Health Risks

Since tattoos involve needles and blood, they carry several risks. These include transmission of diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis and possibly HIV. When tattoo artists follow all the correct sterilization and sanitation procedures, risks for disease transmission are relatively low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has not been a documented case of HIV transmission from a tattoo. However, doctors warn that non-sterile tattooing practices can lead to the transmission of syphilis, hepatitis B and other infectious organisms.

Infections can occur in new tattoos, especially without appropriate after care. Some people also experience allergic reactions to tattoo inks. Although the pigments used may have U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for other purposes, the FDA does not regulate tattoo inks. Finally, some people experience pain or burning during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations because of metallic pigments. Some doctors have also reported interference and distorted MRI images from permanent make-up pigments.

In addition, most states place restrictions on whether people who have tattoos can donate blood. Because of the danger of hepatitis, the American Red Cross will not accept blood from someone who has been tattooed in the past year unless the tattoo parlor is state-regulated. Most states do not regulate tattoo parlors. [Source: American Red Cross]

Tattoo professionals use rules known as universal precautions to prevent the spread of illnesses during tattooing. These precautions are part of the Bloodborne Pathogens Rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The same rules apply to hospitals and doctors' offices. The CDC is a good resource for information about universal precautions.

Precautions for tattoo parlors include glove use, sterilization and covering bottles and tools.

Other precautions specific to tattooing include:

• Checking gloves for pinhole tears during tattooing, since petroleum-based ointment erodes latex
• Pouring ink in advance, using clean tissue to open ink bottles during tattooing and preventing nozzles from touching contaminated surfaces
• Patting tubes dry after rinsing during color changes - never blowing excess water from them
• Spraying liquid soap into a tissue, not directly onto bleeding area, since blood can become airborne when the spray hits it
• Giving pens used for drawing on the skin, which should be medical grade and sterile, to the client

Tattoo artists must also take special safety measures regarding their hands. Gloves help prevent disease transmission from bodily fluids, but bacteria thrive in the warm, damp environment they create. This means that artists must:

• Wash hands thoroughly and often.
• Inspect hands for cuts or sores and cover them with bandages.
• Remove hangnails and keep nails short to prevent punctures to gloves.
• Refrain from tattooing when experiencing lesions, dermatitis or allergic reactions.

Laws require minors to have a parent's permission to get a tattoo. So, some adolescents get tattoos from friends or amateurs, who use makeshift tools like pens and paper clips with little if any sanitary precautions. This is extremely dangerous, since proper equipment and sanitary measures protect people from disease and infection.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/tattoo3.htm

Creating a Tattoo: Outline, Shading and Color

Clients work with artists to create custom tattoo designs, or they chose images from flash, which are tattoo designs displayed in the shop. The artist draws or stencils the design onto the person's skin, since the skin can stretch while the artist uses the tattoo machine. The artist must also know how deeply the needles need to pierce the skin throughout the process. Punctures that are too deep cause excessive pain and bleeding, and ones that are too shallow cause uneven lines.

Most tattoo shops display a large collection of flash.

The tattoo itself involves several steps:

* Outlining, or black work: Using a single-tipped needle and a thin ink, the artist creates a permanent line over the stencil. Most start at the bottom of the right side and work up (lefties generally start on the left side) so they don't smear the stencil when cleaning excess ink from the permanent line.

* Shading: After cleaning the area with soap and water, the artist uses a thicker ink and a variety of needles to create an even, solid line. Improper technique during this step can cause shadowed lines, excessive pain and delayed healing.

* Color: The artist cleans the tattoo and then overlaps each line of color to ensure solid, even hues with no holidays - uneven areas where color has lifted out during healing or where the artist missed a section of skin.

* Final cleaning and bandaging: After using a disposable towel to remove any blood and plasma, the artist covers the tattoo with a sterile bandage. Some bleeding always occurs during tattooing, but most stops within a few minutes.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/tattoo2.htm

Creating a Tattoo: Sterilization & Prep Work

A tattoo machine creates a puncture wound every time it injects a drop of ink into the skin. Since any puncture wound has the potential for infection and disease transmission, much of the application process focuses on safety. Tattoo artists use sterilization, disposable materials and hand sanitation to protect themselves and their clients.

To eliminate the possibility of contamination, most tattoo materials, including inks, ink cups, gloves and needles, are single use. Many single-use items arrive in sterile packaging, which the artist opens in front of the customer just before beginning work.

