Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Tattoo Design Of Your Choice

This article which you are about to read has been written because I have noticed a growing interest in the art of tattooing, and a lot of people are asking questions about it. This article will answer some of those questions, so, firstly,

What does it feel like to be tattooed? It is painful, alright. After all it is an art. Art needs emotions (which presumably cover pain!) to bring out the best from an art piece. The money aside, pain in tattooing is part of the investment.

And depending on the design of your tattoo, the process will become more and more painful. So please bear with it.

The more decorative or the more symbolic your tattoo design is, the more artistic it will get. Tattoo is simply a means of self expression. It is after all, used among wide scopes of culture and its history runs down from ages to ages. And understandably, as the ages went, the tattoo designs became more elaborate so that some developed more like living artworks rather than simple accentuations imbedded into human skin.

There are literally myriad of tattoo designs that often leave customers overwhelmed. Let us take a look at some more popular designs these days so you and other people planning to get tattooed would have more defined ideas of what design to punch into the skin. Note: This is not easy and the process is equally not handy so focus on what you truly desire and work on it until the last point of the needle.

No culture in the world is more responsible for the development of the tattoo than the region of the Polynesia. The word itself came from its ancient language, which meant to make a mark.

The designs patterned from ancient ideas spotted in this region are normally referred to as tribal, one of the most intuitive and versatile designs there are. Aggressive bold lines and symmetrical patterns, tribal tattoos remain popular (and are constantly working its way to extreme popularity) because it primarily allows the influence of other cultures, artists personal expression and fusion with other designs.

Like its tribal ancestors, designs patterned from Celtic ideas dont actually contain or convey a single concept, rather it communicates feelings and illustrations depending on the interpretation of the audience. Celtic concepts were typically borrowed from ancient Celtic culture tracing back from the 1st century. These designs dont present specific images, except for those that depict certain pieces of Celtic history and literature. Designs covered in this genre have no beginning and no end. They are composed of intertwining loops and knots. While unquestionably famous, Celtic tattoo designs should only be done by artists who have dedicated their profession in this single style.

Now before you read any further let me just jump in here and say that I really do hope that you are finding this not only interesting, but informative because I have written this in order to try and provide some information on this subject. So, having said that, lets continue.

Yet it is not only the looks that matter in tattoo designs. Because it is for self expression, people often find themselves content with adding specific religious symbols that make their faith more pronounced. No wonder, the extreme prevalence of angels, crosses and other religious tokens can be seen throughout many regions.

Well, who would forget patriotism? (Or is it due to lack of choice? Probably not.)

The eagle, the eagle, the eagle. Well, thats stereotypical. How many times have we seen myriad of eagle designs that depict the Great America? We have already lost count actually.

Americans seem to have this special commitment towards the country that they are even willing to leave marks of its symbols into their skin. You may choose to follow after their practice but you may also not. That really depends on your preference. However, if you want to be unique, you can try looking for more seldomly used design rather than the American eagle or any other eagle of that sort.

The only key here is to ask yourself what really matters to you. Will I love Mary mean the same thing a few years from now? Think it through.

Let me finish by saying that there is a lot of information out there on this subject just waiting for you to unearth. Try your local bookstore, your library, my blog, or the internet, and you will be amazed at how much more you can learn.


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/Tattoo-Design-Of-Your-Choice/49681

Tatoo Removal Made Easy

Tattooing, which is defined as the permanent insertion of ink or other pigments below the skin using a sharp instrument, has been used for cosmetic and ritual purposes since the Neolithic era. It has been used to identify criminals, invoke magical powers and, most recently, to adorn the skin with colorful designs in what has become a major trend.

Indeed, a recent telephone survey done by the American Academy of Dermatology reports that 36 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 are tattooed, and 24 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 50 have been inked. This represents a 16 percent increase over a similar survey done in 2003!

But what happens when that tattoo you thought was so cool 20 years ago just isn't cool anymore?

Yes, tattooing has been around a long time, and something that has always gone along with tattoos since the very beginning is the desire to remove them. Whether the desire to remove the tattoo is a result of social, cultural, or physical reasons, people go to great lengths to get the job done.

Early techniques for removing tattoos included painful and scarring procedures such as sanding, cutting, and burning the skin. Unless you were willing to go to these lengths, tattoos were seen as permanent and irreversible. However, thanks to medical advances in the field of dermatology, surgeons are now able to remove tattoos safely and effectively.

