So you want a tattoo. You have your eye on one of those impressive tribal armband tattoos. They are nice. But whatever tattoo you chose, you want it to compliment you. Not insult or demean you. Tattoos are as old as mankind. Ancient Egyptian tattoos found on 5,000 year old mummies predate the pyramids. But ancient tattoos weren’t just for adornment or self expression like today. They often served more practical purposes. They often had a spiritual significance, ancient warriors used them to declare their military affiliation and rank. On civilians tattoos denoted social rank and importance, or lack of same. For example, the Greeks placed tattoos on their slaves that broadcast the fact that the bearer should not be accorded the rights of a freeman and was in fact another person’s property. While Greek spies used tattoos in espionage to smuggle coded messages in plain sight.

This tradition of practical tattoo use survives to this day in gangster culture. Gangsters desire to permanently mark themselves to show absolute devotion to their gangster family, and hopefully to strike fear in their enemies. Even though the gang-bangers know police find tattoos better than fingerprints, and unsurpassed for identifying them in a noninvasive manner at a distance. And despite the fact that wearing one gang’s tattoo in another gang’s territory could get the wearer killed. Again, traditionally tattoos can show devotion.

But how would you like to pick out a striking tattoo design, commit it to ink as your “forever statement”, and only then find out it that it holds you up to ridicule, or is gang related and exposes you to sudden death?

For example, one of the most popular guys at my gym is a black guy I’ll call “Pete.” His nickname is “Lucky.” Lots of us have tattoos and so when Pete announced he was taking the plunge we congratulated him. Tribal armbands are very popular in our crowd and he showed a marked interest so we assumed that would be his choice. But the personal choice involved in the tattoo selection is part of the allure so we made suggestions but didn’t interfere or press him on his choice.

We should have.

No, I take that back. With personal choice comes personal responsibility, and Pete choose to do no research. Nor did he elect to ask satisfied tattoo recipients for recommendations of a skilled, responsible professional tattoo artist though he was surrounded by satisfied, and experienced tattoo customers. Both of these are vital prerequisites to getting a tattoo. No, Pete chose an “artist” who had set up shop in a booth at a local carnival and Pete caught him on the carnival’s last night in town. You can tell where this is going. Pete proudly informed us the new tattoos on his biceps said “Lucky.” in Chinese. He knew that’s what the Chinese characters said because that’s what he asked the artist to draw, and so he was wearing them now in ‘forever ink.’ It fell to one of our number, a PhD in Mandarin Chinese studies to break the news. The tattoos actually said “Monkey.”

The carnival was long gone. But it left a really nice guy feeling like a clown.

Even if the “artist” who took advantage of our friend was still available, and repentant, there is little he could have done to fix the problem. Some people will have a tattoo artist tattoo over an objectionable tattoo. Possibly blotting it out, (often producing a real mess), Or obliterating it by making it part of another bigger unobjectionable tattoo.

Depending upon the artist’s skill level this could simply produce a well-intentioned mess. But Pete could go to a doctor who specializes in removing tattoos with chemicals or lasers, which is usually painful and always expensive, quite often requiring several treatments. That is much more expensive than the tattoo, and still not always effective. That’s about all you can do about a bad tattoo, but then the commitment and permanence involved in tattoos is part of the allure for most, making those prerequisites I gave you earlier, of over riding importance.

Tattoos were once frowned upon by polite society, and seen as a designation of the lower classes. They could keep you from being hired for many desirable jobs, which is still the case often today. Be aware your employer may require you as a matter of policy, to remove or cover a new tattoo. But attitudes are changing. Many trendy Hollywood and sports stars proudly sport their “tats.”

So if you want a tribal tattoo do your prerequisite homework. Then decide on a tribal style; Celtic, Aztec-Mexican, Polynesian or what have you. Take your time and try to see samples of everything available before you make a decision. You can see tattoo designs online, in books, and e zines. Remember to avoid another common pitfall, that is that most newbies choose one of the first designs they see.



By: James Small

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One of the biggest concerns most people have when first thinking about having a tattoo done is, are tattoos safe? And, what is my risk of contracting a serious infection? The short answer is minimal. This is due to the industry standards that have been adopted, and the local and state regulations that are being enforced today. There are some real concerns that you need to be aware of, but the fact is, you have control over most of them and I will try to answer those questions here.

The most common and least likely fears is contracting an infectious disease, such as Hepatitis or HIV. A tattoo is a minor medical procedure and when you get a tattoo done your skin will be pierced by a needle many times over, and injected with small amounts of pigments, commonly called ink. The larger the tattoo design, and more detailed, the more injections you’ll need, and every one of these injections brings the needle into contact with your blood.