An autoclave sterilizes tattoo equipment before each use.

Reusable materials, such as the needle bar and tube, are sterilized before every use. The only acceptable sterilization method is an autoclave -- a heat/steam/pressure unit often used in hospitals. Most units run a 55-minute cycle from a cold start, and they kill every organism on the equipment. To do this, an autoclave uses time, temperature and pressure in one of two combinations:

• A temperature of 250° F (121° C) under 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes
• A temperature of 270° F (132° C) under 15 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes

Prior to sterilizing the equipment, the artist cleans each item and places it in a special pouch. An indicator strip on the pouch changes color when the items inside are sterile.

Before working on customers, tattoo artists wash and inspect their hands for cuts and abrasions. Then, they should do the following:

• Disinfect the work area with an EPA-approved viricide.
• Place plastic bags on spray bottles to prevent cross-contamination.
• Explain the sterilization process to the client.
• Remove all equipment from sterile packaging in front of the client.
• Shave and disinfect (with a mixture of water and antiseptic soap) the area to be tattooed.
• 
  

http://people.howstuffworks.com/tattoo1.htm

How Tattoos Work

The tattoo machine has remained relatively unchanged since the late 1800s. See more pictures of tattoos.

Not too long ago, most Americans associated tattoos with sailors, bikers and sideshow artists. But tattoos have become more popular in recent years, and the people who get them are as diverse as the styles and designs they choose. And some people who would never think of tattooing pictures or symbols onto their bodies use permanent make-up -- a type of tattoo -- to emphasize their eyes and lips.

In this article, we'll look at how the tattoo process works and examine the safety and legal issues surrounding it.

Tattoo Basics
Artists create tattoos by injecting ink into a person's skin. To do this, they use an electrically powered tattoo machine that resembles (and sounds like) a dental drill. The machine moves a solid needle up and down to puncture the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute. The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.

Tattoo Basics
Artists create tattoos by injecting ink into a person's skin. To do this, they use an electrically powered tattoo machine that resembles (and sounds like) a dental drill. The machine moves a solid needle up and down to puncture the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute. The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.

The tattoo machine has remained relatively unchanged since its invention by Samuel O'Reilly in the late 1800s. O'Reilly based his design on the autographic printer, an engraving machine invented by Thomas Edison. Edison created the printer to engrave hard surfaces. O’Reilly modified Edison’s machine by changing the tube system and modifying its rotary-driven electromagnetic oscillating unit to enable the machine to drive the needle.

Modern tattoo machines have several basic components:

• A sterilized needle
• A tube system, which draws the ink through the machine
• An electric motor
• A foot pedal, like those used on sewing machines, which controls the vertical movement of the needle.

A tattoo machine involves a magnetic vibrator driving the needle up and down. Click here to see how the machine is assembled.

When you look at a person's tattoo, you're seeing the ink through the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The ink is actually in the dermis, which is the second layer of the skin. The cells of the dermis are far more stable than the cells of the epidermis, so the tattoo's ink will stay in place, with minor fading and dispersion, for a person's entire life.

Next, we'll look at how artists actually create tattoos, from preparation to finishing touches.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/tattoo.htm

The Yakuza

Modern Day Japanese Mafia

The Yakuza are believed to be one of the largest organized crime phenomena in the world and have been around longer than the Sicilian mafia. Their origins can be followed far back as to the year 1612 when men known as kabuki-mono (the crazy ones), came to the attention of local authorities. Their odd clothing, style, distinctive haircuts and anti-social behavior gained the attention of mainstream society. They have gained notoriety not just in Japan but around the world for their activities.

In Japanese legal terminology, Yakuza organizations are referred to as bôryokudan, literally violence groups. Yakuza members consider this an insult, as bôryokudan is a term which can be applied to any violent criminal. It is generally believed that most Yakuza members come from poor backgrounds or are on the margins of society.They mainly make their livings from unlawful activities, such as gambling, drugs, prostitution and extortion. For many poor people the Yakuza have become like a family that protects them. After the earthquake in Kobe the Yakuza arranged financial aid and even a helicopter for local people most effected by it. Many local business see the extortion money as a form of 'tax' and the police are sometimes reluctant to become involved.

