London’s National Theatre has announced dates for a revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo starring Zoë Wanamaker. Stephen Pimlott’s production, part of the National’s Travelex £10 season, will open March 29 following previews that begin March 19.
Set in the Sicilian community of New Orleans, Williams' heroine is Serafina whose truck-driver husband is killed while smuggling drugs. For three years she mourns the man whose chest bore the emblem of the play's title. Then another truck driver comes knocking at the door.
The last major London revival of the play was Peter Hall's 1991 production starring Julie Walters. The forthcoming National production will feature Sheila Ballantine, Darrell D’Silva, Susannah Fielding, Stephanie Jacob, Rosalind Knight, Andrew Langtree, Maggie McCarthy and Jules Melvin.
Wanamaker was previously seen at the National in His Girl Friday, Battle Royal and The Crucible. She recently appeared at New York’s Lincoln Center in Awake and Sing!, earning a Tony nomination for her performance. Other credits include Donmar productions of The Boston Marriage and the title role in Electra for which she won an Olivier Award for Best Actress.
Pimlott directed the National production of Sunday in the Park With George and, more recently in the West End, And Then Were None and Bombay Dreams. The Rose Tattoo will be designed by Mark Thompson.You once adored Janie, but Laura is your honey now. That dragon circling your arm wowed your college buddies, but the executives in the office aren't nearly as impressed.
Just as the number of Americans sporting tattoos has soared in the past decade, so has membership in another group: people who want their bodywork removed. Only then do they come to know the truth -- that laser tattoo removal is painful, expensive and may not do the job completely.
Soon there may be a solution to the phenomenon of tattoo regret -- removable tattoo ink. A company founded by doctors says it will begin selling such ink early next year. The ink is applied just as with any tattoo, and will remain in place as long as desired. But if the owner later decides that the artwork has to go, it can be removed fully and safely with a single laser treatment.
The founders of the New York company making the removable ink, Freedom-2 LLC, say their goal is to help those who have come to regret permanently decorating their bodies. But backers say the technology will not only simplify tattoo removal, it will create an expanded market for body art -- since consumers can be now assured that the tattoo will come off easily and without exorbitant cost.
"I think it will open a floodgate for people who want tattoos," says Dr. Bruce Saal, a Los Gatos dermatologist who specializes in laser tattoo removal and has invested in the company. "People will say, 'I want to do something a little wild. Now that I know it's not a lifelong commitment, I'll do it.' "
But others wonder if tattoo artists and their customers will spurn the new ink if it doesn't meet their artistic needs.
Almost one-quarter of U.S. adults have at least one tattoo, according to a study of 500 Americans published September in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Of those, 17 percent were considering removal, the survey found.
Many doctors who perform laser tattoo removal, however, say that as many as half of all people with tattoos eventually want them off.
"A very high majority of people would desire to have them removed if there was a simple and easy way," Saal said.
Most conventional tattoos can be removed, but even a simple, small, one-color tattoo can require several laser treatments at a cost of around $1,000. Removals of large, multicolored tattoos can require more than a dozen laser treatments and cost $5,000 or more. And no, laser tattoo removal is not covered by medical insurance.
Multiple treatments are needed to avoid skin damage from the laser. During conventional tattoo removal, brief pulses of energy are aimed at the tattoo, heating skin cells and breaking up the ink particles. Then the body's natural ability to remove foreign particles clears away the ink fragments. The top layer of skin, however, often bleeds slightly and forms scabs. Because of the inflammation produced by the laser, only a small area of skin can be treated at one time.
There are other complications, too. Doctors often don't know which type of ink was used, at what depth the ink was applied and other factors that could help make removal easier, Saal said. (He is a member of Freedom-2's scientific advisory board.) Scarring can occur if multiple treatments are needed, and some tattoos can't be completely removed.
Some people who have gotten tattoos in recent years may have assumed that laser tattoo removal would deftly deal with any regrets, says Dr. Tina Alster, director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington and who is not associated with Freedom-2.
