Article Titles - Click on the title here to be taken below to the article.

Tattooing in the News, New Legislation Proposed, Much Needed

So You're Thinking of Getting Your First Tattoo?

I'm 15 Years Old and I Want a Tattoo Now!

Is It Possible To Get A Painless Tattoo?

The Biggest Tattoo Trap and How To Avoid It

Trends In Tattooing - White Tattoos - What's The Scoop?

Where Is The Least Painful Place To Get A Tattoo?

Why "small" doesn't make a great tattoo.

Why don't we let children and/or babies in our studio.

Tattooing in the News, New Legislation Proposed, Much Needed, Artists and Shop Owners Agree

Reprinted from The Florida Times Union - Jacksonville.com

Florida tattoo shops focus of proposed regulations

Florida, for now, is a rare state that has no regulation of tattoo artists.

Posted: March 3, 2010 - 5:07pm

Will Dickey/The Times-Union - Tattoo artist Todd Lake works on John Salzer at Lake's studio in Arlington. Florida is one of three states that has no regulation of tattoo artists. However, pending legislation would require artists and shops to be licensed annually.

By Justin Pugh

When a 14-year-old gets a haircut or a manicure in Florida, the barber or nail technician is licensed, has completed relevant training and passed tests dealing with sanitation and health safety issues.

But when that same 14-year-old gets a tattoo, the artist who punctures their skin and injects ink that leaves permanent markings is not required to have any training or credentials whatsoever.

That lack of training can result in bad tattoos, scarring and infections, say those in the industry. Risks of infection are so high that would-be blood donors in Florida, unlike in some states, must wait a year after being tattooed before they can donate blood.

Another problem is that children often receive tattoos in shops without their parents� consent, which the law requires.

That is so common that the vast majority of tattoo-related complaints to the Duval County Health Department are from parents who discover a tattoo on their child.

Cheryl Ellis, the environmental supervisor who fields those calls, says she has to explain that she has no enforcement authority over tattoo shops, except for their disposal of biomedical waste, such as needles.

�They call me all upset, find out we can�t do anything and then they really blow their gasket,� she said. �I tell them to call their legislator.�

Some legislators want to crack down on the tattoo industry. Pending legislation would require shops and tattoo artists to be licensed annually after being trained and passing an examination on blood-borne pathogens and communicable diseases. It would prohibit minors younger than 16 from getting a tattoo, even with parental consent, and individuals younger than 18 would have to be accompanied by their legal guardian.

Supporters of the bill include the Florida Professional Tattoo Artists Guild, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Florida Blood Services and the Florida Association of Beauty Professionals.

State Rep. Mary Brandenburg, D-West Palm Beach, who filed the bill in January, said its main focus is on preventing adverse health effects: skin infections and blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, which studies have found to be strongly associated with commercial tattooing. If passed this year, the legislation would go into effect July 1, 2011.

�Right now, Florida has no regulations at all to protect the public health when you�re getting a tattoo,� she said. �There�s no requirement that you wash your hands if you�re a tattoo artist, there�s no requirement that you use clean needles.�

She said the growing popularity of tattooing, especially among young people, has created a need for new regulation.

�When you look at people under 30, something like two thirds of the population either has a tattoo or will get one shortly,� she said, �So that�s the demographic I�m concerned about.�

The proposed measures, less stringent than in some states, have drawn support from local tattoo shop owners who would like to improve the industry�s image and credibility.

Jason Woodard, owner of Big City Tattoo, which has locations in Arlington and Orange Park and on the Westside, welcomes the new regulation.

�I think if a shop is upset about this, they shouldn�t be in business,� he said.

When hiring artists, Woodard said he�s noticed a difference between artists who come from states with stricter guidelines.

�They are the cleanest, most efficient, well-rounded individuals I�ve met,� he said. �When I have a guy who comes in and interviews with me from a state where they don�t have these bylaws, and I choose to hire him, typically they don�t last three months because you see the habits they developed.�

Forty-seven states have some sort of tattoo regulation, and many have strict requirements for artists. Tennessee, for example, requires them to complete a one-year apprenticeship with an artist who has been licensed with the state for a minimum of three years. Both Georgia and Alabama require tattoo artists to be licensed with their state�s health department, and prohibit the tattooing of minors. Only Florida, North Dakota and New Mexico remain unregulated.

In absence of regulation, Woodard said the public�s safety is left up to individual shop owners, because unless a tattoo shop also does piercing, which 14 of 42 shops do in Duval County, it is inspected only once or twice per year by the county for proper disposal of biomedical waste.

�In my opinion, I would love to see them come quarterly,� he said, �because I think it would weed out shops that should not be operating.�

'It�s a joke�

There are approximately 800 tattoo shops in Florida, according to the number of biomedical waste permits issued through county health departments. Shops work under the general supervision of a physician, osteopathic physician or dentist who vouches for the shop�s techniques, equipment and procedures every six months in a letter that shop owners must present to the county in order to get a biomedical waste permit.

Shops pay these doctors a few hundred dollars per year, but they won�t need to if the bill passes. Brandenburg said that despite the legislation�s annual licensing fees � which may not exceed $250 for a shop and $150 for an artist � the bill will save shop owners money overall by eliminating the supervisory doctor system, which is criticized by many in the industry.