Hondori Street, Hiroshima, Japan. © Tao of Tattoos

For the Yakuza it doesn´t matter which country you come from or from which class of society you belong to, it is not too hard to become a member of the 'New Yakuza'. The Yakuza still see their role as that of taking care of those on the margins of society. The Yakuza is an all men's society. They don't generally trust women and view them as being weak. They believe that women cannot fight like men, that women are not born to fight. To a Yakuza member, the most important thing is courage. They are prepared to fight to the death, rather than lose the battle. Yakuza members must be willing to die for their boss.

It's common within Yakuza circles to tattoo themselves. Their tattoos can depict their clan's crest. Some Yakuza members tattooed a black ring around the arm for each crime they committed. Tattoos were a mark of strength (some tattoos can take over 100 hours to do) and were also a sign that they were unwilling to accommodate themselves to societies rules and norms. Although tattoos have become mainstream in Japan as well as around the world it is not uncommon for public onsen (Japanese baths) and some capsule hotels not to admit people with tattoos as was my experience in Japan. Many of the older generation still associate tattoos with the criminal classes which may be the reason you don't see to many people showing them off in public places.

http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/yakuza.html

Becoming a Tattoo Artist

Short Guide to Tattoo Apprenticeships
Becoming a tattoo artist is more than simply ordering a tattoo kit through a tattoo magazine and experimenting on your friends! Tattooing is an art form with rules that have to be respected.

Failure to adhere to those rules can result in much more than a dodgy piece of art work but can result in the transmission of potentially fatal diseases and lawsuits running into millions of dollars not to mention earning the reputation as a 'scratcher'!

It takes a lot of time and money to become a tattoo artist so it helps if you have some formal training in art to give you an understanding of form and color technology. But it is an art that can be learned without formal training and contrary to popular belief there are still a few tattoo artists out there who are willing to take on apprentices to teach an eager student how to become a tattoo artist.

If you have decided to go the route of apprenticeship the best course of action is to visit as many tattoo studios as you can and strike up a relationship with the tattoo artists. Most tattoo artists are open and don't mind being asked questions or allowing you to watch while they work - within reason!

Watch how they operate. If you have a portfolio of artwork show it to them. Bounce ideas around and suggest that you would like an opportunity to even help them around the studio in return for a chance to learn more about the craft of tattooing.

If your artwork is any good you may be surprised that a lot of tattooists will be keen to share their techniques with you and maybe even employ you full time in their studio. A good junior tattoo artist can work wonders for their business and raise their own profile as well as your so really show them your worth. Really let the tattoo artist know how passionate you are about tattooing and how keen you are to learn.

When it comes to becoming a tattoo artist Albert Einstein's theory that "imagination is more important than knowledge" holds true. Be creative and don't be afraid to share your ideas with other tattoo artists.

Eventually someone will recognize that you are serious and will allow you the opportunity to work under their tutelage. Eventually as you gain confidence and more experience you will find that you will be able to tattoo someone professionally. At that stage you will then become an employee to some tattoo artist with their own studio or even break out on your own to become a well known tattoo artist in your own right.

Remember there is much to learn before becoming a tattoo artist but it is a journey worthwhile taking if you feel that it is your calling. Nothing beats the feeling of creating a work of art that is going to stay with someone for the rest of their lives.


http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/becoming-a-tattoo-artist.html

Biker Tattoos

Hot Metal and Skulls 'n' Bones

When most people think of bikers they think of gang members with menacing biker tattoos. The reality is that biker gangs only represent 1% of actual bikers. We have all heard of The Nomads and Gypsy Jokers who represent the outlaw side of bikers. The ones you see whizzing past you on the freeway most likely are biker enthusiasts. Having said that the sound of fifty Harley Davidson bikes in your rear view mirror can be daunting!

Bikers have long since being misaligned in the public eye and are constantly on the receiving end of bad press. The ones you hear about are the One Percenters as they are known by biker enthusiasts. Their world is one of turf wars, conflict with police and criminal activity including the manufacturing of speed and ice.

Biker shows off his tattoos © Lord Hatred

People join bikers gangs such as the outlaw motorcycle club for many different reasons. One of the main things was the brotherhood or comradeship. It's similar to the army or anything like that, with discipline and codes of honour. The main reason seems to be freedom - the freedom of the biker lifestyle, and most of all, the freedom of the open road. All bikers crave the same thing - the pure adrenaline rush of two wheels at high speed.

The image is of freedom but the reality is of harsh discipline from the club to enforce its rules. Arthur Veno has spent 20 years studying and associating with the clubs. According to his research, new recruits are from lower-working-class or underclass backgrounds, looking for stability.

