tattooing is protected speech
by Tim Gaynor
Published : September 7, 2012

Arizona’s Supreme Court, stepping into a zoning dispute over a tattoo parlor, ruled on Friday that tattooing was a constitutionally protected form of free speech, the first such decision by any state high court in the country, lawyers said.

The ruling stemmed from a dispute between tattoo artists Ryan and Laetitia Coleman and the Phoenix valley city of Mesa, which denied the pair a business permit three years ago to set up shop in a local strip mall.

The Colemans, an American-French couple who live and work in the French city of Nice, originally applied to Mesa in July 2008 for a business permit, and city zoning staff recommended it be issued to them the following February.

After a public hearing, the board voted to recommend the council deny the permit, arguing the shop was “not appropriate for the location or in the best interest of the neighborhood,” according to court documents.

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The Colemans filed a lawsuit in 2009 alleging violations to their rights to free speech, due process and equal protection under both the U.S. and state constitutions. The suit was dismissed by the Maricopa County Superior Court.

“Recognizing that tattooing involves constitutionally protected speech, we hold that the superior court erred by dismissing the complaint as a matter of law,” the state Supreme Court said in its ruling.

The ruling does not mean that Mesa must allow the Colemans to open their tattoo parlor, only that the court erred in dismissing their suit. It noted that cities had the right to regulate business location through zoning ordinances and that the “factual dispute” between the parties would have to be determined at trial.

The Colemans have sought a ruling allowing them to open their parlor and want compensation for business lost over the past three years.

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“It is very significant … Tattoo artists are often subjected to enormous regulation, especially in terms of operating their businesses,” their attorney, Clint Bolick, told Reuters.

“As a result we now know that in Arizona, tattoo artists will be able to ply their trade free from excessive regulation,” he added.

The question of whether tattooing is protected speech had been litigated in other U.S. states with mixed outcomes, Bolick said, adding the Arizona decision was the first by a state Supreme Court to affirm it was protected speech.

Source : MSNBC

Chad Johnson tattoos estranged wife Evelyn Lozada’s face on his leg: ‘All I can do is say sorry…I’m human’
by Drusilla Moorhouse
Published : September 5, 2012

Chad Johnson is trying to make amends for his arrest on domestic violence charges for allegedly head-butting his wife, reality star Evelyn Lozada.

That includes a public apology…and a tattoo of Lozada’s face on his leg.

The troubled NFL wide receiver showed off his ink on the “Hard Knocks” finale Sept. 4, in which he is shown training and making his case for a comeback.

The Miami Dolphins cut him from their roster following his Aug. 11 arrest.

“I messed up,” he admits. “I gotta suffer the consequences. I made that bed, I gotta lay in it…I gotta start all over.

“How did I even get to this point?” Johnson, also known as Chad Ochocinco, ponders sadly. “Somewhere along the way, I lost focus. I lost something I love. I lost two things that I love because of my immature actions. I’m going to get both of those back, one step at a time.

“All I can do is say sorry…I’m human.”

Whether or not Lozada is interested in reconciling, Johnson was quick to correct a Twitter follower who wondered why he “tatted Evelyn’s face on his leg post divorce.”

“Child please… that’s my WIFE,” Johnson responded.

But for how long?

Source : Zap 2 It

Breakthrough TattX(TM) Laser Tattoo Removal Process Forges Alliance with Renowned Plastic Surgeon
Published : August 7, 2012

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — TattX, LLC is pleased to announce a strategic alliance and partnership with Southern California-based plastic surgeon and laser surgery specialist Dr. Gregory S. Keller, MD, FACS.

Dr. Keller will serve as the Chairman of the TattX Medical Advisory Board and will also help communicate the benefits of the TattX process to consumers and the medical community. Dr. Keller is internationally recognized by his peers as a “Master” for his innovative contributions to plastic surgery and is a Castle-Connolly rated “Top Doctor”, an honor bestowed on only a few physicians nation-wide by peer selection.

TattX(TM) is the next generation in laser tattoo removal and promises to revolutionize tattoo removal in North America. Until now, laser tattoo removal has been very painful and ineffective, often causing scarring, “ghost” tattoos, and other side effects while rarely removing all ink colors.

Using newly FDA-approved German technology, Asclepion TattooStar Effect laser, TattX(TM) is the most effective tattoo removal process available today. It causes no blistering, bleeding or scarring and has been proven to remove all ink colors on any skin type, including large and complex tattoo designs.