But, she adds, they are often stunned to learn of the cost and time involved. "They thought it would be as easy to take off as to put on -- in just one session," she said. "But now with this new dye and polymer, we will be able to remove it in one session."
Freedom-2's ink is removable because it is encapsulated in tiny beads made of polymethylmethacrylate, a synthetic material commonly used in surgical glue and in many types of artificial joints. The fact that the ink is encased in the tiny spheres doesn't affect the application of the tattoo or its appearance, says Martin Schmieg, chief executive of Freedom-2.
"Our inks look and feel and give a result equal to the current tattoos," he says.
Because of the way the beads are constructed, they fall apart when laser energy is applied, Schmieg said. Unpublished tests on humans and animals show that only one laser treatment is typically needed to fully remove a Freedom-2 tattoo and that most Q-switched lasers that doctors use for tattoo removal can be used for the job. A one-time laser treatment to remove a tattoo should cost less than $1,000, Schmieg predicts.
The new ink will be slightly more expensive than conventional ink but will likely add only about $50 to the cost of most tattoos, Schmieg says, because most of the cost related to tattooing is for the artist's time and talent.
The company will sell only black ink initially but will eventually add other colors. It is also developing a "time-limited tattoo," which will consist of ink in biodegradable polymer beads that dissolve and fade over time.
But tattoo artists may prove lukewarm to the idea of removable artwork. According to Dr. Stuart Kaplan, a dermatologist in Beverly Hills who does laser tattoo removal and isn't associated with Freedom-2, tattoo artists are picky about the colors of their inks. They care about whether they blend well and are durable. An inferior or expensive ink won't fly.
Tattoo artists are also unlikely to be swayed by the convenient removal factor because as a rule, they don't think about tattoo removal, says Sailor Bill Johnson, executive director of the Orlando, Fla.-based Alliance of Professional Tattooists.
"That's not our concern," he says. "If someone comes into my tattoo studio and says, 'I may want to remove it later,' we'd just try to talk them out of getting one."
Johnson says part of the experience of tattooing is the commitment. When someone has "Sophia Forever" inked on his biceps, the sentiment is that Sophia is permanent, just like the tattoo. Besides, says Johnson, "You make that decision in your life that you are going to put this artwork on your body. It's a statement that you don't worry about what other people think of you."
Johnson says he won't use the ink. "To me, it's a negative to the profession."
But Chris Winn, a San Diego tattoo artist, says he was instantly intrigued when he heard about the ink at a tattoo convention.
"I think it will be interesting to see the different ways this can bring in clients," he said. "I think it will bring in a group of people who love tattoos but are afraid to get them."
http://www.tattoohealth.org/news/news_details.asp?ID=70
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
UV tattoos: for those who want to get marked up but be, like, discrete
Dominique McDaniel’s right arm looks normal enough: tan and lined with light-blue veins. But when she moves a black light over her forearm, three glowing stars emerge.
McDaniel stumbled into a culture she found fascinating one afternoon when she was sitting in her mother’s one-story ranch home outside New Orleans: the world of UV tattoos--body art done in a reactive ink that appears invisible under normal light and emerges under black lighting.
“I saw UV tattoos one day on television, on 'Ripley’s Believe it or Not,' and thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’” said McDaniel, a student at Louisiana State University who got her first tattoo when she was 18. “I started hanging out at a local tattoo studio that made their own UV ink and became friends with the owners.”
Within months McDaniel was sporting a band of three stars on her right forearm done entirely in white UV ink, and a tattoo on her wrist that has UV ink accents, allowing the design to morph under black light.
The popularity of UV tattoos--also known as black-light tattoos--has skyrocketed in recent years. Long found on the rave scene, the tattoos have blossomed, reaching teenagers, body art enthusiasts and people looking for a way to sport tattoos in a discrete way.
