Tattooing__Safety_and_Quality

There are many people who have thought about getting a tattoo but are concerned about the safety and cleanliness of the process. They have the knowledge that not all shops are the same; and what is used in tattooing should be clean and sanitary. Although any tattooing has risks, such as infection and disease, research about an artist’s tools and their processes will lead to a safely done and quality tattoo. The quality of the “inks” that are used to apply the tattoo is also a very important thing to consider. The word “ink” is used loosely because they are considered pigments. The “ink” is considered to be a two-part compound made of a pigment and acarrier. A pigment is any one material that can be crushed super fine to provide a color once it is mixed with the carrier. Many materials are utilized to provide a color. Some of those materials are Chromium Oxide for green, Curcuma for yellow, and Calcium Copper Sulfate for blue. The carriers that are utilized to make the “inks” are Listerine, witch hazel, purified water, propylene glycol, vodka, and glycerin. Most of the makers of the “inks” do not disclose what is in the compound. “Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to impose regulatory oversight for an industry based on the practice of injecting metal salts and fluids into the skin {draw:frame} Flat needles are also used for large areas but are more widely used for the gray shading and what the artist call “gray wash.” A gray wash is a mixture of black ink and sterile water. The ink starts out black, but the more gray that the artist wants or needs; the more water the artist will add to the mix. There are different types of flat needles as well. The standard flat is as it sounds, flat, with no stacking. The magnum needles can be stacked in either a weave or a regular stack. The normal stack allows for the needles to be more closely placed together than the weave design. There is also a new variation call the waved magnum, called this because the needles are places in a fan design so that it does less damage to the skin with tattoo application. With a standard flat magnum, damage is caused when the skin deflects away from the needles. The outer needles have more pressure and penetrate deeper than the center ones. This in turn causes more damage to the skin on the outer areas. This can create problems with healing and the overall look of the tattoo once completely healed. With the wave design equal pressure is applied with the deflection of the skin, thus producing a cleaner and more uniform design. Without these proper procedures from the artist the risk for infection and disease, such as hepatitis, greatly increases. Some of the problems that have been reported and that seem to be rare are granulomas, keloids, and MRI complications. Granulomas are “nodules that may form around material that the body perceives as foreign, such as particles of tattoo pigment.” Keloids are “scars that grow beyond normal boundaries” and are small masses on the skin (MedicineNet, 2002). The MRI complications that have been reported are that some people who have undergone the procedure experienced some swelling and burning around the tattoo area. All reported that this problem receded with no lasting effects on the person or tattoo. When deciding whether or not to get a tattoo, the shop and artist need to be research. Always find someone who has received work from that particular artist and ask questions. Never decide to use an artist that you do not feel comfortable being around or that does not want to talk to you about your tattoo, because this could result in problems once the tattoo is acquired. Making sure that the shop is the right shop is very important to the quality of the art. Never forget that getting a tattoo is a life time choice and should be thought about seriously. Always keep in mind that if the shop doesn’t look reputable, it probably isn’t, so stay away. Roper, K. (2007). Tattoo Ink 101. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Tattoo_Ink Webb,R. (2009). The Tattoo Needle Primer. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://taptatdaddio.com/downloads.htm Wilson, Tracy V. (2000)_ How Tattoos Work. _Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://health.howstuffworks.com/tattoo1.htm# Tattoos, What You Need to Know (2002) Retrieved October 7, 2009, from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp'articlekey=21341 Tattoo Goo. (2009). _Tattoo _Aftercare. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://tattoogoo.com/tattooaftercare.php