Recently in Tattoo Health Category

Do you have a tattoo? Have you ever wanted one? Having our bodies adorned with "skin art" is a very personal choice, and one which should not be taken lightly. I myself have a very nice tattoo on my upper left arm which features the heads of five of nature's big cats. It's a one-of-a-kind piece, it has significant meaning to me, and I'm really quite proud of it. Generally speaking, we take our tattoos to the grave with us. Unfortunately, a poor choice of tattoo parlors could make that trip happen prematurely. Although it may not seem like it, tattooing is a considerably invasive procedure, involving fairly significant trauma to one of our body's major defense systems. Tattoo recipients in Edmonton, Canada have received a sharp wake-up call regarding the seriousness of being careful when choosing a tattoo or piercing artist. A long-standing tattoo shop there has recently been closed, due to concerns over its nonchalant health and cleanliness standards. What might be worse yet, is that in addition to discovering that the tattoo artist was allegedly operating in what could arguably be considered a life-threatening manner, regulators have discovered that the shop has retained no records of its clientele. This will make contacting all of the shop's clients about the possibility of being tested for infectious diseases difficult, if not impossible. That's just not right. At this point, Edmonton officials are making media appeals for the clients of Zipp's Tattoo and Museum shop at Whyte Avenue and 100th Street, Edmonton, Canada, to come forward for infectious disease testing. In the end, the concern may be unwarranted, but for now it's very real. Consumers who may ever consider having their bodies serve as a tattoo artist's canvas should give serious consideration to the risks and the possible negative results. Infections, allergic reactions, poor choice of placement or subject, and even social stigma are some possible negative consequences. The Mayo Clinic has furnished us with a quick yet comprehensive overview of tattoo risks and precautions. Anyone interested in the subject would do well to give it a read. Please always remember: Bad ink is no joke. source: 1

OLYMPIA, Wash. --

People who perform body piercing, tattoos and other types of body art will soon need to be licensed by the state.

Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a measure that requires more regulation for the industry into law Thursday. Businesses must be in compliance by July 1, 2010.

Body art, body piercing, and tattooing are not currently regulated in Washington state. Under the new law, people and businesses which pierce or tattoo would need a license.

The measure also requires the state Health Department to adopt rules about the sterilization of needles and other instruments and jewelry used in body piercing or body art, which includes the use of branding and scarification.

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The tattooing and body piercing licensing bill is Senate Bill 5391.

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On the Net:

Washington state Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov

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Fresno, Calif.  (KMPH News) - It's a case that's gone to the top of the Fresno Police Department Child Abuse Unit.  Investigators are looking for a man they describe as a Bulldog gang member and who they say forcibly tattooed a gang symbol on his 7-year old son's stomach.

Fresno Police Department spokesman Jeff Cardinale says the second grader was spending Spring Break with his father, 26-year-old Enrique Gonzalez, when he took the boy to a friend's house to get his son tattooed.

"The boy did not want to have the tattoo put on, but the father forcibly restrained the boy, pinning him to the ground while his friend who is a 20-year-old validated bulldog gang member put a Bulldog paw print on the young boy," said Cardinale.

Travis Gorman was taken into police custody on Tuesday at a home in Central Fresno.  Tattoo paraphernalia was also found and confiscated.

"The tattoo artist was positively identified by the young child as being the one who put the tattoo on him," said Cardinale.

The child was placed in his mother's custody after she filed a police report on Monday, April 20th against Gonzalez for having their son tattooed.  Police say Gonzalez also goes by the name Henry Gonzalez.

James Conway, a Tattoo Artist at 30/30 Tattoo in Fresno says not only is it illegal to tattoo a minor, there are also other dangers that come with what he calls 'backyard tattooing.'

"Most of them will use the same needles and there's cross contamination.  You can spread the Hepatitis virus, AIDS, HIV all that kind of stuff so it's very dangerous to go get tattoos in basically somebody's backyard," said Conway.

The Fresno Police Department is offering to remove the Bulldog dog paw at no cost using a tattoo removal machine issued by the Mayor's Gang Prevention Initiative.

"But, keep in mind, anybody who's had a tattoo removed will tell you, it's very painful to have a tattoo put on and then to have a tattoo removed is even more painful.  So, this young man has had to endure a lot of mental scaring and quite honestly some physical scaring as well because of this despicable act by his father and his father's friend," said Cardinale.

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You may have the steps to healing a tattoo down to a science but there are some things you need to consider before getting a new tattoo as well.  There are steps that must be taken in order to give your new tattoo the best chance of healing properly and looking its best.

