Blog posts of '2015' 'February'

While most people prefer to keep their tattooing experience as conventional, painless and sterile or sanitary as possible, some people like to live on the wild side. Obviously, this site and the authors do not recommend ever tattooing yourself with anything that has not been sterilized in an autoclave or that has been prepackaged and opened in your presence. Furthermore, tattooing when you are not trained in this art is not only dangerous, but puts you at risk for permanent defacement. Even more serious, using other people's needles, makeshift needles and rubbing foreign substances into your body can expose you to potentially fatal and incurable diseases and disorders that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Still not scared? Dying your skin with unapproved dyes can cause major allergic reactions that can kill you slowly by suffocation or quickly via heart failure or outright poisoning or create infections that can require amputation in order to save your life. Always get tattooed by a trained, professional tattoo artist in an appropriately sterile and sanitary environment in order to keep yourself as safe and healthy as possible.

This article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be instructional material.

There are several methods of tattooing that do not involve using a modern tattoo gun. Some people enjoy using these methods for the experience, while others just do not have any other options. Most of these techniques have their origins in ancient tattoo methods. Maori Ta Moko tattoos are literally chiseled into the skin. In fact, Ta Mokomeans "to chisel" in the native language of this indigenous New Zealand tribe. A sharp object, traditionally a carved bone, is held against the skin and a hammer or blunt mallet is used to literally chisel away the skin and create an open, shallow wound into which ashes, dyes or colored clays are rubbed. Maori tribal tattoos are traditionally placed on the face, but many people prefer to have them custom designed for other parts of the body, particularly if they are going to have them inked in the traditional fashion.

Japanese tattooing, still performed by Japanese tattoo masters in that country, involves the use of a small instrument with sharp points shaped similarly to a rake. That instrument is used to scratch lines or pound dots into the skin, then an ink mixture is rubbed into the wounds. This procedure is highly ritualistic and it is considered a great honor to receive a tattoo in this manner from a Japanese tattoo master. These tattoos are frequently very large and require a lot of time and investment in order to complete.

Another frighteningly popular method of tattooing is called prison tattooing. This is because many people who have been incarcerated and have a great deal of time on their hands resort to tattooing themselves by whatever means are available largely to pass the time, as well as display their high pain tolerance, indicate gang membership or protection, and to show loved ones on the outside that they are thinking of them. Prison tattoos are probably the most dangerous form of alternative tattooing, and one study postulates that up to 60 percent of people who tattoo themselves in prison have exposed themselves to various forms of hepatitis by doing so. Prison tattoo designs are often scratched into the skin with a sharpened guitar string, pins, needles or even ink pens. The ink can be made from pen ink, melted checkers or anything else -- including dirt -- that will show up under the skin. Just as with ancient tribal tattoos, in order for these tattoos to remain clear on the skin, a person must either carve very deeply or repeatedly carve open the would and rub in additional ink. These tattoos are extremely dangerous and often fatal because the artists have no reliable means of sanitizing their equipment or keeping the tattoo clean and sterile while it heals. While many pass the needle under a lighter or douse it in rubbing alcohol, this is not sufficient to fully cleanse the equipment and leaves many germs and potential infections in tact.

Alternative tattoo methods can be an extremely memorable way to get a tattoo, but you must make sure that the artist is trained in the technique and that the equipment is sterile and the tattooing area sanitary. Also, if you will be using alternative dyes or tools, consult a doctor first to explore your options for testing out your reactions to these methods before you commit to an entire tattoo that potentially could create a serious infection or allergic issue.

Amber Tamblyn has one known tattoo. It's located just above her right ankle and shows a fairy in side profile. Fairies show up often in tattoo culture because they are symbols of beauty or the imagination that we have as children. Often shown as naked or with very little clothing, fairies are like personified butterflies and tend to mettle in human affairs. Fairies have experience resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to popular characters like Disney's Tinkerbelle. 

Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an American actress and poet. Her father, Russ Tamblyn, is an actor, dancer and singer. She began acting seriously when her father's agent attended one of her school plays as a family friend and recognized Tamblyn's talent. Her first role was on the soap opera General Hospital and it lasted for six years. She followed this with a starring role in the television series "Joan of Arcadia", for which she was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. As Tamblyn has gotten older, she moved on to a movie career with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series and "The Grudge 2". She has romantically linked to comedian David Cross.