�It�s a joke,� said Mark Longenecker, president of the Florida Professional Tattoo Artists Guild. �It�s definitely not as effective as handing it over to the Health Department.�

Random visits urged

Angelo Miller, shop manager at Inksmith and Rogers� Jacksonville Beach location, said he has no problem with increased Health Department oversight, but he is doubtful of how easily new regulations could be enforced.

�You�re going to pay the fee, and the board of health is going to go away,� Miller said.

He said random visits from Health Department inspectors every other month, or week, are the only way to properly enforce the bill�s requirements. Miller, like several Jacksonville tattoo shop owners and managers, cited the availability of tattoo equipment on the Internet as a major source of adverse health effects resulting from tattooing.

�You can go on eBay, you can buy machines, you can buy needles,� he said, �You can buy everything you need except for the course that�s going to keep you from killing people.�

Todd Lake, owner of Todd Lake Tattoo Studio in Arlington, said he thinks companies should be restricted from selling tattoo equipment to people without business licenses.

�You�re going to protect the community more by attacking the suppliers selling to people out of their homes,� he said.

Lake and his wife, Christina, said they support the idea of tattoo artists becoming licensed, and taking educational classes as long as they are learning information pertinent to their industry. Lake said he already requires his artists to attend CPR training and a blood-borne pathogens course, which he thinks should be specifically tailored for tattooing.

�I wouldn�t say it�s up to par,� he said. �It�s not trained by a tattoo artist, it�s trained by somebody from the Health Department who really doesn�t have any knowledge of what is required in tattooing.�

Still, Lake supports the new requirements, which he said he already meets.

�We go above and beyond what this is asking of us,� he said, �So we�re not really afraid of this law.�

justin.pugh@jacksonville.com,

(904) 359-4699

So you�re thinking of getting your first tattoo?

Here are some points to consider . . . .

Are you a bargain shopper? Bargain shopping for something that will be on your body for the rest of your life is a B-A-D idea.

Your friend, neighbor, etc. might be able to cut you a better price that visiting a reputable tattoo shop, but how do you know they aren�t re-using needles from other tattoos they�ve done? How do you know if they are thoroughly cleaning everything they or their last customer touched before you? Do you know how many diseases once caught, can never be cured? Things like HIV, Hepatitis C, MRSA, some of the new viral strains that are resistant to every single medicine available today?

And what about their training? Do you know that every single tattoo artist working in a shop has undergone a year or more of professional training at a cost of $5,000 or more before they are allowed to touch human skin with a tattoo machine? There�s a reason for this. It takes a lot of practice to know how deep into the skin to place tattoo ink so it will stay where it�s supposed to. Too shallow, and the ink falls out during the healing process. Too deep, and ink can migrate causing spider-webbing or dark shadows around the edges of your tattoo.

Professional tattoo artists are trained to help advise you on picking the right design for placement on your body where you want it. That neighbor, friend, etc. usually doesn�t have a clue about helping you get a tattoo that you�ll be proud to wear in the years to come.

Things like � �Oh, I want it on my hand,� or �It�s gotta be on my neck,� are common requests tattoo artists get. But, will that friend, neighbor, etc. tell you to consider what you might be doing in 10 years? At Addicted 2 Tattoos, we often get the sob story, �I want to go into the military or law enforcement, and they won�t take me with this stuff on my hands, face, neck, etc.

You just can�t be too careful when you decide you don�t want to be an �ink virgin� anymore.

Another scenario we get is: �I�ve just got to have this tattoo on my lower back�, called a �tramp stamp' in the industry. But, will that friend, neighbor, etc. working out of their home or a low class shop tell you that getting that tattoo on your lower back means when it�s time to give birth, you can�t get an epidural (shot that numbs you from the waist-down to make child birth easier,) because the doctor is worried about pushing tattoo ink into your spinal fluid and will refuse to give it to you when you need it most?

There�s a lot to consider before getting your first tattoo . . . . this is just the tip of the iceburg. In future articles, many other subjects will be covered, so keep your eyes open for the next article!

Come into the shop for your personal consultation and we�ll tell you lots more as well as looking out for your best interest.

I�m 15 Years Old and I Want A Tattoo Now!

Question: I�m 15 and I want to get a tattoo, what do I need to do?

Answer: In the state of Florida it is legal for a 14 year old to get a tattoo. But, not without notarized consent of the young person�s legal parent or guardian. The state requires that this notarized consent be on a form provided by the studio of choice and it is not acceptable for one form to be taken at another studio. Each studio must put their studio name on the form and the form is only acceptable at that particular studio. The young person is not legally able to enter into a contract, therefore the required studio paperwork must be completed by the parent or legal guardian who is of the proper age to enter into a legally binding contract. Studio paperwork is a contract for services. The parent or legal guardian�s identification must be copied and included with the binding service contract.

Many studios will not tattoo someone under the age of 16 because the studio�s liability insurance prohibits it. If the child insists on getting a tattoo and drags you to a flea market or other place where no paperwork is required, they are doing you and your child a disservice.

