People who choose to get pierced choose to experience pain. A person who gets a piercing must endure a hollow needle being forced through his or her skin or cartilage without use of an anesthetic. Tattooing also involves pain. When being tattooed, a person receives an injection of pigment particles under the skin at a rate of fifty to three thousand times per minute with an electric tattoo machine. Depending on the tattoo’s size, a person may have to endure the needles poking his or her skin from thirty minutes to several sessions of an hour or more. Despite the pain, for thousands of years millions of people have willingly subjected themselves to tattooing and piercing. Their reasons for getting permanent body art overcome any fear they might have of the pain.

Ancient people’s reasons for getting tattoos or body piercings varied depending on where they lived. For example, the ancient Aztec and Maya of Central America practiced tongue piercing as a way to create an altered state of consciousness so that they could communicate with the gods. The New Zealand Maori tattooed themselves both to commemorate rites of passage and as a way to display their tribal status. Japanese men would tattoo themselves with intricate Irezumi designs, designs that displayed heroic figures, gods, and mythical creatures, as a way to decorate their bodies.

Today people get pierced or tattooed for many of the same reasons ancient people did. Their reasons range from getting tattooed to commemorate a particular accomplishment, such as graduating from college, to getting their nose pierced to be fashionable. Ultimately, people endure the pain of permanent body art so that they can outwardly display parts of their inner selves. “A tattoo is never just what the appearance is, anyway. You can only really know about the tattoo by getting to know the person wearing it. Tattoos are indicators, or little vents to their psyche.” states Don Ed Hardy, a well-known tattooist and former editor of Tattootime.

Some Simple Reasons:

• Enhancing Beauty
• Identifying Oneself
• Commemorating Others
• Taking Control
• Modern Primitives
• Rebellious Acts
• Pushing Boundaries
• Body Makeovers
• New Modifications

Posted in Articles

Whether or not body piercing and tattooing will continue to be considered an art form and increase in popularity are subjects of debate. Some believe that permanent body art is just a passing phase and that people will lose interest in getting pierced and tattooed. “I’m not under any illusions about fashion changes - I know body piercing is hip at the moment but times change so I don’t expect to always have enough work,” states Dave Bingham, a professional body piercer and tattoo artist who runs the largest and best known salon in Ireland.

However, statistics show that permanent body art may not be just a passing fad. Instead, like cosmetics, it could become a long-term fashion mainstay. In recent years, the number of people getting tattooed or pierced has increased annually. A may 1996 issue of the medical journal Physician’s Assistant estimated that in the preceding twenty years, tattooing among women quadrupled. The number of tattoo studios throughout the United States has also increased. In 1994 there were 137 tattoo studios registered in Texas, for example. Eight years later that number had increased to over 600. In addition, the Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT), a national organization of registered tattooists, reported that its membership grew from 1,800 members in 1999 to 3,000 members in 2004.

The body piercing industry is also experiencing growth. According to International Collection, a New York City body-jewelry wholesaler, the wholesale body-jewelry industry was an estimated $3 billion business in 2003 and is projected to double or triple in the next few years. States have also reported evidence of piercing’s popularity. According to the Portland Mercury, in 2001 there were 695 licensed body piercing technicians in Oregon, an increase of 250 percent since 1996.

Many people believe that tattooing and body piercing have continued to grow in popularity because an increasing number of people are getting tattooed and pierced for personal reasons rather than because they are following a fashion trend. Whether or not body piercing and tattooing will continue to gain popularity depends on how strong these personal reasons are.

Posted in Articles

The interest in custom work has led to changes in the kinds of people who become tattoo artists. In the early to mid-twentieth century, tattooists were more interested in the craft aspect of tattooing, focusing on the technical details such as building the tattoo machine and mixing the inks rather than the artistic aspect. They often learned the technical skills of tattooing from other tattooists. According to Sanders, “The traditional clientele consisted of young men from working-class backgrounds…. Practitioners were generally from the social background as their clients, unassociated with the larger art world and primarily motivated by economic gain.”

Today, tattooists are often from artistic backgrounds and have chosen the field of tattooing as a way to practice art. Carl Williams, who has a master’s degree in art form the University of Hawaii, is an example of a typical modern tattoo artist. “My original intention was to teach college art, but I started hanging out at nights at tattoo shops,” Williams said. “After you’ve worked in different mediums, you can tell a big different. I can get the skin to do more than paper.”

Pat Fish is another example of tattooist with an artistic background. She earned degrees in studio art and film studies from the University of California Santa Barbara and taught drawing there after graduating. Fish opened a tattoo studio in Santa Barbara in 1984 so she could practice art full-time. She is best known for her Celtic designs, which are defined by intricate knotwork, braids, spirals, and circles. Clients come from all over the country for a Pat Fish original work.