Show me more Fairy Tattoo Designs

Ever since the United States military was founded in 1775, military tattoos have been an integral part of the brotherhood that unites all branches of the military. Tattoos are not only a means of expressing individuality, but they are also a means of identification and even a rite of passage for many members of the military. For military men and women in particular, tattoos are a particularly personal way of taking pride in service and dealing with the emotions of anger and loss that inevitably accompany military service as a portion of one's comrades ultimately meet their demise in service of their country.

Military tattoos can commemorate your own service or someone else's. However, in order to show the proper respect for the sacrifice and bravery of the person that you are commemorating, you should make sure that any badges or other insignia are properly portrayed and that if you did not earn the award yourself, you clearly indicate the source for the tattoo. Recent studies show that tattoos are most common in the Navy, followed by the Army and the Marines. However, marines are most likely of any group to have a tattoo; their numbers are just smaller overall than those of the other military divisions. The Air Force comes in a distant fourth.

In the army, the most popular tattoos are replicas of unit patches, awards or medals. These are not only a great way to internalize your achievement and keep it with you always as a motivational tool and a discreet way to let people know about your hard work and achievements, but they are also symbolic of tours of duty and may be accompanied by dates to commemorate those lost or saved in combat with the soldier bearing the tattoo. In the past decade, meat tags have also become extremely popular. These are tattooed dog tags that permanently display a soldier's information. Many members of the military get these as they prepare to go overseas for their first deployment and say goodbye to friends and loved ones. Of course, these tags also are a means of identifying a soldier even if he or she has lost all other distinguishing marks.

The marines take great pride in their reputation as the toughest, deadliest and fastest striking force in the army. As a result, marine tattoos are frequently similar in nature and intended to help fellow marines identify each other in the civilian world on sight. Often, entire units will go to get tattooed together, selecting a particular format for the marine bulldog tattoo, a unit patch or a distinct tribal band paired with a mutually selected saying or the popular USMC (United States Marine Corp). The Marine Corp seal is also an extremely popular tattoo in this military division. Marine tattoos are probably the easiest for a civilian to identify because they are nearly always similar in nature even if the marines got them at very different times.

It is not surprising that the Navy has the highest percentage of tattooed members, given that sailors have been getting tattoos since time im memorial. However, navy tattoos are the most diverse of all the groups, largely because members of the navy get many different tattoos in many different styles and using a wide variety of tattooing techniques to commemorate their travels throughout the world. In fact, many navy members follow an old sailor's tradition and get a swallow tattoo each time they complete a full trip around the world, which can lead to quite a flock if they are on active duty! Common navy tattoos include anchor tattoos, pinup tattoos and sailor cap tattoos. These tattoos also may have been applied in many different ways, including with bamboo, bone needles or more modern, conventional tattoo guns.

Finally, U.S. Air Force members also have their own brand of tattoos, which include pilot wings tattoos, eagle tattoos, airplane and fighter jet tattoos and a variety of unit patches. However, in the Air Force, the regulations on tattoo placement are much stricter than in other branches of the military, and often officers are very careful to keep tattoos in areas that are out of sight even when they are in civilian clothing. Naturally, this also results in a far lower overall number of documented trends in U.S. Air Force tattoos.

Military tattoos are not only for those that are in the military, but also for those who wish to express admiration or memorialize a family member or close friend who served their country. Common themes for memorial tattoos are portrait tattoos, dates of service, birth and death dates, or name tattoos that are then accompanied with a military tattoo or a common military saying. For example, many people get tattoos with a loved one's name, accompanied by the popular expression, "freedom is not free." Also, many Vietnam veterans in particular -- and their relatives -- bear POW/MIA tattoos that indicate that they have not forgotten the prisoners of war and soldiers who are still missing in action from that turbulent and traumatic time in U.S. military history.