15 year olds are still growing. Most don�t stop growing until the age of 25. Imagine that the child is now 4� 11�. By 25 they�ve grown to 6� 3�. Can you picture what that cute little bunch of stars will look like at 25 when they have more than doubled their height, weight and skin volume? Not a pretty picture.

15 year olds are notorious for being sporadic in caring for a tattoo during the healing process. They tend to not wash them often enough, they tend to touch them with dirty hands, they tend to not listen to or follow the instructions given to them by the tattoo artist, and they tend to get more infections because of the previous reasons. Some infections can be life threatening or require hospitalization.

15 years olds are known to be incessant in their quest for their first tattoo. Getting a tattoo is an adult decision and an adult responsibility. 15 year olds are not adults. Many parents need to stand up to their children and just say no. When the child reaches the age of 18, they are free to get a tattoo legally in Florida. There are many good reasons why this is the law.

If you see your 15 year old with a permanent tattoo, you should find out where they got it and go see the artist. Ask for the paperwork the child signed. If no paperwork is on record, the child broke the rules and should have their privileges revoked for a time as punishment. The artist should strongly consider checking ID�s before tattooing anyone, regardless of how old they look. Don�t let the almighty dollar rule your actions, the consequences could be quite severe.

If your 15 year old is trying to tattoo themselves, stop them. Homemade tattoo machines are not safe. Substitutes for professional quality tattoo inks can be deadly. Getting a poorly done tattoo removed can be costly and painful as well as leave permanent scars. Most 15 year olds are not thinking about what they might be doing in 5-10-15 years down the line. Those letters on their knuckles might be �cool� now, but what about when they are in a professional working environment? It might very well keep them from getting the job they want or advancing in the career field of their choice. It�s certain they will not be accepted into any branch of the military or law enforcement.

So, if you�re 15 and you�re dying to get your first tattoo, please wait. We have all been 15 one time in our lives. We�re not kidding when we advise you to wait, we have many good reasons for denying you your first tattoo at 15. Some of the reasons are here, quite a few are not. Temporary tattoos are a fun way to try out looks and placement for tattoos. Try them for a while. You�ll get a feel for what looks good on your skin, and you�ll make better choices when you are old enough to legally get a tattoo by making up your own mind.

Is It Possible To Get A Painless Tattoo?

Some tattoo artists will say no. Others will say yes. There are many factors to consider when getting a tattoo and obviously the amount of pain you must go through for that tattoo will vary.

Old school tattoo artists are of the mind, that you must earn your tattoo with the pain you go through to get the tattoo. This is a pretty outdated way of thinking.

Many factors play into how much a tattoo will hurt. One important factor is where the tattoo will be located on your body. Areas such as the outer arms, outer legs, upper back and upper chest are not very painful for tattooing. Other areas such as the lower back, inside the arms, or legs, near elbows and knees, along the spine, along the ribs, the lower front torso are all considered to be more painful areas. The feet and ankles are definitely more painful than other areas. This applies also to inside the wrist and hands.

Another factor is how well you tolerate pain. Women are built to take pain better than men, because women are designed to give birth. This makes a normal woman�s pain tolerance usually higher than a man�s. Women who have given birth usually tolerate pain better than women who have not been through childbirth.

Additionally, if you already have several tattoos, you know what to expect and have become more immune to the feeling of getting a tattoo because you have had the opportunity to feel what it feels like to get a tattoo and now you can convince your body that the pain is not that bad, because you�ve survived it before. Those getting their first or second tattoo would be wise to pick smaller designs and put them in less painful areas until they become used to the feeling of having a tattoo needle pierce their skin 3,000 times a minute. But, be careful where those small tattoos go. In the tattoo business, outer arms and upper backs, as well as calves of the legs are considered �prime real estate� and to plant a tiny tattoo in an area that leaves a lot of untouched skin around it tends to make that small tattoo look even smaller. And, if sometime in the future you decide to get a partial or full sleeve or leg piece, you�ve just make it more difficult to design around that tiny tattoo smack dab in the middle of your planned large piece.

On the market today there are several types of deadening agents available. Pre-deadeners usually have Lidocaine, Benzocaine and/or Tetracaine in them. Pre-deadeners should be applied to cleaned, shaved skin in a thin coat, then seal the area with clear cellophane and taped airtight. The artist applying this pre-deadener is strongly advised to test a small area first to make sure the person receiving the pre-deadener is not going to have a bad reaction to the cream or ointment. Most pre-deadeners take 45 minutes to one hour to become effective and usually last 1 to 2 hours. Most times you can tell it is taking effect when you see a whitish coloring to the treated area making the surrounding areas appear pinker than normal. On darker skin this is harder to observe. If there is any doubt about whether the person will have a reaction to this procedure, make sure to have them discuss it with their doctor before using the product, several cases of reactions have been reported by those who did not follow these guidelines.

These pre-deadeners are available to professional tattoo artists through their tattoo supplier and are not generally available to the public. These pre-deadeners are designed to be used on un-broken skin, meaning before the tattooing process is started.