“The TattX laser tattoo process delivers on the promise of a safe, gentle and effective way to finally remove unwanted tattoos completely, regardless of skin type or color,” according to Richard Berry, CEO of TattX. “We are excited to have such an esteemed Advisor and Partner in Dr. Keller, and to be able to introduce a viable and effective solution for removing tattoos.”

Dr. Keller’s first-hand experience was the key to his involvement:

“After viewing the results of the TattX(TM) process, I immediately decided that I wanted to be a part of this technological advance.

The TattX(TM) system appears to deliver on its promise of a mega-leap forward in tattoo removal compared to the current laser systems.

I was extremely impressed with the removal, the reduced pain, and the lack of skin breakdown/complications that were achieved.”

According to a study by Northwestern University, nearly 25% of the more than 45 million Americans with tattoos would like to remove one or more, and the competitive job market has increased that desire.

What has prevented most people from doing so, has been the lack of a low pain, effective procedure. In the past few months, several major celebrities have discussed their painful tattoo removal experiences on national talk shows.

“Whether you’ve outgrown your tattoo or just want to make room for better art, the TattX(TM) procedure is simply the most advanced solution to removing unwanted tattoos on the market,” explained Lawrence Bracco, TattX co-founder and President. “And while other laser systems often require ten or more treatments, the TattX process provides gentle and complete removal in a fraction of the treatments.”

About TattX(TM) :

TattX has developed the first consumer brand in laser tattoo removal. Utilizing breakthrough technology of the Asclepion TattooStar Effect laser, TattX provides a truly Gentle, Effective and Complete tattoo removal experience–without extreme pain, scaring, bleeding, or permanent pigmentation changes that is experienced with the current technology. TattX is introducing its service in Southern California in 2012, with locations in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Orange County and San Diego coming soon. http://www.tattx.com

About Dr. Keller:

Dr. Keller completed his medical training at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. He specializes in facial plastic surgery and laser surgery. He is board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Otolaryngology and by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.

Dr. Keller has a comprehensive background in laser surgery and has given courses on the subject at recognized national meetings to dermatologists, occuloplastic surgeons, plastic surgeons, and facial plastic surgeons. After forming the Western Institute for Laser Treatment, a non-profit pioneering laser organization, Dr. Keller wrote and edited one of the definitive textbooks on laser surgery that is still in print today. He is a full Clinical Professor of Surgery at UCLA and is co-director of the Facial Plastic Surgery fellowship at UCLA. He also serves as a section editor of a major American Medical Association journal, the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Keller has been granted “awards of surgical excellence” by both the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. He is a peer-elected Castle and Connolly US News and World Report “Top Doctor” and was named the “Who’s Who” publication’s Facial Cosmetic Professional of the Year, 2007, an international honor bestowed on only one physician.

Dr. Keller has hundreds of publications and presentations and two textbooks to his credit. His is the singular honor of inventing endoscopic facial plastic surgery (1991 procedure patents). Dr. Keller has multiple media appearances, including Good Morning America, Discovery Health, Allure Magazine, Vogue Magazine, Longevity Magazine, and many others.

Source : redOrbit

Knoxville tattoo convention starts in two weeks
by Jessa Lewis
Published : August 7, 2012

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Knoxville is about to get inked. Tattoo artists from all over the country are preparing to come to Knoxville in two weeks for the city’s first tattoo convention in three years.

Tattoo enthusiasts will be able to see the work of some of the best in the nation, and maybe even get some fresh ink from famous artists.

“We have some other artists that are actually coming to teach seminars to where other artists can learn new tattoo techniques, how to better do the things that they already do,” said Danny Fugate, convention coordinator and owner of Ambition Tattoo in Knoxville.

However, tattoo conventions aren’t just for artists and people interested in getting tattooed. They’re open to anyone.

“We do have stuff going on throughout the weekend for families with children or single parents who, it’s not always available for someone to have a babysitter,” Fugate added.

The convention in Knoxville isn’t just about the art. There will also be opportunities to give back to the community, which organizers hope will inspire attendees.

This year, the Scarecrow Foundation will be at the event to help Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee with the Food for Kids program.

“People are going to be able to come by our booth, learn all about the Scarecrow Foundation, they’re going to be able to learn all about the backpack program,” said Scarecrow Foundation Executive Director Jimmy Buckner.

The three-day event is expected to bring between 3,000-5,000 people into Knoxville throughout the weekend. It runs from August 24-26 at the Holiday Inn at World’s Fair Park.

More information is available on the convention website: www.knoxvilletattooconvention.com.