Methods for tattoo removal today include dermabrasion, surgical excision, salabrasion, chemical peels, and laser surgery. Let's examine how tattoos are removed with each of these methods.

Dermabrasion

With dermabrasion, the surface and middle layers of the skin are "sanded" away with a hand-held scraping or sanding tool. This process removes the pigmented skin and encourages the growth of new skin.

Dermabrasion is not for everyone. If the tattoo is old, or if the ink has been injected into the subcutaneous fat, dermabrasion may not work. Also, if the tattoo was done by an amateur and the ink is deposited at varying depths in the skin, complete removal may be difficult.

Side effects include skin discoloration, infection at the site of the tattoo, and scarring from repeated scraping and sanding. Complete removal of all the ink is not always possible.

Until laser surgery was introduced, dermabrasion was considered one of the most popular and effective ways of removing tattoos.

Surgical Excision

Surgical excision is performed under general anesthesia. During the process, the surgeon literally cuts the tattoo out of the skin, and closes the wound with sutures. This technique is more suitable for smaller tattoos.

This is one of the more invasive tattoo removal procedures, and complications include swelling, infection, and scarring.

Chemical Peel

A chemical peel, during which trichloracetic acid is usually used, progressively removes layers of skin, and eventually the tattoo.

Depending upon the age of the tattoo, and whether the ink is evenly distributed, it is not guaranteed that a chemical peel will completely remove a tattoo. Chemical peels can also cause permanent damage to the skin, such as lightening where the design used to be, or scarring.

Salibrasion

Salibrasion is perhaps one of the oldest methods of tattoo removal, and requires the skin to be "sanded" with salt. A local anesthetic is usually injected around the design, and the skin is aggressively rubbed with salt or a salt sanding block.

Complete tattoo removal can't be guaranteed, and the procedure can leave the patient with raw, red, burned skin. Scarring is also a possibility with this method.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment was introduced in the 1980s, and presented the best alternative to tattoo removal. The CO2 laser beam was used to vaporize the ink and the overlying skin, and was less painful, safer, and much easier than other techniques. However, the technique was not perfect. The healing process was long, there was considerable risk of scarring, and in almost all cases a faint image of the tattoo was left behind.

Q-Switched Lasers

Q-Switched Lasers were introduced about 10 years ago, and have been shown to be the most effective way to date to remove tattoos. Q-switched lasers emit light in very short but powerful flashes, which pass through the skin and break up the tattoo pigment.

Because the absorption of the laser light affects the energy's ability to break up the pigment, different types of q-switched lasers are best used on different colors of pigment.
There are four different types of q-switched lasers:

1.Q-switched ruby lasers have a red light and are effective on most black, blue, and green pigments.

2. Q-switched alexandrite lasers emit a deep red light and are effective for most black, blue, and green pigments.

3. Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers emit an infrared light and are effective on most black and dark blue pigments.

4. Q-switched frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers emit a green light and are effective on most red, black, dark blue, and purple pigments.

While tattoo removal with q-switched lasers is completely safe, patients usually experience discomfort on the same scale as receiving the tattoo. A topical anesthetic can be applied one to three hours before treatment. The more treatments the patient has the less pain he or she will feel, as there will be less pigment to absorb the laser energy.

Antibiotic ointment and a light dressing are applied to the area after treatment and normal activity, including showering, can resume the next day. Light blistering or bleeding following the treatment is normal and should subside within a day or two.

All tattoos will require more than one treatment, the average being between five and 10 treatments depending upon the depth of the tattoo, the colors used, the location of the tattoo, and the health of the patient. Fading of the tattoo should be evident about two weeks after treatment, and another treatment can be done as soon as a month later.

While scarring will not occur as a result of q-switched lasers, mild skin texture changes can occur. Darker skinned patients may also experience some skin lightening, though this is usually temporary.

Is it guaranteed that the tattoo will completely disappear when treated with a q-switched laser? Well, because more than 100 tattoo inks are used today, and none of them are regulated by the FDA, it is impossible to predict how a particular ink will respond to laser treatment. However, in most cases the tattoo will completely disappear.