Once the tattoo has been started, usually after all the outlining is done, another type of deadener is available. It too can contain Lidocaine (5% concentration is the legal limit unless you have a medical license), Benzocaine and/or Tetracaine. Usually this �during-the-procedure� treatment is in liquid, spray form or gel. It can be sprayed on or applied to the skin once the skin is �broken� by the tattoo needle and should also be tested on a small area beforehand to make sure the client will have no adverse reaction. Again, this product is not generally available to the public but can be purchased by a professional tattoo artist working in a licensed studio. This product usually lasts 45 minutes to one hour per application and it is advised not to use the product more than 4 times in one sitting with a client to avoid heart palpitations, and other unpleasant side effects.

Some artists refuse to offer these deadeners saying it will cause the tattoo to heal poorly. Others refuse to offer them because of the cost involved in obtaining them. Most of these deadening products are very expensive for small amounts and because they are sometimes in alcohol or witch hazel bases, they tend to evaporate quickly and don�t have a long shelf life. Clients usually don�t realize that their tattoo artists will talk about the tattoo experience once the client is gone. Tattoo artists have been overheard commenting about what a wimp a client is because they moaned, groaned, complained incessantly, constantly wiggled throughout the whole tattoo. Some artists will charge more for the next tattoo if the client comes back to the same artist for further work, because the artist knows it will be a difficult tattoo to do well due to the constant pain vocalizations of the client, and trying to get a complaining client to sit still. Sitting still is the number one reason some tattoos do not come out well. Talking on the cell phone, bringing children into the studio and paying more attention to them than the tattoo procedure, and poor aftercare are other reasons why a tattoo might not turn out well. But, using deadeners usually doesn�t have any effect on the quality of the tattoo or the healing process afterward.

Some studios will charge up to $100 per application of these deadeners, sort of as a lesson to the client. If you can�t take the heat, then you�ll pay for the privilege. Some clients report that even after several applications, they still get no relief from the deadeners. Sometimes clients mistake the pressure of getting the tattoo with pain and if the client has never had a tattoo without deadeners, then, of course, they have nothing to compare the sensation to. If a studio does offer deadeners, follow the artist�s advice to the letter. If they ask you to pay additionally for the deadeners, don�t quibble; pay what is asked, even if it doesn�t seem reasonable. There are many shops that simply don�t offer any relief, and clients are always free to go to whichever shop they wish. If you do find a shop that offers deadeners, and you feel you really need it, then pay what is asked, and consider tipping the artist more than if no deadeners were used. It takes a lot of extra time for the artist to apply the deadeners properly and extends the total time he/she spends with the client. This means the artist usually has to reschedule other clients or misses out on income from other clients because of the extra time needed to deal with the client wanting deadeners.

If you have any health issues or are taking one or more medications on a regular basis, be sure to check with your doctor before allowing deadeners to be used on you. Be sure to test the deadeners on a small area to check for reaction, this applies to everyone, regardless of their health or medicines taken. Don�t blame the artist if you get no or little relief from the deadeners, it is not the fault of the artist. If you don�t think you can take the pain of getting a tattoo without deadeners, don�t get the tattoo, period. Be prepared for the fact that not all deadeners are alike and not all work the same way on every person. Every person�s perception of pain is different. Some are naturally more pain tolerant. Some have a very low pain threshold.

Is it possible to get a painless tattoo? Yes and no. Now that you have the facts, you get to make up your own mind. If you feel you need it, and are willing to pay extra, call several studios and inquire if it is offered at that studio. If you are already loyal to one artist and would like to try deadeners, ask your artist if they would be willing to use deadeners, then offer to pay for the product in advance and pay for the extra time it takes the artist to correctly apply the deadeners. Most professional tattoo artists make between $100 and $300 per hour, and if they eat up an hour using deadeners on you, don�t cheat your artist out of their expected income. Remember, they CAN make a tattoo hurt more than it needs to!

The Biggest Tattoo Trap and How To Escape It Before It�s Too Late!

In this day and economy, we�re always looking for a bargain, and when you�re out for some new ink, it�s no different. We want good value for our hard-earned dollars. So some of us will go to someone who�s just learning to tattoo and get ink from him or her because they�re usually doing it for �free�. Some of us will be happy to go to someone�s kitchen, garage, or basement to get a �reduced priced� tattoo and save a few bucks that way. Some of us will go to the local flea market because there�s a tattoo booth there and we feel that we�ll get a bargain by going there. Some of us will even go so far as to buy tattoo equipment and try to do our own tattoo, all in the name of saving a dollar.

But, you need to stop for a few minutes and think about what you�re doing. When you get ink on your body, it�s there forever. Is it going to be something you can show off with pride and make your friends jealous because it�s such a beautiful, interesting, colorful, well-done piece? Or are you going to have to hide it, and when someone does get a look at it, are you always going to have to justify why the piece looks so bad?

I hear things like this: Customer says �I only paid $10 for this, isn�t it great?� My pat answer when I see bad work is �Oh, isn�t that interesting?� I will never say it�s good-looking work when it�s not. But, I don�t want to hurt anyone�s feelings and rather than say, �That�s some of the absolutely worst ink work I�ve ever seen.� I�ll instead try to be nice and say �Oh, isn�t that interesting?� So, if you�re in my shop and hear me say that, you can bet your bottom dollar I�m looking at some pretty awful ink work.