Source : WATE

Japanese Youths Pressured To Remove Tattoos In Search For Jobs
Published : August 7, 2012

Job-seekers all over the world are finding that their tats may be costing them a job opportunity.

The Takasu Clinic, which has cosmetic surgery centers in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, Japan, reported a 20 percent boost in first-time tattoo removal patients between April and June from the same time last year, according to the Japan Times (h/t the Daily Mail). Recent graduates seeking their first jobs made up a large segment of the new patients, clinic officials told the paper.

The boost comes shortly after Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of one of the largest cities in Japan, Osaka, started cracking down on tattooed government workers. The city asked its employees about their body art following an incident in which a city employees tattoos scared children at a welfare center, according to a separate Japan Times article.

“If they want to have tattoos,” Hashimoto said, “they should quit working for the city and go to the private sector.”

In Japan, tattoos can be taken as a sign of membership in the Yakuza organized crime ring. Because of that, public baths, sports clubs and other venues often refuse entry to people with tattoos, according to the Guardian.

Yet Japan isn’t the only place where tattooed job-seekers may have trouble getting work. The New York-based Strive, a job-training organization, started giving its clients lessons in covering their tattoos with makeup because previous clients were often denied jobs based on their tattoos, according The New York Times.

And laser tattoo removal across the country has seen a 32 percent boost over the past year, according to data from the Patients Guide cited by ABC News. Like in Japan, many of the patients are recent college graduates looking for a job in a tight market, Jen Mundt of Delete Tattoo Removal in Phoenix told ABC.

Source : The Huffington Post

One step at a time: Reformed drug user Russell Brand debuts new tattoo… a line from prayer used to battle addictions
by Virginia Skeels
Published : August 6, 2012

Russel Brand has never looked back after conquering his addiction demons, but the wild haired funnyman is making sure he has a daily reminder to ensure he never goes back to those dark days.

The comedian yesterday debuted his brand new tattoo, with the words ‘Lord, make a channel of thy peace’, scrawled across his right arm.

The line is from the Prayer of St Francis, and it appears in an Alcoholics Anonymous book called Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

He certainly seems to have left his wild partying days behind him, and is better known these days for his healthy lifestyle and devotion to yoga.

He was spotted walking the streets of Los Angeles in bare feet and showing off the inking.

The British A-lister stepped out in ripped jeans, a grey singlet top and black vest.

He wore dark mirrored shades and layered prayer beads over his neck, and carried a health drink in each hand.

His new body artwork comes after he recently revealed that he would still rather be a drug addict instead of an international superstar.

During filming of a television documentary, the 37-year-old watched footage of his twenty-something self smoking heroine in a dirty Hackney flat and admitted that he missed those days.

Brand said: ‘This is when you know it’s a disease. It doesn’t matter that I was sat in that flat in Hackney and now I’m in the Savoy. I’m jealous of me then.

‘It doesn’t make a difference to me. The money, the fame, the power, the sex, the women — none of it. I’d rather be a drug addict.’

Although the Arthur star has been clean for over 10 years, he still remembers how he felt when on drugs.

He said: ‘Heroin is a greedy drug, it’ll take everything. First it’ll take your money. Then it’ll take your friends, your family, your car, your house.

The confession is part of a documentary which will be shown on August 16 on BBC Three called Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery.

Although the Arthur star has been clean for over 10 years, he still remembers how he felt when on drugs.

He said: ‘Heroin is a greedy drug, it’ll take everything. First it’ll take your money. Then it’ll take your friends, your family, your car, your house.

The confession is part of a documentary which will be shown on August 16 on BBC Three called Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery.

Source : Daily Mail

Tattoos: Prepare to suffer for your art removal
by Peter Sullivan
Published : August 6, 2012

Tattoos can be treasured marks of love, eye-catching designs or meaningful artistic expressions. But when a job interview comes around, a couple breaks up or another year passes, they can become permanent and regrettable stains in the skin.

A Harris poll this year found that 21 percent of American adults had a tattoo, up from 16 percent in 2003 and 14 percent in 2008. But as tattoos have grown in popularity, more inked Americans are trying to undo what were meant to be permanent additions to their bodies.

There were 32 percent more tattoo removals in 2012 than in 2011, according to a study by The Patient’s Guide, an online grouping of small medical publications.

“These violent delights have violent ends,” read words scrolled around two flowers in a tattoo on Tina Garrubba’s chest. She got the flowers when she was 15 and added the words, a quotation from “Romeo and Juliet,” when she was 18. “It was kind of spur-of-the-moment,” she said. “Just like, ‘I have money, let’s go get a tattoo.’”