However, safety concerns about UV tattoos abound. The chemical makeup of the different inks used has been questioned, individuals have reported skin rashes and infections, and some scientists suspect the inks might be carcinogenic. Because of these concerns, some tattoo artists will not work with UV inks.
Others, however, have no qualms about inking black-light work. With no regulation over what ink is safe, and with studios often concocting their own blends, it can be hard to tell exactly what pulses through tattoo guns.
In the past, serious skin problems have resulted from the use of inks containing phosphorous--a substance that can often cause the body to reject the ink. Horror stories about UV tattoos turning brown after a few months or recipients developing serious skin rashes have circulated for years.
Many of those fears are valid, according to Dr. Joshua Fox, a dermatologist in New York who has treated people with skin rashes resulting from UV tattoos and who is researching new techniques for tattoo removal.
“Statistically, there have been more reactions with UV tattoos than with normal tattoos,” Fox said. “Sometimes the inks don’t mix as well, and your body reacts against the foreign agents.”
Fox added that despite the chemical advances with UV tattoos--mainly the elimination of phosphorous in some inks--there will be no way to tell how safe they are until the federal government starts regulating tattoos.
For McDaniel, safety was a prime concern. She had her work done by Imperial Tattoos, a studio located in Chalmette, La., a suburb of New Orleans. While volunteering at the studio, McDaniel witnessed exactly what went into the reactive concoctions pumped under people’s skin.
“I got to talk to the artists and found out how they made the ink,” she said. “Knowing what was in the ink, I knew it was 100 percent safe, with no phosphorus.”
Some tattoo parlors advertise that they use UV ink approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A dangerous caveat often goes unnoted, however. According to the FDA, the most widely used UV inks are approved for use only as tracking liquids to be injected into fish, not as tattoo ink for human body art.
Marisa DiMattia, an attorney and writer in New York who has traveled the world in search of fine tattoo art, advises people to take note of the ambiguity that exists around government approval and UV ink.
“Companies claim to have FDA approval, but when you read the fine print it says nothing for human use,” she said. DiMattia said some inks were even suspected of containing carcinogens or allergens that can cause severe itching and rashes. No long-term studies on the side effects of UV inks have been done, she said.
With no definitive answer on the safety of the inks, tattoo artists lean both ways.
Craig Latimer, an artist at Black Dragon Tattoo in Shreveport, La., has been on the fence regarding the safety of UV tattoos for years. Recently, when a customer approached Latimer with a UV ink he wanted to use, Latimer began researching the substance and agreed to give it a shot.
Taz, a tattooist in St. Joseph, Mo., avoids the potential pitfalls of UV ink altogether. He said that even though the quality of UV inks seemed to be improving, he won’t do any black light work.
Richie Streate does extensive UV work at Electric Soul Tattoo, a studio in Lancaster, Calif. He believes UV tattoos are suffering from old stigmas.
“The new inks have been tested extensively,” he said. “A big part of the problem is the old-timers don’t realize the advances that have been made in the ink. They all think it causes cancer and other problems, and we’re not seeing that.”
http://www.tattoohealth.org/news/news_details.asp?ID=71
McDaniel stumbled into a culture she found fascinating one afternoon when she was sitting in her mother’s one-story ranch home outside New Orleans: the world of UV tattoos--body art done in a reactive ink that appears invisible under normal light and emerges under black lighting.
“I saw UV tattoos one day on television, on 'Ripley’s Believe it or Not,' and thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’” said McDaniel, a student at Louisiana State University who got her first tattoo when she was 18. “I started hanging out at a local tattoo studio that made their own UV ink and became friends with the owners.”
Within months McDaniel was sporting a band of three stars on her right forearm done entirely in white UV ink, and a tattoo on her wrist that has UV ink accents, allowing the design to morph under black light.
The popularity of UV tattoos--also known as black-light tattoos--has skyrocketed in recent years. Long found on the rave scene, the tattoos have blossomed, reaching teenagers, body art enthusiasts and people looking for a way to sport tattoos in a discrete way.
