What exactly IS a tattoo? And what drives these people to inflict such painful practices on their bodies? This is what I will cover today.

To our knowledge, people started tattooing at least 5000 years ago; possibly more. Nobody knows who exactly started it, and not much of a record has been left behind. The tradition was passed on through the generations and remains popular to this day, perhaps more so than ever.

Tattoos are created when colored materials are inserted underneath the skin’s surface. Anybody who has a tattoo will tell you, it hurts like you wouldn’t believe. A needle is dipped in ink and drilled into your skin, over and over again. The outline of the tattoo comes first, and then the shading, if you desire. Afterwards, the skin begins to heal. It itches, often scabs over, and peels. Once all this is done with, you will see the final result of your tattoo and decide if a touch-up is needed.

Different techniques for this process have been used throughout time, but the basic elements are still the same. A needle, some ink, and possibly a rag to bite on.

The whole process sounds very painful, and it is. So why go through with it? People have always loved expressing themselves, and this is one of the most primitive ways of doing so. It is looked at as a form of art. It is a permanent way of showing society what you think of yourself, others, your beliefs, morals, or basically anything you wish.

In addition, some people will tell you that tattoos are addictive, and I would have to agree with that. The sensation of getting a tattoo is so unique that one could only understand it by having it done. Once it is finished (assuming it wasn’t a rash decision and one that turned out disastrous), the result is usually so pleasing and satisfying that a new tattoo is desired soon afterwards.

Below are some examples of extensive tattoo designs throughout history.

Samoan Tattoo

Maori Chiefs, 1910

Japanese Tattoos

Woman from a German Circus