Those rules are things like you're not to touch another member's wife or partner, no backing out on fights, if you see one person fighting, it's got to be everybody in. No use of heroin in particular seems to be the rule. No missing 'church', which is their equivalent of their meeting, which occurs every week.

Club rules vary, but most have been adapted from those of the Hell's Angels in the US. The clubs themselves are generally not involved with criminal activities as such. There is, however, no doubt that individual members within the clubs are involved in criminal activities.

Skulls are popular tattoos for bikers © Sarah - Bristol, England

Everyone has their own perception or biker gangs whether or not that it is the right perception. A lot of people have the wrong perceptions of bikers not helped by the generally scary imagery favored by bikers as tattoos. Generally the perception of bikers as being violent thugs is one of misperception.

Biker tattoos usually depict the biker gang the biker belongs to. Skull and dice tattoos are can often be seen on bikers along with fantasy style and Norse tattoos depicting mythical creatures. As mentioned earlier it is hard to tell the difference between bikers who belong in gangs and those who are weekend enthusiasts who are retired or work in the corporate world. Just be careful when chatting to that burly dude at the bar next time...

http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/biker-tattoos.html

Butterfly Tattoos

Butterflies actually have been considered a fashion statement over the years. Whether it is clothes, accessories like bags, jewelry, hair clips, etc., this insect has formed a theme. While it may not always be the butterfly itself as a whole, it could just be its colors. In fact one of the basis art themes introduced to children is that of butterfly painting as it is one cut-out where children can blend any color of their liking and yet the result would be a butterfly on paper.

Taking butterfly one step further into the realm of fashion combing with art is butterfly tattoo designs. Whether it is the permanent tattoos or the temporary stick-on ones or even body paint, tattoo designers enjoy playing with the colors that make the butterfly wings. In fact amongst women it is the most preferred design.

Butterfly tattoo designs come in all sizes and varied color schemes, ranging from two-tones to multicolored. Whether of the permanent type or not they are mainly imprinted on the arm or on the shoulder blade. There are the bolder ones who have butterfly tattoos placed on their neck or ankle if they can bare the pain of the needle-pricked permanent tattoos.

The stick on butterfly tattoos last just a couple of days and can be scrubbed off with the use of acetone or any paint remover, some of them need basic soap and water to disappear. Body painted butterfly tattoos are the least permanent, as with one wash and they are gone. Whatever, maybe the type of tattoo, a butterfly design always looks the best as one can play with colors which are not possible with any other design.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/butterfly-tattoos.html

Cross Tattoos

Over the past few years Cross tattoos seem to be getting more and more popular. Though it is a matter of debate but one thing is certain that Cross tattoos do carry some significance to a person who bears the Cross symbol in the form of Cross tattoos. The Celtic cross is an example in this regard. For thousands of people the Celtic cross has been a symbol of history and past. The Celtic cross tattoos are the most important cross tattoo designs. It is a symbol of faith and heritage to a large number of people through out the world. You can find a variety of cross tattoo designs on a number of tattoo sites.

Cross tattoo designs are a few of those designs which are worn by both man and woman. When it comes to religious symbol body art, the cross tattoo is by far the most popular tattoo design. Cross tattoos represent spiritualism rather than physical attributes. With Cross tattoos many people find themselves at peace with themselves. Cross tattoos also symbolize peace, love and compassion. Depending upon one's personal choice one can choose between different cross tattoos. The cross tattoo design could be a traditional Christian cross, a tribal cross, a Celtic cross, a gothic cross or a Latin cross with a rosary, wings or praying hands.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/cross-tattoos.html

Dragon Tattoos

One of the most popular tattoo designs, dragon tattoos are a kind of rage today. Almost every third person out of ten wants to sport a dragon tattoo. There are two main types of dragons, the eastern dragon and the western dragon. The eastern dragon is seen as compassionate, signal of good fortune, benevolent and harbinger of fertility whereas the western dragon is infamous for its wicked character, destruction of villages and its greed for wealth.

Dragon tattoos have always remained at the top of the tattoo popularity list. People who want to show themselves as rough and tough tend to go for dragon tattoo designs. Some people opt for dragon tattoos as a part of their customs and traditions. Different types of dragon tattoos are available in the market today. You have the choice of selecting and picking dragon tattoos. Many tattoo sites also offer dragon tattoos of different types and styles. You may also get free dragon tattoos on some of the tattoo sites but most of these free dragon tattoos are not of high quality.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/dragon-tattoos.html

Zodiac Tattoos

Zodiac symbols make very popular tattoo designs. Zodiac tattoos made as Zodiac tribal tattoos or Zodiac Celtic tattoos are also very popular. Designs of the Zodiac combined with other design elements such as flowers, hearts, skulls, crosses, fairies/fairy, suns, moons, and stars make splendid Zodiac tattoo designs. Zodiac tattoo designs are available in different styles and in many colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet, as well as in black and white.