But now Garrubba, 22, a senior at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, is planning for graduate school and a psychology career.

“I don’t think anyone would hire me because of that,” she said, referring to the tattoo. “… I don’t really like it anymore.”

Garrubba’s case illustrates two of the most common reasons for tattoo removal: improving employment prospects and growing tired of having one.

Erasing the mark of an ended relationship is another major reason.

“Mostly it’s people that have somebody’s name on their body that they’re no longer with or they have a really common tattoo and they’re over it,” said Bridget Miller, owner of East Side Laser Center in Pittsburgh, which removes tattoos.

Miller said her business has seen about a 20 percent increase in tattoo removals in the past year. Dolphins, roses and fraternity or sorority emblems are among the designs most frequently removed. Blair Shaffer, who oversees treatment at the Aesthetic Skin and Laser Center in Pittsburgh, estimated a 50 percent increase in the center’s tattoo removals in the past few years, which she attributes to more people getting tattoos in the first place:

“It’s hard to even think of friends that don’t have a tattoo at this point.”

A study presented in July at the British Association of Dermatologists found nearly a third of Britons with tattoos regretted getting one.

Removing a regretted tattoo is a long, painful and expensive process. It involves laser light, which breaks down ink in the tattoo. The body eventually flushes it out through the lymphatic system. There is wide variation in treatment time depending on the tattoo’s size, its color and its type of ink. Different colors and types of ink respond differently to different lasers.

Removing a tattoo just two inches across usually costs around $200 for each of six to 12 treatments. About four weeks of healing is needed between each. About 20 years ago, the lasers used in tattoo removal improved from pulsing every millisecond, which causes scarring around the tattoo, to pulsing every nanosecond, which allows for a more targeted treatment that avoids scarring.

“The lasers are dramatically better than they were five or 10 years ago,” said Eric Bernstein, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania. Some treatments that took six to 10 sessions now take four to eight

Lasers now being tested can remove tattoos in a single day, with four treatments just 20 minutes apart. The problem is not having enough recovery time.

“Most people can barely get through the first treatment, let alone sitting there waiting for the next treatment,” Miller said.

“It’s like multiple very fast bee stings or simultaneously getting a rubber band snapped on your neck hundreds of times,” said Marie Moisant, 37, of Mount Lebanon, Pa.

She’s having a Star of David on her neck removed because she is joining the military as a chaplain. Its policy bans tattoos on the neck or face. Moisant, a nondenominational Christian, had tired of the tattoo anyway.

“I had noticed over time, especially where there’s a larger Jewish population, that people were sometimes offended by it,” she said, adding she’ll keep the proverb on her arm, butterfly on her back and rose on her heel. Garrubba is also keeping seven other tattoos after removing the “Romeo and Juliet” quotation.

“I would maybe consider getting another tattoo,” she said. “Just not someplace so noticeable.”

Source : Detroit News

Missy Franklin plans to bring tattoo home along with medals
by Ian Sager
Published : August 6, 2012

LONDON, ENGLAND – Swimmer Missy Franklin will leave London with four gold medals, a bronze — and a hip tattoo of the Olympic rings, if all goes according to plan.

The tat is a Team USA Swimming tradition. Michael Phelps, Brendan Hansen and Matt Grevers already have it, and the 17-year-old confirmed to TODAY.com she hopes to get the celebratory ink before she leaves London.

“Getting a tattoo has never been something I ever thought I would do, but this one just has so much meaning to it and it is really something that you have to earn,” Missy said. “It’s an honor to have it.”

Missy says she’s actively looking for a tattoo shop that fits her needs.

“There are a few other girls that might be coming as well. We’re so excited,” Franklin said, adding that the crew will get the work done on Aug. 10, one day before her father’s birthday. “Happy birthday, dad,” Missy shouted at her father, Dick Franklin, who was sitting nearby while the family was on set for Missy’s interview with Savannah Guthrie.

Unlike many parents of teenagers, Missy’s mom and dad agree with their daughter’s decision. “It’s the only tattoo she’ll get — and she’s earned it,” Dick said in an interview with TODAY.com last week.

When asked if he’d consider getting a tattoo alongside his daughter, Dick smiled, pointed to his bicep and joked, “Yeah, ‘Missy’s dad.’”

Ian Sager is covering the Games in London for TODAY.com. He’s happy there’s no Olympic press center tattoo.