The art community is beginning to consider tattoos as a legitimate art form. Galleries and museums, such as the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, are displaying photos of tattoos and b body piercings along with living examples of body art. Art journals have also taken notice of body art. For example, the July 1997 issue of Art in America featured an article on the work of Artist Tony Fitzpatrick, founder of the World Tattoo Gallery in Chicago. Fitzpatrick’s etchings an drawings are based, in part, on tattoo art.

Posted in Articles

The controversies surrounding permanent body art have affected where people place tattoos and piercings on their bodies. Many students and professionals who get body art adorn themselves in areas that can be covered up by clothing. This allows them the freedom to get a tattoo or piercing yet avoid any issues in school or at the workplace.

Rodney Robinson, an executive at an international consulting company, has a tattoo of an archangel on his upper arm. He believes that tattoos are no longer automatically considered a detriment to a person’s career. “Having a tattoo is viewed differently now,” Robinson stated. “It is more acceptable and not considered outside of the norm.” How ever, Robinson acknowledges that body art can have a negative impact in the workplace if it becomes a distraction to others. For this reason, he chose to place his tattoo on his upper arm, which is typically covered by his shirtsleeve.

Decades ago, the most popular locations for men’s tattoos were the front or back of the forearm. Today, men like Robinson often choose the upper arm or chest for tattoo locations because these areas are easier to cover with clothing. Women often ask that tattoos be placed on their ankles, hips, or lower backs, locations that can be concealed with clothing or are not immediately visible to other people. For example, at age twenty, Debra Knickerbocker got her tattoo, a white-sided angelfish, on her hip. “I specifically got it in an area that would rarely if ever be seen,” Knickerbocker said. “I can even wear bathing suits that don’t show it. I wanted to have the ability to hide if from my grand kids. I also didn’t want my tattoo showing at my wedding.”

Many people who decided to get pierced in places other than the ear also take into consideration potential controversies. As with tattoos, people often choose to get pierced in areas that can be covered up with clothing. According to a survey reported in the November 2001 issue of Clinical Nursing Research, after the ear, the most popular body piercing locations are the tongue, nipple, and navel, all of which can either be covered up or are not immediately visible to others.

Posted in Articles

As body art has become more popular among different segments of the population, a variety of issues and conflicts have resulted. Many of these controversies are specifically associated with teenage use of body art. Such controversies range from yearbook displays to dress code policies.

In 2004, for example, the yearbook for Crothersville Junior-Senior High School in Crothesville, Indiana featured a two-page, full-color spread titled “Body Decorations.” The spread contained photos of both students’ and teachers’ tattoos and navel and tongue piercings. Many parents and school officials were upset by the photos. They believed that displaying the tattoos and body piercings was in poor taste and a disruption to the classroom; for those reasons, they felt the pictures should not be featured in the yearbook.

School officials were quick to react. Ralph Hillenburg, a Crothersville school trustee who received calls from people upset about the photos, stated that the photos should not have been allowed in the yearbook because such images violated the school dress code. Although the dress code did not ban facial piercings or tattoos, it did ban students from showing their navels at school.

Tom Judd, the principal of Crothersville Junior-Senior High School, said that he would review all yearbook pages in the future and that a yearbook spread like “Body Decorations” would not happen again. Other schools throughout the United States have dealt with similar controversies.

Dress Codes

One such issue is whether students should be allowed to have tattoos and body piercings at all. Another is what to do if a dress code forbidding body art is violated. These questions arose in 2004 in Henry County, Georgia.

On September 21 of that year, his second day at Dutchtown High School, fifteen year old Corey Rager was placed on in-school suspension for wearing eyebrow, nose, chin, and tongue piercings to school. The school’s policy is that body piercing on any visible part of the body other than the ear, including the tongue is prohibited. School officials believe the piercings disrupt school and are unsafe to its students.

A first offense of the dress code policy can lead to a one day in-school suspension, in which a student comes to school but is placed in an isolated setting under supervision and is not allowed to attend his or her regular classes. A second offense results in a three-day suspension, but students can return to class if they remove the piercing. If they continue to violate the policy, they can receive an extended in-school suspension for over a month, until his mother, Kati Monahan, decided to teach him at home.

Parents like Monahan believe that the decision to allow their children to wear piercings and tattoos should be up to them, not school officials. Several schools agree with Monahan’s viewpoint and allow their students to wear visible piercings and tattoos. For example, in Fayette County, Georgia, high school students are allowed to wear multiple piercings provided they do not disrupt the learning process.