A recent study done by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, on approximately 3800 people, reported that there was a notable correlation between people with multiple tattoos, and having hepatitis C. At first glance the results indicated that people with hepatitis C were three times more likely to have multiple tattoos, or people with 3 or more tattoos were 3 times more likely to have the disease, however you look at it.

Although this study seems alarming, it did not point to the cause, only suggests that there is some kind of link between having a tattoo and contracting hepatitis C. The study didn’t take into account lifestyle, which is the more probable cause. There have been several studies done about people with multiple tattoos on the topics of suicide, psychological problems, and risk taking, and the results were comparable, further suggesting that the cause of infections were less related to tattoos, than these other dynamics.

The bottom line is, although there is a small risk of contracting any infection during the process of getting a tattoo, or any medical procedure for that matter, it is highly unlikely, because the industry at large, as mentioned before, is regulated by state and local authorities. Any violation of these safety standards will result in serious consequences, carrying heavy fines and other penalties including being shut down, not to mention the reputation of the business is at stake, and potential liability to its owners.

As a side note, there have not been any reported cases of anyone ever contracting HIV when getting a tattoo inked, but many from hospitals, and even several cases from visits to the dentist, although it’s hard to compare those numbers other than just saying none. So I think it’s safe to assume that having a tattoo done in a qualified studio is very safe if you observe, and the artists adhere to simple procedure.

Here are some simple guidelines of what not to do and what to look from your artist.

Don’t have a tattoo done at someone’s house, garage, or basement unless that’s where their studio is legally licensed and operated.

Observe weather your artist washes his or her hands. Artists are in most cases required to, and should wash their hands both before and after putting gloves on and off. Make sure they only use new pairs. All needles used must be new and in sealed packages.

Also make sure the equipment is sterilized-if in doubt ask. Sterilized is far different than being just clean. It involves chemicals or high heat to kill bacteria and viruses. The sterilization equipment used today in tattoo studios is similar to that of a hospital.

Is the business, and the individual work stations, clean and sterile? Clean tattoo needles can be contaminated when exposed to germs from an unclean work station or equipment. Again, when in doubt, ask.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will be fine and if you have any doubts what-so-ever, don’t hesitate to ask, I can’t stress this enough. Most artists are aware of your concerns and able to resolve any fears you may have.

The simple fact is, statistically, tattoos are safe, (most problems are the result of a breach of these simple rules) and your biggest risk of infection comes from how you take care of your new tattoo after it is done, during the healing process, of which you have total control. Follow aftercare advice that will be given to you on how to avoid these types of infections, to protect the look of your new tattoo.



By: Noel Christian

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TCA stands for trichloroacetic acid. TCA has been used in many cosmetic related procedures in past years. It is also referred to as a skin peeling agent. In the medical spa industry TCA is called a chemical peel. A solution of 15% TCA concentration is applied to the skin during this type of cosmetic procedure.

Home remedies for tattoo removal:

During a TCA treatment the solution is applied to the skin which causes a gentle peeling away of the top layers of the skin. It completely peels away over the course of a week or so. It reveals the lower new healthy looking skin layer.

For tattoo removal, a solution of between 12 and 25 percent of TCA is used. A slight inflammation follows. Then the TCA product gently breaks down ink particles it can reach. The ink should rise to the surface of the skin and peel off. The process counts on the body pushing and rejecting the ink particles to remove them through the skin. Use of a TCA related product to fade a tattoo can be used in conjunction with tattoo laser treatment.

TCA tattoo removal products remove thin layers of the skin in order to get down to the tattoo. The top layer of skin is called the epidermis.

TCA tattoo removal products have questionable success. These products cannot penetrate deep enough into the skin to noticeably affect a professional quality tattoo. The ink of a professional quality is usually in the deeper regions of the dermis and TCA has trouble reaching that level.

TCA does not work overnight. If it is going to work for you, the indications may take patience and time to notice. The process will likely take months. You are required to wait three to six weeks between sessions which helps contribute to the length of time needed.

The number of treatments you can anticipate depends on many individual factors. Taken into consideration is the size of the body art, the amount of solid ink involved in the tattoo design, and the depth of the ink. Faint, thin outlined tattoo designs will likely see faster and better results compared to a solid dark heavy outlined design.

As with any medical procedure, certain risks are involved. Any person with diabetes or other medical conditions may inhibit or affect their healing capabilities. Their doctors may advise them to avoid a product such as TCA tattoo removal.

TCA carries with it the chance of slight scarring or hypopigmentation and sometimes hyperpigmentation. You are likely to have better results if you follow the instructions explicitly. The concentration of this peeling agent is the critical factor between safely peeling away skin layers and causing permanent scarring.

TCA is not right for every tattoo. But if you are patient and OK with waiting a few months for gradual results, TCA can slowly fade and shed some tattoos.



By: William D Bandford

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