This same customer, then usually asks me what I�ll charge to �fix it up�. When I quote anywhere from $100 - $500 to attempt to fix or just go for the complete cover up, I get a reply, usually in a whiny voice, �But I only paid $10 for it!� Yes, I know, that�s why you are in my studio asking me to fix it. Why didn�t you just get that inked on yourself: �But I only paid $10 for it!� Then you wouldn�t have to spend the rest of your life repeating that phrase to everyone who sees your ink that really does look like you only paid $10 for it.

What many people fail to take into consideration is the fact that whatever quality of tattoo work you get, it�s on you forever. Most don�t have the money for laser removal, that most likely will cause scarring, change your skin color, and hurt like hell, plus having to go back over and over again for repeat treatments. I wish you�d thought of that before getting that poor quality permanent ink on your skin.

Why do you think the student doesn�t charge for his work? Because he/she knows they�re not good enough to work in a licensed shop, and so to gain practice, they�d prefer to mess up your skin while they learn. A student will never, ever give you as good ink as a professional can. Why do you think that person working out of their home charges so much less than a professional tattoo studio? Again, because if they were good enough, certainly they would be working in a professional studio under supervision and health department guidelines. Do you really think they use a brand new needle each time they work on someone? Do you think they take the same precautions with your health as a professional studio would? Do you really think they aren�t high or drunk when they�re working on you? And if so, what does that say about the quality of that forever after work they�re putting on you? If their work doesn�t land you in the hospital with a life-threatening infection or get you an incurable disease, you�re lucky. But, what you are left with on your skin is not luck. It is sub-standard and again, you�ll spend the rest of your life explaining why the work is not up to professional standards. Or pay hundreds of dollars trying to fix or cover it up.

Going to the flea market is no bargain either. You might think you�re getting a deal when you sit down in their chair, but chances are, they�re cutting corners to give you that bargain price. Do you actually see them open a brand new, sterile needle in front of you? Do you see them dispose of it properly in a red, biohazard, plastic container after each customer? Do you see them open a sterilized barrel that holds the needle in the tattoo machine? Are they using the highest quality inks they can get? Probably not. Are they following all essential health department guidelines, like using hot, running water to wash their hands before and after each tattoo? Are they using industry-standard cleaning agents that actually do kill AIDS, HIV, Staph, and all the other diseases a professional tattoo artist is trained to kill by using hospital grade disinfectants? Again, probably not. They cut corners to offer you a �deal�. And, the quality of work they do leaves a lot to be desired.

In my studio, we get a steady stream of people from the flea markets around us coming in asking what we can do to improve their tattoos obtained at a discount. Often the fixes cost 2 to 5 times more than the original cost of the discount tattoo. Most flea market tattoo artists can�t be trusted to tell you the truth about how long they have been tattooing. I once gave a pair of tattoo machines to a guy at a flea market because he helped me locate the person who burglarized my studio. A week or so later, I had customers coming in asking for me to fix work they�d gotten there, and they told me that same person was claiming to have been tattooing for 6 years, when in actuality, he had only started after I gave him his first pair of tattoo machines!

Needless to say, there are many reasons why you should go to a reputable tattoo studio, not the least of them being that the work will be of higher quality, by a trained professional, using the best tattoo inks, in a clean environment, with new, sterile needles for each customer, and you�ll have a much larger inventory of images to choose from as well as being able to work with a skilled artist to develop something uniquely yours, if that is your choice.

In closing, let me restate my original thought behind this article, bargain tattoos often aren�t bargains in the long run. And, it�s one of the biggest traps out there, trying to save a buck when you get a tattoo. Many people fail to remember, that whatever they get, it will be on them for a long, long time. I have never understood why a person would have no worries about paying $200+ for those nifty new Nikes that will probably be lost in the back of their closet in 6 months, never to be worn again, and yet will balk at paying that same $200 for a tattoo that will be on them for the rest of their lives.

So, my advice, to everyone thinking about getting a new tattoo, don�t shop for a bargain. Or you might just get it and then pay the long-term price many times over when you realize that it was no bargain at all! Do your research, ask questions, look at the artist�s previous work in their portfolio, ask to watch them do a tattoo on someone else before you get yours, watch where the needle comes from and where it goes after use. Ask about the brands of ink they use. Ask if they �thin� their inks. Watered down inks don�t make for good tattoos. Ask to have some client�s names who have gotten work there and contact those clients to see if they were happy with the work and how the tattoo looked once it was healed. Listen to what kind of aftercare instructions are given. If they tell clients to use A & D ointment or anything containing petroleum on a healing tattoo, chances are it will not look as good as when it was first done. Do they wrap the tattoo in clear, plastic wrap? Another bad idea. Do they give written and verbal after care instructions? When the artist is gloved, what are they touching? Is there a chance germs are being transferred to your new tattoo because the artist is not careful about what they touch when wearing gloves?

If you want to get the best tattoo and have a prized work of art on yourself that will last a lifetime, and give you pleasure every time you look at it, do yourself a favor, don�t bargain shop for your next tattoo. Go to a licensed, reputable tattoo studio where trained professionals will give you work that you�ll be proud to show off.

Thinking of getting a white tattoo?
Here�s some points to consider.