If You're Sick, Reschedule

If you feel run down or under the weather in any way, it's a good idea to reschedule your tattoo appointment.  When you are sick your natural immune system is not performing at it's peak.  Adding the undue stress of a new tattoo to the list of things the immune system needs to deal with is not good for your general health or the healing of a new tattoo.

If you are feeling sick your best bet is to put your new tattoo on hold until your bug has completely subsided.

Don't Get Tattooed If You're Pregnant

Most tattoo shops will not tattoo you if they know you're pregnant.  The reason for this isn't that your body can't take the tattoo but it will cause unneeded trauma to the unborn baby which could  easily cause complications.  A woman's body also goes through many physical changes during and after pregnancy which could potentially affect the look of a new tattoo.

It's Not Good To Be Drunk

Not only is it a bad idea to drink the day of your new tattoo, you'll want to quit a few days before in order to assure that your blood is not thinned out.  Alchohol is a natural blood thinner and besides bleeding more, it will take your new tattoo longer to heal with a build up of alchohol in the body.

It's also a good idea to avoid using asprin or pain relievers for a few days before your new tattoo, which also thins out the blood.

Load Up On Vitamin C

Vitamin C will not only make you healthier, it will also benifit your new tattoo. Vitamin C will give your body more energy allowing it to heal quickly.

If you don't like orange juice, a muti-vitamin will do you good.

• Remove bandage after 2 hours (do not rebandage)

• Wash tattoo with your hand (make sure hand is clean) using warm, soapy water. Rinse with cold water. Don't over soak your tattoo. Keep out of the direct spray of the shower. Pat dry, DO NOT rub with towel.

• For 3 to 5 days or until tattoo is healed, apply Vitamin A&D Ointment or Bacitracin or Zinc Oxide Ointment 3 to 4 times daily after washing tattoo. Keep tattoo moist. If allergic to these ointments, use a water based lotion such as Curel.

• Tattoo will flake. DO NOT pick at the flakes or you may pull the color out. Try not to let clothing rub on your tattoo while it is healing.

• NO swimming or suntanning until healed. Apply a high SPF sunblock to tattoo after healed to prevent fading.

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It is every tattoo aficionado's nightmare. That first ever, poorly designed and executed, tattoo can become an embarrassment once the glory of new and expertly done tats adorn your body - or what happens when Billy Joe is out and Brad is in? Well, you have your tat painfully lasered off and because that does not completely remove the old tat, you have a new tattoo made over it.  That's if your name is Angelina Jolie, of course.
I've been thinking about this after all the horror stories I have heard of abrasive and invasive methods used to remove old and unwanted tattoos. While, it is possible to work a new tat over an old one and thus efface its message, this is not always a perfect match and if that is not possible then it leaves you with the choice of skin peeling or laser work, neither of which particularly appeals. The tattoo doesn't always come away completely, which is a problem also and therefore calls for the new tattoo as a solution. Not quite the way I want to be designing my body art.

Now however, there is a new tat saviour in the works. It is a method called Tattoo Erase and there are clinics popping up all over the place offering this new and innovative method of tattoo removal. This unique method from Germany apparently uses a natural substance injected into the tattoo which causes the inks to eject from the body over a number of sessions until the tat has disappeared completely. I haven't managed to find out what the substance is but it promises that skin damage is minimal and I presume it is non-toxic.  It appears that the tattoo inks hide from your immune system by lurking just under the skin surface. What this new method of tattoo removal does is call the ink's bluff by merging with it and calling the immune system to come deal with it. By allowing your body to recognise the foreign material, your body is given the opportunity to expel the tat pigments and return your skin to its original state.

Obviously this is not instantaneous nor it is cheap as it can take several sessions to completely fade a tattoo and the treatment is pay per session. The treatments also need to be well spaced out, perhaps 8 weeks between sessions. But as therapists promise that the tattoo will be erased over a number of sessions and that the treatment is only as painful as  having the tattoo done in the first place, both costs (time and money) seem well worth the trouble and definitely worth looking into a little more!.

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As students hit Florida's beaches for spring break, the Hernando County Health Department wants everyone to be aware of health risks associated with temporary "black henna" tattoos, which have become popular in recent years because they look like real tattoos.

The danger of "black henna" tattoos is that the black color often is a result of the addition of black hair dye, which may contain a toxic chemical called para-phenylenediamine, or PPD. PPD can cause severe allergic reactions, resulting in itching, blistering and possible scarring.