However, safety concerns about UV tattoos abound. The chemical makeup of the different inks used has been questioned, individuals have reported skin rashes and infections, and some scientists suspect the inks might be carcinogenic. Because of these concerns, some tattoo artists will not work with UV inks.
Others, however, have no qualms about inking black-light work. With no regulation over what ink is safe, and with studios often concocting their own blends, it can be hard to tell exactly what pulses through tattoo guns.
In the past, serious skin problems have resulted from the use of inks containing phosphorous--a substance that can often cause the body to reject the ink. Horror stories about UV tattoos turning brown after a few months or recipients developing serious skin rashes have circulated for years.
Many of those fears are valid, according to Dr. Joshua Fox, a dermatologist in New York who has treated people with skin rashes resulting from UV tattoos and who is researching new techniques for tattoo removal.
“Statistically, there have been more reactions with UV tattoos than with normal tattoos,” Fox said. “Sometimes the inks don’t mix as well, and your body reacts against the foreign agents.”
Fox added that despite the chemical advances with UV tattoos--mainly the elimination of phosphorous in some inks--there will be no way to tell how safe they are until the federal government starts regulating tattoos.
For McDaniel, safety was a prime concern. She had her work done by Imperial Tattoos, a studio located in Chalmette, La., a suburb of New Orleans. While volunteering at the studio, McDaniel witnessed exactly what went into the reactive concoctions pumped under people’s skin.
“I got to talk to the artists and found out how they made the ink,” she said. “Knowing what was in the ink, I knew it was 100 percent safe, with no phosphorus.”
Some tattoo parlors advertise that they use UV ink approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A dangerous caveat often goes unnoted, however. According to the FDA, the most widely used UV inks are approved for use only as tracking liquids to be injected into fish, not as tattoo ink for human body art.
Marisa DiMattia, an attorney and writer in New York who has traveled the world in search of fine tattoo art, advises people to take note of the ambiguity that exists around government approval and UV ink.
“Companies claim to have FDA approval, but when you read the fine print it says nothing for human use,” she said. DiMattia said some inks were even suspected of containing carcinogens or allergens that can cause severe itching and rashes. No long-term studies on the side effects of UV inks have been done, she said.
With no definitive answer on the safety of the inks, tattoo artists lean both ways.
Craig Latimer, an artist at Black Dragon Tattoo in Shreveport, La., has been on the fence regarding the safety of UV tattoos for years. Recently, when a customer approached Latimer with a UV ink he wanted to use, Latimer began researching the substance and agreed to give it a shot.
Taz, a tattooist in St. Joseph, Mo., avoids the potential pitfalls of UV ink altogether. He said that even though the quality of UV inks seemed to be improving, he won’t do any black light work.
Richie Streate does extensive UV work at Electric Soul Tattoo, a studio in Lancaster, Calif. He believes UV tattoos are suffering from old stigmas.
“The new inks have been tested extensively,” he said. “A big part of the problem is the old-timers don’t realize the advances that have been made in the ink. They all think it causes cancer and other problems, and we’re not seeing that.”
http://www.tattoohealth.org/news/news_details.asp?ID=71
Body art tattoo
So, you,re going to take the plunge - or you have already, either one. I bet that felt great! At any rate, you,re enjoying the tattoo, but you want to know if there's anything you can do to keep it from looking like trash a few decades from now.
I,ve got great news - there are several things you can do to help make sure that over-priced ink underneath your skin stays put and continues looking great until they bury you - or cremate you, either one.
BEFORE YOU GET THE TATTOO:
Decide what you want and where. If tattoos are in places that are exposed to much light (especially sunlight) they,ll quickly fade. That, and wrinkles don,t flatter many tattoos - so keep your tattooing in places that are usually sheltered from the light and the ink should look sharp and clear, without fading.