First, there are two distinctly different types of white tattoos being done currently. One is done with white ink only, will be slightly visible under natural daylight and is permanent. The other is done with white UV black light ink and may not be visible at all once healed fully and may or may not last a long time.

The first type is done with only white, normal tattoo ink. There are many brands of white ink on the market today and new brands are showing up all the time. Brands like Starbright, Millenium �Moms�, Kuro Sumi, Fantasia, Eternal, Iron Butterfly, and others basically use titanium white powered pigment in a carrier fluid. This carrier fluid is usually made of glycerin, witch hazel, alcohol, and/or water. The FDA has not at this time approved any inks for injection under human skin. But, we in the market, are expecting that to change in the near future. Some inks are sold as opaque white, while others are intended to be used as a mixing agent with other colors to brighten or lighten the base color, much as is done when tinting paint colors. As a professional tattoo artist of many years, my experience has been that these inks are great when used in small areas, such as edging out a rose, as accents to edges of elements and as reflection points on elements meant to be representational of reflections. But, experience also has taught me that these whites when used in larger areas tend to not hold up well and tend to fade out completely in a year or less depending upon how much that area of the skin is exposed to sun light.

Historically, tattoo artists didn�t even have access to white ink until about 30 years ago. It simply didn�t exist before that time. So, areas that were white in a drawing were usually left naked skin when tattooing was done. Some things like skull teeth, white roses, bones, etc. are usually shaded out with a variety of grays then highlighted with white to give the visual impression of being something white. Many designers of tattoo flash (artwork) today who are not tattoo artists, fail to take into account that white does not hold up well in skin in large areas, over a long period, and design pieces of artwork that require large areas of white ink application in the design. Many tattoo artists will try to advise their clients that perhaps a pale blue, pale yellow, pale purple can be used instead of straight white since with just a slight amount of another pigment added to the white in the area tends to last longer and hold up better.

One particular type of ink that offers a very opaque white ink that does seem to hold up well over time is the brand produced by Intenze. Intenze inks are made with the usual pigments and carrier fluids, but have an added difference. According to the MSDS sheets that tell what the ingredients of inks are, Intenze inks also include a finely ground acrylic polymer. Acrylic polymers are used in car paints, house paints, and other applications. There has been some discussion in online forums between artists that there is a fear that the acrylic polymers may melt and solidify in the skin and make a patch of tougher skin than the surrounding areas. I have been using Intenze inks for over 5 years now and have never had one single complaint from any customer about this problem. I have used this ink on myself with beautiful results. Intenze white is the only white ink that I can use on darker skin and actually get it to show up well. Granted, it sometimes takes a double coat (two applications; apply once, let heal, apply again) to get the intensity the client wants, but it is without a doubt one of the most opaque white inks I have used. My clients love the way it looks and when I explain the pros and cons of the ink types, invariably they choose the Intenze white ink.

The second type of white tattoos being done now are UV black light reactive. There are also several brands of white UV inks on the market. One of the oldest is a microencapsulated type of ink where every molecule of tattoo ink is encapsulated in very tiny clear, flexible containers like a gel cap pill. These inks are only produced by one manufacturer at the moment and they have been rigorously tested in animals for many years. Because of their micro encapsulation, the ink never actually comes in contact with the skin in any way and the only way the ink can be broken out of the micro-container is by freezing. But, hey, if you�re frozen, you�re probably dead anyway, so where�s the contamination issue? I have also been using this ink successfully for over 4 years and have never had one complaint from a client. As usual, I tested it on myself before letting customers request it. The think about this ink, is that is thin, and the manufacturer suggests that it is not to be mixed during the tattoo process with normal inks, as they will cancel out the UV properties. Basically this means that if you want a highly visible tattoo, get a normal tattoo first, let it heal completely, then go back to the tattoo artist and have them apply the UV inks over the existing tattoo. If you want a tattoo less noticeable, then use just the UV micro encapsulated inks.

If you have a tattoo done with strictly white micro encapsulated white ink, the tattoo will appear pink (skin irritation from the tattoo process) or purple (stain from the tattoo stencil that fades away completely in a day or two). Once the tattoo is fully healed (perhaps 1 � 2 months) the pinkness goes away and the tattoo is invisible except under UV black lights. I have done a number of these in the past recent years on people like doctors, law enforcement officials, financial and real estate people and others who want tattoos but also respect the constraints of their career fields and need their tattoos to be invisible. The results have been exactly what the client wants. A tattoo artist needs to be very skilled before attempting to use these inks, though, because they are not easy to get good results unless you have the patience to practice a lot on pig ears before you try them on human skin. There is definitely a special technique required to get good results when using UV Black light inks.

Recently, a new tattoo ink manufacturer has come out with a line of non-encapsulated UV black light inks. I have tried the Tokyo Pink and find this ink to be thin, not as bright in the skin as in the bottle, and a couple of clients have come back after 3 � 4 months saying that their pink areas are not glowing under a black light anymore. So, these inks may be good, but their �glow power� endurance seems to be in question. My advice would be to work with an artist who has used a particular type of ink for over 1 year and can give you qualified, expert advice about which brands will do what you want from them.