Source : Today In London Blog

HILLSBOROUGH TATTOO FORCES MAN U FAN OUT OF HOME
by Scott Hesketh
Published : August 5, 2012

ENGLAND  – A Manchester United fan who got a sick tattoo taunting rivals Liverpool over the Hillsborough disaster has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats.

Dopey Danny Hornby had the words 96wne inked on to his back.

The meaning – “96 was not enough” – is a cruel reference to the 96 Reds fans who died after the tragedy at the FA Cup semi final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989.

He then goaded Kopites by posting a ­picture of the offensive tatt on Twitter – sparking uproar from hundreds of ­ furious fans who threatened to break his limbs and even kill him.

Police had to step in and last night Hornby, 22, from Fleetwood, Lancs, was fearing for his life after fleeing his home with his girlfriend.

His mum Kath, dad Garry and younger sister Laura have also temporarily moved out of the terrace house after the address was plastered on scores of internet ­forums.

Former fish packer Hornby has since apologised for the stupid stunt and vowed to remove the tattoo – but police are ­concerned over possible attacks from ­rival supporters.

Reds fan Stephen Landers wrote on Hornby’s Twitter page: “It’s rather fitting the rat’s name is Hornby coz if I ever meet him I’ll break the c***’s arms n legs n leave him on the tracks.”

Another user posted: “There would be a sense of irony if police had to identify Danny Hornby’s body by that tattoo.”

Hornby’s face and home address were posted on Twitter and football forums ­before officers intervened.

Lancashire police advised him to ­remove the tattoo and move away until the threats subside.

Frightened Hornby then posted a series of pleas on Twitter.

He wrote: “Please do not involve my family as it’s nothing to do with them. I have given a voluntary interview 2 the ­police which they r investigating.”

He added: “I am not in Fleetwood nor staying with family or friends. I wish to apologise to everyone I’ve offended with regard to the tattoo, which is now covered.”

Last night the Hillsborough Justice Campaign branded the stunt “sad” but condemned the threats.

A spokesman said: “It’s sad that someone feels the need to decorate their body with such ­inflammatory ­comments.

“But we don’t condone any threats against him.”

Source : Daily Star

Big buzz over first-ever Hawaii tattoo convention
by Ben Gutierrez
Published : August 4, 2012

HONOLULU , HAWAII – Hundreds of tattoo artists converged in Honolulu for the first-ever Pacific Ink and Art Expo, which opened Friday at the Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. It’s evidence of how the so-called tattoo culture has exploded.

Veteran artist Lyle Tuttle started in 1949, and has tattooed Janis Joplin, Cher and others during his career. He’s amazed at how tattooing has grown. “It was primarily servicemen and young men in and around town, you know. And now it’s everybody,” he said. “It went from almost a compulsion type thing for a certain amount of people to a trend and a fad today.”

Still, there’s an element of rebellion in getting a tattoo.

“Some people view the television shows that came out and athletes having tattoos as a negative thing because it was kind of a subculture, but now it’s being shared by everyone and I think that’s a great thing,” said tattoo artist Jacob Hanks, whose father also was a tattoo artist. Hanks has a business in Portland, Oregon, but grew up and started in Hawaii.

There are some 300 tattoo artists at the expo, and it seemed that there were dozens more getting fresh ink, not only using the modern method with tattoo machines, but also traditional ways, including tapping the ink into the skin, a process that could take five to six hours to complete a tattoo.

“Hawaii is filled with so much community, there’s so much culture that goes into tattooing, from Samoa to Tonga, to American-style tattooing, to Japanese, and Hawaii has it all,” said expo co-founder Danny Casler.

According to organizers, there are strict requirements before someone can be licensed to be a tattoo artist in Hawaii. Out-of-state artists had to pass the same licensing test and meet even more requirements before they could set up a booth at the expo.

“You have to have a blood-borne pathogen certificate. You have to have a TB test. A syphilis test.Then you have to come out here and study and take a Hawaii exam, and it’s not an easy exam,” said Casler.

“A certain number of people did not pass, and they did not get to tattoo at this expo,” Casler added. “And that’s the downfall of it, but it’s also a good reminder to me and my team and the Department of Health that we’re creating an environment that ensures safety.”

The State health department also monitored the expo, requiring such things as disposable needles. There were also portable sinks where the artists could clean up and sterilize. There were also four health department inspectors roaming the expo, checking on every exhibitor.

“That’s a good security system that Hawaii has to ensure that the people who are tattooing should be tattooing here,” said Hanks.

The expo will continue Saturday and Sunday at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

Source : Hawaii News Now