True henna is made from crushed henna leaves, producing a green, greenish-brown or reddish-brown powder that is mixed with harmless liquids, such as oil and/or lemon juice, and applied to the skin.

The henna paste may be applied freehand or by tracing over a stencil with an applicator or brush. No needle is involved. The paste, if left on the skin for eight to 12 hours before removal, leaves a brown or reddish-brown finished tattoo. True henna is not known to cause allergic reactions.

The paste that is used for a "black henna" tattoo is black or brownish-black and dries more quickly than pure henna. The dried paste can be removed in approximately one hour, leaving a black finished tattoo.

Because of the added chemical PPD, "black henna" tattoos make temporary artwork darker, last longer and look more like a real tattoo. The risk of a more real-looking tattoo, however, is the possibility of a severe allergic reaction.

Each year, the Florida Department of Health receives numerous reports, from both children and adults, who had a severe allergic reaction from a temporary "black henna" tattoo they had applied while vacationing in the state.

Individuals who experience a reaction to a temporary tattoo should seek medical attention immediately. The general progression of symptoms includes itching or burning, blistering, oozing, scab formation and, in some cases, permanent scarring.

Symptoms may occur within a few hours or up to a few weeks, depending upon the concentration of PPD in the paste and how allergic a person is.

In addition to immediate medical attention, allergic reactions should be reported to the Hernando County Health Department at (352) 540-6802 or through the Florida Department of Health's Web site at www.doh.state.fl.us.

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John Chillingworth, of Bungay, Suffolk, was given the tattoo on his right calf by his girlfriend as a birthday present.

By the time he arrived home at about 3.30pm, he told his girlfriend, 22-year-old Amy Hahs, that the tattoo was stinging, the inquest in Lowestoft heard on Friday.

His leg was swollen and red within two days and a scab formed. Mr Chillingworth had trouble sleeping because of the pain.

He visited his GP, who cleaned and dressed the wound and gave Mr Chillingworth painkillers and antihistamines.

Yet 10 days after the tattoo session, Miss Hahs returned home from work to find Mr Chillingworth lying slumped on the sitting room sofa. He was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived shortly afterwards.

A post mortem examination found that Mr Chillingworth died due to a blood clot in one of his lungs. It had come from a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.

Peter Dean, the Suffolk coroner, said it was not clear whether the DVT had been related to the tattoo, or whether it developed due to Mr Chillingworth being inactive due to the pain.

Mr Dean, who said that the tattooist had followed all necessary hygiene procedures, recorded a narrative verdict of a pulmonary embolism following a tattooing.

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Pain is an interesting side effect of getting a tattoo. For some people, the process and the pain is the more important part, and the art is just secondary, almost like a rites of passage. Some people don't mind the pain so much. For others, they want the art very badly, but wish they could get it without the pain. Whatever group you fall into, know that tattoos do hurt. It is a few needles repeatedly entering your skin, so pain should be expected. Where you get the tattoo, though, will change greatly how much pain you will feel.

 

Whether pain should be a factor in deciding where you place your tattoo is only for you to decide. Many people will bear it in order to have the tattoo placed exactly where they choose, others might be willing to move it to another, more bearable, location.

 

Everyone has a different experience with pain and tattoos. Every person will tell you something differently. I have personally tattooed hundreds of people, and can tell you there are no generalizations. Some women and men do horribly, no matter where they get tattooed, while some women and men can sit without the slightest hint of discomfort. I have not seen any difference between men and women at all.

 

There are two types of body parts that most people do have a deal more pain than others, being on bone and on fleshy places. Tattooing on bone, like your skull, spine, elbow, sternum, etc, will not only be painful, but it will vibrate that area which is another unpleasant feeling. The person being tattooed might feel like the machine is going much deeper than it actually does. The fleshy areas, like the stomach, crotch area, inner thighs, under arm, and armpit, seem to cause a much more sharp pain and a pinching feeling. The skin needs to be stretched while tattooing, and the fleshy areas need to be stretched even more, which adds to the discomfort.

 

Being tattooed in an area that has some muscle mass like an arm or back or calve seems to be the least painful for most people. Keep in mind that your mental state also has a lot to do with how well you handle the pain. You shouldn't be overly tired or emotionally exhausted, nor too cold or too hot. Talk to your tattoo artist if you're uncomfortable in any way, because there might be some adjustments that can be made to make you sit better, which will make you both happier.

source: http://www.tattooinfo.net/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=17