As for white tattoos? My attitude is, if you�re going to get a tattoo, get a tattoo!! Be proud, be bold, show it off and never apologize for being yourself. But, yes I realize there are some that feel the need to compromise. If white tattoos are what you want, shop around, find an experienced tattoo artist who can show you pictures of their work and give you client referrals so you can make an informed decision, and get what you want.

Where is the least painful place to get a tattoo?

This question can actually refer to two different things. One, where (as in location of studio) is one aspect of this question. The other, where (on the body) is the least painful place to get a tattoo is the other aspect of this question.

Attacking the first reference, obviously, the least painful place to get a tattoo is in a licensed, professional tattoo studio. A lot of people will ask why. Here�s the reasons. If you go to someone doing tattoos out of their home, or perhaps in a flea market, or an outdoor event, where a tattoo artist is working out in the dirty environment, you risk having an inexperienced tattoo artist butcher your skin. One of the reasons they don�t work in a licensed studio may be because their skills just aren�t up to par with what is expected of an artist in a studio. Another reason may be that they are just learning. Another reason may be that if they did tattoos in a studio like they do in their homes, chances are they would get no repeat business and this would have a negative effect on the studio. Another reason may be that they cause scarring when they tattoo because of the mistaken assumption that to get the ink to stay better in the skin, they have to go real deep. This is not so.

A professional tattoo artist has been trained to put the ink below the dead layer of the skin at the outside. If the ink is put into the dead layer that sloughs off the ink will not stay and lines and fill in areas will appear splotchy and weak. If the artist puts the ink below the living layer where new skin cells are generated, they are going too deep. This can cause the ink to spread under the skin so edges become spider webbed or there is a bluish or greenish glow around the edges of the tattoo. By going too deep, they also risk causing permanent raised scars on the client. Inexperienced tattoo artists have difficulty in controlling their needle depth and clients complain that the tattoo experience hurts excessively. It also causes healing to take an unusually long time to heal and because the ink is put too deeply into the skin, the tattoo can appear murky and indistinct, colors appear dull, and spread in uncontrollable ways under the skin in the fat layer below the skin.

Now on to the second part of this question. Where does it hurt the least to get a tattoo? The places on the body that seem easiest for clients to tolerate are the upper back, outer arms, outer calves, and buttocks. These areas get more friction in normal daily actions and so are more used to being touched. On the arms and legs, some of the more painful areas are the elbows, inside the elbows, the knees, inside the knees, the wrists and ankles.

Ribs, front torso, underarms are very uncomfortable. Feet and hands are not easy either. Necks can be good or bad, depends on the person. Lower backs seem to also be painful.

Pain is a funny thing. If you have had pain in your life, you tend to take the feeling of getting a tattoo better. If you are young, never had significant pain in your body or are one of those with a low tolerance for pain, chances are you will be uncomfortable no matter where the tattoo is put. Women in general tolerate the feeling better than men. But, men who have been through military or law enforcement training seem to do better.

If you have never had a tattoo, it is difficult to describe the feeling. Some relate it to a cat scratch or bee sting. Some say it feels like being burned or branded. Some say it feels like razor cuts. Without a doubt it is an acquired taste. Since the body has never had this sensation before, it tends to try to relate it to something within your realm of experience. After you get one or two, it gets easier to take. The trick is to relax during the process. A relaxed body is not fighting the pain by tensing up. Tensing up makes the surface of the skin harder and thus makes it harder to get the tattoo ink in the proper layer of skin. Holding your breath will make you pass out. By all means, make sure you have a good meal about 2 hours before starting the tattoo process. Getting a tattoo on an empty stomach can cause problems. The sensation of pain releases endorphins from the brain that is the body�s way of protecting itself from pain sensations. It can also cause a drop in the blood�s sugar level that can lead to passing out. Many people claim to be addicted to tattoos, and this may suggest that they are really more into getting the endorphin release than the tattoo, imho.

The best thing to remember when getting a tattoo is that there is an end to the process. A small tattoo can take under 10 minutes. Larger pieces take longer. My experience has been that the body has a natural tolerance barrier. This is about 3 hours. After 3 hours, I find that clients become more uncomfortable, more of the plasma leaks from their skin, this dilutes the ink and makes it harder to get good coverage. At this 3 hour mark I also notice that the skin can become pebble-like with areas where it appears to be harder thus making giving the tattoo more difficult.

Large tattoos can be broken into several sittings. The first sitting usually will involve getting all the outline work done. This is because matching up stencil pieces can be difficult to nearly impossible and if only part of the outline is completed in one sitting, chances are the second sitting produces inferior results. Once the outline has been completed, there is no problem letting the outlines heal before beginning any of the fill in process. Dark colors seem easier to get into the skin. Lighter colors may sometimes need to be gone over twice to get the full effect of the pigment. It is not uncommon when doing large black tribal pieces and pieces with large pastel colors to have the customer come back within 3 weeks to have a second �coat� of ink put in the tattoo. This gives the artist a good look at how you take care of the tattoo during the healing process and the opportunity to �touch up� any small spots that may need it.