As the United States once again asserts its military presence on a public and global scale, the popularity of military tattoos is on the rise. A military tattoo or a patriotic tattoo, such as that of a flag, a meaningful monument, or the silhouette of the Twin Towers can demonstrate one's commitment to one's country and the military's cause regardless of whether or not you qualify to serve. Yellow ribbon tattoos, camouflage ribbon tattoos and red, white and blue ribbon tattoos are also becoming increasingly prevalent among the civilian population as those left at home seek to celebrate and commemorate their loved ones serving abroad. Regardless of the reason that you want to get a military tattoo, these permanent designations about your identity and the country that you love should always be treated with honor, respect and dignity. Whether you just support the soldiers or you champion their cause as well, military tattoos can help you display just how proud you are of your service and your country.

Show me more Patronage Tattoo Designs

Tattoo equipment can be intimidating if you do not know a lot about tattooing, but in reality the equipment is fairly simple. Learning about tattoo equipment is a great educational experience, and a good way to prepare yourself for getting a tattoo if you are feeling a bit queasy about the idea of the tattoo machines or needles. There are many pieces of tattoo equipment involved in the tattoo process, and understanding a little bit about their uses and purposes can go a long way toward helping you feel  more comfortable in a tattoo shop, whether you are there to learn to tattoo or to get a tattoo design yourself. 

Tattoo ink: Tattoo ink comes in a vast array of colors. There are many brands of this ink, and they come in a wide variety of recipes. Tattoo inks are generally not actually ink, but rather blends of various pigments. Some tattoo artists make their own inks, while others prefer to purchase them from manufacturers. Different types of inks have different qualities. Some are particularly vivid in hue, while others are especially long lasting and designed to help your tattoo resist weathering over time. Some artists even use black light inks, which cause the tattoo to appear to glow in UV lights. (note: black light inks are of debatable quality and many artists will not use them because they tend to spread over time and the health ramifications of getting this type of tattoo are not certain though it is unlikely that these tattoos will harm you.)

Tattoo machines are extremely fine-tuned and can be used to create delicate designs on the skin anywhere on the body, including the face. The tattoo machine is actually composed of a tiny needle that is driven up and down by electromagnetic coils, and the needle moves between 80 and 150 times each second. tattoo machines are usually operated by foot pedal to avoid unnecessary clenching of the fist or hand. There is a reservoir of ink located behind the needle and the ink flows down the needle and into the skin, not unlike the way that old-fashioned quill pens worked. Tattoo machines can be used on any part of the body safely, but obviously some sensitive parts of the body will be more painful to get tattooed than others.

Tattoo needles: Some artists prefer to make their own tattoo needles, while some simply buy them in prepackaged form. Tattoo needles attach to tattoo machines and are what the artist uses to actually penetrate the skin so that the ink will show under the skin. Tattoo needles are usually actually comprised of several needles attached to a bar. The bar is called a needle bar and the needles are called sharps. 

Autoclave: An autoclave is a small, super-oven that is used to sterilize tattoo equipment. Autoclaves use intense steam, high temperatures and serious pressure to kill everything on tattoo equipment, including any pathogens or blood-borne diseases. An autoclave is the only acceptable way to sterilize instruments and insure that you are not at risk for infection from the tattooing process, so if a tattoo shop does not have an autoclave, you should not get a tattoo there. 

Tattoo shop chairs and beds: While the chairs and beds in a tattoo shop are not actually part of putting ink under your skin directly, they are very important to the tattoo process. A chair or bed helps you position your body so that the tattoo artist can easily access the area that you want tattooed. The more comfortable and accommodating the chairs and beds in a tattoo shop are, the easier and more pleasant your tattoo experience will be. 

Gloves: Just as if you were undergoing a medical procedure instead of a cosmetic one, tattoo artists should always wear gloves to protect you and themselves from potential infections. Generally, the gloves worn in tattoo shops are latex and designed, just like lab gloves, to fit tightly so that the tattoo artist has total control over their movements. If you have a latex allergy, be sure to let your tattoo artist know so that they can wear different gloves. 

Ointment and Bandages: Once a tattoo is completed, it needs to be treated regularly with ointment to help the area heal as smoothly and quickly as possible. Covering the tattoo with ointment and a bandage keeps the tattoo from scabbing up, which can cause the colors to fade and run.