Posted in Articles

As body piercing and tattoos became more mainstream, they began to appear in advertisements. For example, tattoos are seen in Marlboro and Silk cut cigarette ads. Sony and coca-cola use tattoos in their print and television advertising. A large financial institution ran billboards that showed an arm with a tattoo of Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

Tattoos have become so prevalent in ads that tattoo artists are commissioned by well-known companies to work on their advertising campaigns. New Jersey tattooist Shotsie Gorman received a commission from Absolut vodka to paint a full-body tattoo on a man yet leave a large blank space in the middle of his back in the shape of the Absolut Restraint bottle. The painted man’s body was photographed and used as a print ad for Absolut Restraint.

Joe Tamargo has taken advertising and tattoos a step further. In 2005 Tamargo started selling advertisers the opportunity to tattoo their ads on his body. His first two customers were a California pharmaceutical company and a fan group of Martha Stewart. Each paid Tamargo to tattoo messages supporting their groups on his arm. By March 2005 he had nine sponsored tattoos, which earned him a total of $13,110.

Body Art Products

While some companies have used body art in advertising, others have manufactured products specifically related to tattoos and body piercings. These items are often intended for children. For example, in 1999 Mattel produced the Butterfly Art Tattoo Barbie and the Generation Girls. The Butterfly Art tattoo Barbie doll’s stomach was decorated with a nose ring. Many parents argued that these products led to increased interest in tattoos and piercings among children. As a result of parental concern that these dolls could be a bad influence, in June 1999 Mattel Corporation stopped production of the Butterfly Art line.

Despite parental concern, the popularity of toys associated with tattoos and body piercings has grown. Temporary tattoos are bought and worn by children all over the world. Children can purchase items such as Crystal Tattoos and Jewelry by Natural Science Industry Limited, which includes temporary tattoos made of peel-and-stick rhinestones that firmly adhere to the skin. Although the Butterfly Art Tattoo Barbie is no longer available,, parents can still buy their children dolls that are pierced or tattooed. Mattel recently produced the Cali Girl ear piercing doll, a Barbie doll that comes with a pretend ear piercer to pierce the doll’s ears.

Posted in Articles

If you are thinking about getting tattoos, the great way is to start with a small tattoo. It may also have a significant meaning or none at all.

There are a lot of different reasons for getting a small tattoo, but once an individual has decided to get one, they are making a commitment.

Benefits of getting a small tattoo

• It is easier to remove, in case you decide to later on
• It takes less time and is not as painful when you get it.
• It is easier to cover.
• It is less expensive
• It can make for an ideal scar cover up
• You should absolutely work with a very good and well known artist who has very steady hands.

Before becoming a question of esthetics, tattooing is also a big health question.

It is recommended that you look for a professional of proven ability when you decide to apply a beautiful tattoo on your body. The professional must care for the health of the customer so that no contamination occurs.

The professional must sterilize all the machines that he or she uses.  It is also necessary that the tattoo artist uses masks, gloves, and disposable needles in the procedure. The environment must also be clean and well ventilated.

Small tattoos have a considerable amount of demand for several reasons. They are recommended for the first timers and many people choose to have one just to mask a bad looking scar. The small tattoos can usually be finished in less than an hour; they are very easily hidden and because of this are perfect for people who work for strict companies.

You need to know the size that you want before you go ahead and decide where you going to place it. Small tattoos appear smaller or larger; depending on the location you put it.  For example, same 2 inch tattoo may be unnoticeable on a shoulder blade; however it can be very attractive and noticeable on the ankle.
There are also a bunch of large tattoo designs that may be downsized, such as: stars, butterflies, roses, sunbursts, crosses, dolphins, skulls and geometric tattoos.

When you get small tattoos on your back, chest, shoulder, and waist you can successfully hide it when you are working. This way you will not jeopardize yourself from receiving a promotion or any other success in your career.

Think about where you have your small tattoo. You don’t want to risk anything in your future, so make sure it is in an appropriate place.

After you have gotten the tattoo, be sure to take care of it even after the skin heals. You must be sure to use a sunscreen with the biggest factor of protection possible.

Tips before getting a small tattoo

1. Look for a professional that really practices under a clean place and uses only sterilized instruments.
2. Choose the design well. Search sufficiently and give look in specialized magazines.
3. Prefer a professional known by your colleagues or friends. With this, you will know what kind of service the artist offers.
4. Verify if the place where the service of tattooing will be done is hygienic. The material needs to be completely sterilized and also disposable.

Posted in Articles