Clients will swear that they followed the after care instructions, but as a trained professional in the business for many years, I have come to recognize the tell-tale signs of neglect or picking at the tattoo during the healing process. Letting the tattoo dry out, using petroleum products, picking at the scabs, exposure to sun and water, wearing tight clothes or shoes over a fresh tattoo, not washing the tattoo frequently, and using too much lotion on the tattoo during healing can all have adverse effects on the final outcome of the healed tattoo.

The final result of where hurts the least are variable. A lot depends on whether it is your first tattoo or not, where you desire the tattoo to be placed, how large the tattoo is, how well you tolerate pain and how well you take care of it during the healing process. During the actual process of tattooing, if you need to take a break, remember, don�t take too long of a break or once you sit again to continue the tattoo, you may find it more painful than if you took no break at all. Getting tattoos in unusual locations on the body can be more painful than getting it in the normal locations. You must weigh your desire for placement with how well you tolerate pain. You must make logical decisions based on how large the tattoo will be and whether you are up for sitting for a longer period during the process. You must decide what is best for you. Unfortunately, I know of no areas on the body where it doesn�t hurt to get a tattoo, but it doesn�t hurt that much, and as an adult, you can always let your mind wander instead of concentrating on the sensation. Go to your happy place and you�ll do fine!

Why "small" doesn't make a great tattoo.

We all know we are in hard economic times. Most of us are struggling in one way or another to keep it together until things get better. And, we'd like to still be able to enjoy some of the pleasures that life has to offer, like getting a new tattoo. It cheers us up, it makes our lives more exciting and it's cool to have hot ink!

But, for your next tattoo, consider this: GO LARGER!

There are many reasons for this. Tattoos are on your skin for the rest of your life. You like to show off your tattoos and get positive responses to your well chosen ink. You get to choose what you get where and how big each time you get a tattoo. We've been seeing a distressing trend in tattooing by those trying to save a few dollars. They come in and want to spend $20, $30, $40 and get some ink. Frankly, for that kind of money, all you can afford to do is go to the flea market (questionable skill and cleanliness) or go to a "scratcher" (someone working underground out of their house, garage, trailer, etc., not working in a legitimate, licensed tattoo studio - even scarier than a flea market for skill and cleanliness).

Why waste your money on something so trivial? Why risk you health, wreck your skin with bad or dangerous work? Why end up looking like something in the Sunday funny papers? (That's how a lot of tattoo artists refer to people who have lots of small tattoos of all different subjects scattered here and there on themselves - no cohesion or planning to the overall effect of their tattoos.)

Tattoos are like billboards, people glance quickly at them and then say something like: "Oh, that's really cool," or "that's some ink you've got" (might be translated as - wow, that's bad but I don't want to hurt your feelings by saying so.) Tiny ones only tell those around you that you are probably skimping on cost and like everything else in life, you only get what you pay for.

Why we don't let children and/or babies in our studio?

We know some people do not like our policy and will leave our studio because we do not let children and babies in the studio. We have many good reasons why we do not allow anyone under 16 into our studio.

1. There are pornographic images in our tattoo designs and it is against the law to expose minors to these images.

2. We do not service anyone under 16 years of age and therefore feel that it is necessary to ask that they do not enter the studio.

3. Babies and young children especially get sick often. When they bring their illness into our studio, invariably the artists get sick and a day sick means a day we don't earn $$ to pay our bills.

4. When tattooing, microscopic particles of ink and bodily fluids are in the air and these can be harmful to young ones. When an adult enters the studio, they make an adult decision to enter, those under age do not understand this and we do not like to put these precious ones at risk.

5. A tattoo studio is an adult environment, just like a bar, a club, or a strip joint. Would you take your child inside one of these other establishments? Better not, it's against the law. We feel that people under 16 should not be exposed to the images or the sometimes vulgar language in a tattoo studio. When we are discussing exotic piercings this is not something that should be done within earshot of a person under 16.

6. When a parent or guardian brings a person under 16 into the studio, they are often more distracted by the presence of the youngster, and do not follow our instructions well when they are not paying attention to what we are doing.

7. Unfortunately, youngsters often mishandle our expensive artwork, gobble all the sweet treats we offer our clients, and sometimes are like wild hooligans on the war path. It is distracting to other adults who are trying to make important decisions about a tattoo or piercing. The damage to our waiting area is costly to fix and as everyone knows, kids are prone to temper tantrums, and that's embarrassing to us all.

8. Our waiting area is very small and having a bunch of kids hanging out in the waiting area means that our paying customers may not have a place to sit while making selections.

9. Getting a tattoo or piercing is a rite of passage, one of many that ushers a young person into adulthood. It is a privilege and not a right. With the Internet, it is very easy for anyone to research tattoo designs, piercing types, and anything else to do with our industry. It is not necessary to go into a tattoo studio to look at tattoo designs and piercing possibilities.

So, we hope you understand and respect our reasons for not allowing anyone under 16 to enter our studio. We have several signs prominently displayed in our windows, on our door and inside the studio, all saying the same thing, do not bring anyone under 16 into this studio. And, yet, almost every week, we have people pushing strollers into the door, showing up with 3-4 kids in tow, and just generally think the signs and policy apply to everyone else except themselves. We are not mean, rude, or singling you out, we have many good reasons why we do not wish to have anyone under 16 in the studio. We hope you will respect our policy to protect the younger generation.

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