To find a physician board-certified in laser surgery who removes tattoos look in the yellow pages under Cosmetic or Laser Surgery, and/or Tattoo Removal. Or contact the Ethical Cosmetic Surgery Association to find a practitioner in your area.


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/Tatoo-Removal-Made-Easy/49814

How To Take Care Of Your Fresh Tattoos

The first thing you need to is remove the bandage/saran wrap from your tattoo after about an hour. Your new tattoo is a wound and it needs to breathe so it can heal.

Wash the tattoo using your fingertips using a mild antibacterial soap. Remove all traces of blood since this can cause scabbing. Do not scrub the tattoo with a washcloth during the healing period. Always pat the tattoo dry with a clean soft cloth or let it air dry. Apply a thin coat of ointment to the tattoo. Tattoo Goo, , A&D Ointment and Aquaphor are all very great. Only use enough to make it shine and work it in well. Remove all the excess ointment with a paper towel. You only need enough to keep the tattoo moist to keep it from scabbing. You do not need to re-bandage your tattoo.

You should re-apply ointment whenever the tattoo is starting to feel dry or stiff. Typically three to five times per day for three or four days then switch to a moisturizer such as Keri, Lubriderm, Jergens, or Vaseline Intensive care. Do not use lotions that contain color, fragrance or sparkles until the healing is complete.

If you don't keep it moist it will form a thick scab that may crack when you move. When this kind of scab is formed the ink sits within it and slowly heals into the skin. When the tattoo is kept moist it doesn't have a chance to form a scab but does form a thin membrane to protect the tattoo while it heals. Do not peelor pick at your tattoo, you will pull the ink out. It is normal to see small flakes of colored skin falling off during the healing stage.

You must keep your tattoo clean, but long showers or baths should be avoided for 2 weeks. Prolonged soaking can loosen any scabs that may have formed, or will soak through the soft tissue and cause some of your ink to leak out.

Try not to scratch or pick at the tattoo. It will get itchy and a good alternative that I found worked well was to slap it or spray it with rubbing alcohol.

The sun is bad for your tattoo, even if you've had it for a long time. Wait until it is fully healed before you go back in the sun make sure you put on a high quality sunblock. Do not apply sunblock while the tattoo is healing though. The tattoo is under your skin, and your tan will form above it. If you get too dark, some colors may not show as brightly as they used to. Over time, excessive exposure to the sun will cause your tattoo to fade.



http://www.articleblender.com/Article/How-To-Take-Care-Of-Your-Fresh-Tattoos/50646

Tattoo Information You May Need To Know

This article which you are about to read has been written because of a growing interest worldwide in tattoos of all types and designs, and I hope that by reading this you will be a bit better preparedbefore you actually have the tattoo.

Before you decide to get a tattoo, you should always take a little bit of time to talk to your tattoo artist. When you speak to him, you should be sure to ask questions and find out anything you can about your new decoration. You should also find out information about his background, and other important bits of information that will assist you in moving forward with your decision.

The first thing you should find out is how long the parlor has been in business. This will let you know just how professional the quality of work is and the overall reputation for the business. If the parlor belongs to the Better Business Bureau you can always check their record and see if any complaints have been filed about the business in the last few years.

You should also find out about his qualifications as well. Experience is a must here, as infections and other diseases can easily be contracted if the equipment is not clean. Tattoo artists deal with needles on a daily basis, making experience very important. Finding out how much experience and qualifications your artist has will tell you quite a bit about what you can expect from them.

You will also want to find out if the studio guarantees their work. In the unlikely event that you dont like the outcome of the tattoo, you will obviously want it to be fixed. The better studios will fix it without requiring any money. Refund policies are also important, especially if you dont like the quality or the workmanship of the tattoo.

The cost is also very important. Before you decide to get a tattoo or agree to anything, you will obviously want to know the full cost. The bigger tattoos can be quite expensive, although even the smallest of tattoos can be expensive as well, especially if you are on a budget. You can save yourself a lot of time and prevent any type of surprises by knowing the costs upfront.

Now just before we go any further let me just say that at the end of this article I will be giving you some ideas as to how you can find out more information on this subject, as the more that you know the better equipped you will be. So, having said that, lets continue.