Since time immemorial, zodiac tattoos are one of the most popular tattoo deigns as people prefer to sport their own zodiac tattoos or the zodiac tattoos of their beloveds, on their bodies. Though there is no hard and fast rule but usually zodiac tattoos are worn as armbands, lower back pieces, on ankles, shoulders and so on. Today internet has become a great source to find zodiac tattoos. On the net you can find zodiac tattoos of different colors, sizes and patterns.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/zodiac-tattoos.html

Fairy Tattoos

Another tattoo design which is very popular is the fairy tattoo. Fairies presented as fairy tribal tattoos or fairy Celtic tattoos are absolutely popular with tattoo lovers. Designs of fairies are amalgamated with many other elements to give the fairy tattoos numerous looks. Fairy designs can be combined with flowers, hearts, crosses, glitter, suns, moons, stars and other fantasy themes to get more fairy tattoos. The fairy tattoos are also available in different colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet, as well as in black and white.

Fairy tattoos are tattooed as armbands, lower back pieces, on ankles, shoulders, the upper back area and chest area. In this age of information technology, it's pretty easy to locate fairy tattoos and other tattoo designs on the internet. Many tattoo sites have provisi ons of free tattoo designs, though the quality of these tattoos may not be that good. Fairy tattoos are fairly common in females as fairies are associated with the fair sex.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/fairy-tattoos.html

Tribal Tattoos

Tribal tattoos are generally influenced by tribal art from native and indigenous tribes. Tribal tattoos include Maori designs, Eskimo totems and Aztec sun clocks and so on. Other types of tribal tattoos rely more on the use of heavy lines and colors to create an image. These types of tribal tattoos often consist of black line work but color tattoos are becoming more recurrent in this type of tattoo art. A tribe is a social group comprising numerous families, clans or generations together inhabiting common lands. It is heartening to note that there has been an upsurge in tribal tattoo art not only in the west but also among the tribal youths. This has made the tribal tattoos more and more popular.

The word tribal is most often applied to the indigenous people of a nation, for example the Native Americans, Aztecs, Mayans, Eskimos and the Maoris. There are lots of colors and variety in tribal tattoos. It is mainly because of this reason that a large number of people are going for tribal tattoos these days. In fact, in the recent past the tribal tattoos art is on the revival track. In the west, there has been a resurgence and acceptance of tribal art and tribal tattooing. More research on tribal people, their arts, tattoos and lifestyles, and more and more available similes of tattooed people have led to western people's interest in Tribal Tattoos


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-designs/tribal-tattoos.html

Criminal Tattoos

Criminal tattoos are in fashion among gang members and criminals. Through tattoos marked over their bodies, criminals show their allegiance to their respective gangs. It is interesting to note that many times criminal tattoos record the wearer's personal skills, specialties, accomplishments and convictions. Certain Criminal tattoos have developed recognized coded meanings.

In Japan (between 300-600AD), tattoos came to be associated with criminals as tattoo symbols were put on criminals as mark of punishment. The stigma attached with tattoos forced the Japan government to ban tattoos during the Meiji restoration. Still, tattoos have retained the old image of criminality in Japan. Elaborate body tattoos worn by Yakuza members is an interesting example of criminal tattoos. In ancient Rome also they followed the same pattern by tattooing slaves with slogans such as "I am a slave who has run away from his master".

Criminal tattoos are in vogue in Middle East countries as well. Such criminal tattoos are in fashion in countries like the US, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand etc. and are associated with prison gangs, mafia and criminals. These criminal tattoos carry symbols or slogans like "my crazy life" and "I care for nothing". Russian criminal tattoos have an intricate system of symbols containing information about the person having that tattoo. The Russian criminal tattoos also carry meaning of the area of the body on which they are placed. For example, if a new member is initiated into the gang, the tattoo (rose design) is usually placed on the chest. Some common criminal tattoos are spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, grins, snakes, tigers, cats, skulls etc. All these criminal tattoos have some special significance.


http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/criminal-tattoos.html