Also, tatoos that are scratched at, scraped, bruised, or otherwise traumatized won,t look great forever. For example, if you,re a mechanic I would advise against having obscene four-letter words tattood on your knuckles, as that's a part of your body that takes a beating almost every day. I hate to say it, but tattoos that aren,t exposed very often - such as on your lower back or the back of your shoulder - are generally the longest-living.
If you,ve got a skin type that doesn,t recover fully from injuries, you might want to re-consider the tattoo. For example, if you,ve got dark skin, but it heals several shades lighter after you cut it, you,ll most likely have to live with either not having a tattoo or having a tattoo that looks very, very bad in a few short years or less. Let's face it, not everyone can get a tattoo and still look good.
Also, please keep in mind that impulsive tattooing just isn,t going to work itself out in the end. Don,t ever have your lover's initials tattooed on your ankle, for example. It,ll cost too much to have it removed should things not work out between you and Mr./Ms. Wonderful. The same story applies to artwork that's decided on while you,re under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a Smashing Pumpkins album.
AFTER THE TATTOO:
Keep Vasoline smeared on the site for a couple of weeks - this is to keep it moist so that you don,t scratch. (If you scratch, the tattoo goes bye-bye.) Keep the Vasoline covered with a gauze bandage, and don,t get the site wet. Do this for just a couple of weeks, then you can go about the task of showing your new ,too off to all your friends.
As noted before, sunlight is murder on artwork. Don,t sunbathe with the tattoo exposed, as that,ll just fade the ink. Besides which, who wants to increase their chances of skin cancer?
Take care of your tattoo and it,ll provide you with a lifetime of enjoyment.
http://www.nutricraze.com/Article_about_Body-art-tattoo-a-4538.html
I,ve got great news - there are several things you can do to help make sure that over-priced ink underneath your skin stays put and continues looking great until they bury you - or cremate you, either one.
BEFORE YOU GET THE TATTOO:
Decide what you want and where. If tattoos are in places that are exposed to much light (especially sunlight) they,ll quickly fade. That, and wrinkles don,t flatter many tattoos - so keep your tattooing in places that are usually sheltered from the light and the ink should look sharp and clear, without fading.
Also, tatoos that are scratched at, scraped, bruised, or otherwise traumatized won,t look great forever. For example, if you,re a mechanic I would advise against having obscene four-letter words tattood on your knuckles, as that's a part of your body that takes a beating almost every day. I hate to say it, but tattoos that aren,t exposed very often - such as on your lower back or the back of your shoulder - are generally the longest-living.
If you,ve got a skin type that doesn,t recover fully from injuries, you might want to re-consider the tattoo. For example, if you,ve got dark skin, but it heals several shades lighter after you cut it, you,ll most likely have to live with either not having a tattoo or having a tattoo that looks very, very bad in a few short years or less. Let's face it, not everyone can get a tattoo and still look good.
Also, please keep in mind that impulsive tattooing just isn,t going to work itself out in the end. Don,t ever have your lover's initials tattooed on your ankle, for example. It,ll cost too much to have it removed should things not work out between you and Mr./Ms. Wonderful. The same story applies to artwork that's decided on while you,re under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a Smashing Pumpkins album.
AFTER THE TATTOO:
Keep Vasoline smeared on the site for a couple of weeks - this is to keep it moist so that you don,t scratch. (If you scratch, the tattoo goes bye-bye.) Keep the Vasoline covered with a gauze bandage, and don,t get the site wet. Do this for just a couple of weeks, then you can go about the task of showing your new ,too off to all your friends.
As noted before, sunlight is murder on artwork. Don,t sunbathe with the tattoo exposed, as that,ll just fade the ink. Besides which, who wants to increase their chances of skin cancer?
Take care of your tattoo and it,ll provide you with a lifetime of enjoyment.
http://www.nutricraze.com/Article_about_Body-art-tattoo-a-4538.html
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