Infection is also something you will want to find out about. The better tattoo artists can provide information about infections, and tell you how to prevent them. They will also tell you about their services, and how they can prevent you from getting an infection. When you ask for information he should also be able to tell you exactly what to do if you think you are developing an infection as well.

If you suffer from a fear of needles, you should always ask if there is a way to help you. You should never feel bad about asking, as many people are deathly afraid of needles. Needles are used with tattoos, as there is no other way to put the ink in the skin. If you are afraid of getting a tattoo due to the needles, you should make sure that you let your tattoo artist know. Chances are, he may be able to take extra steps to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

Asking questions is never a bad thing when it comes to getting a tattoo. If a tattoo artist hesitates to answer any question you ask or acts hasty towards you, you should always leave and find another artist. Tattoos always have risks and concern, which is why the artist should be more than willing to answer any questions that you may have. Asking questions can help to ease your concern and make you feel better about the artist, which is why you should always make sure you write a list of questions before you visit the parlor.

Let me finish by saying that there is a lot of information out there on this subject just waiting for you to dig up. You could go to your local bookstore, or your local library and you will be amazed at what you will find. Also look out for some helpfull Blogs on this subject, and then last, but not least, spend a bit of time on the internet conducting your research.


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/Tattoo-Information-You-May-Need-To-Know/62768

Tattoo Removal And Reduction

Today, tattoos have become more popular than ever with the advent of popular reality shows like Miami Ink and others. Many people that would have never before considered a tattoo are flocking in droves to get them done. Some do not put a lot of thought or think in the long term before having a tattoo done.

They put names of girlfriends, boyfriends, their mom, gang affiliation, crimes, etc. on their body and then after they break up with their girlfriend or similar a few weeks or months later they regret the tattoo. Worse, some even get tattooed on areas like the face and hands that can make a regular career or advancement in a professional setting impossible. This is where tattoo removal and tattoo reduction come in.

Excision

Excision is using a scalpel or similar to remove the affected area and then suturing and pulling together the skin to minimize scarring. If the tattoo is large or covers a big area than skin grafts may be necessary as the skin can only be pulled so taught before it will look worse, not heal right and possibly even pull apart.

Skin grafts are usually taken from areas inside the thighs and underarms where scarring will be minimal and largely unseen. Excision is surgery and does usually require a sedative or even anesthesia in cases with large tattoos. Due to the advent of lasers and TCA skin peels for tattoo removal, excision is rarely used anymore.

TCA skin peel

Chemical peels have been around in various forms for over half a century. They were first used for treating tough calluses and corns on the feet. About 20 years ago doctors started experimenting on different areas of the skin like the face with varying strengths and mixtures. It was found that a 25 to 50 % TCA skin peel was the most effective and easiest to apply. It was also found that this peel could affect deeper skin problems like acne scarring, wrinkles and then unwanted tattoos.

The TCA skin peel causes a controlled burn which results in several layers being peeled off and fresh, new skin being revealed. Many doctors now use the TCA skin peel as a very effective tattoo removal and reduction treatment. It can be either used alone or incorporated with the laser treatments described below which actually hastens healing and further reduces the chances of scarring. The TCA skin peel is so easy to use that it is now available for in home use for tattoo removal (something you will never see with laser treatment and excision).


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/Tattoo-Removal-And-Reduction/81689

The Meaning Of Flower Tattoos

Flower tattoos are most popular among women. The majority of people choose to select floral tattoos according to the meaning of different flowers.

The rose is one of the most popular among flower tattoos, along with baby’s breath, which means pure heart, the buttercup and it’s symbol of riches, the carnation and it’s meaning of love.

The daisy is a favorite among floral tattoos as it symbolizes innocence.

The sunflower means beauty and the tulip with it’s meaning of enchantment.

As you can see, each flower is not only different in appearance, but in symbolization as well.

A men who choose floral tattoos will often accompany it with a name or other symbol. An example may be a rose with the name of his spouse or mate.

This article is for information purpose only. Before the purchase or application any tattoo, an individual should make sure that the artist is properly trained and licensed to produce a safe and quality tattoo. Any tattoo is not to be applied by an amateur or anyone who has not been properly trained in the handling and sterilization of tattoo equipment.


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/The-Meaning-Of-Flower-Tattoos/81782

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.


http://www.articleblender.com/Article/What-Do-I-Need-to-Know-About-Tattoos-/85695