Pounded Ink

One of the hardest decisions to make when selecting a tattoo is weather to go color or black and grey. There are benefits and downfalls to each. So today we’ll examine both types of tattoos.

Black And Grey Tattoos

Black and grey is the oldest form of tattoos and performed by the proper artist can produce stunning results. The work is described as black and grey because the highlights of the tattoo are natural flesh that is not tattooed, or occasionally some white for more dramatic effect.

Black tattoo ink is made from a variety of sources including Magnetite Crystals, Powdered Jet, Wustite, Bone Black, and Logwood. The same ingredients can be found in common India art ink.

Black and grey tattoos are the most resilient to damage from the sun. If you do a lot of work outside and refuse to wear sunblock you should get a black and grey tattoo rather then color work.

Full-Color Tattoos

Full-Color tattoos are by far my favorite type of tattoo. Color tattoos open up an entirely new realm of possibility.

There is a higher rate of ink rejection with color tattoos vs. black and grey due to the various compounds used to create color tattoo inks. Tattoo ink companies don’t have to reveal the ingredients in pigment products. These are closely guarded recipes and finding out exactly what is in your tattoo ink may be nearly impossible.

Color tattoos are created using a slew of compounds including, but not limited to, Ochre, Cinnabar, Cadmium Red, Iron Oxide, Napthol-AS pigment, Disazopyrazolone, Cadmium Seleno-Sulfide, Clay, Cadmium Yellow, Curcuma Yellow, Chrome Yellow, Disazodiarylide, Chromium Oxide, Malachite, Ferrocyanides, Lead Chromate, Monoazo Pigment, Phthalocyanine, Manganese Violet, various aluminum salts, Quinacridone, Carbazole, Titanium Dioxide, Barium Sulfate, and Zinc Oxide.

Don’t let that list scare you, rejection to tattoo ink is not very common. In the event that you do have a reaction it will likely be to only one specific color.

In order for color tattoos to retain their color you must keep them out of the sun. The suns rays can break down inks in a matter of years. Even a single bad sunburn could cause your tattoo to loose its original luster.

Which Hurts More Color Or Black And Grey?

Black and grey tattoos don’t hurt nearly as much as color. The main reason for this is that with a color tattoo you must apply pigment to every square inch of the skin. With black and grey the shading is achieved using less pigment then a color tattoo would require, therefore it hurts less.

If you have ever thought about a surface piercing and are weary because of the high rejection rate (over 80%), then you might want to consider a microdermal implant also known as a surface anchor. Since microdermals have only a 2% rejection rate, maybe this is just the piercing for you.

How Surface Anchors Work

To understand how a surface anchor works you must first look at the shape. All surface anchors have the same basic elements.

The holes at the base of the jewelery provide space for tissue growth through the holes, better securing the surface anchor. Yes, your skin will grow through the holes, so surface anchors are permanent.

All microdermals will have a shaft that stick up above the skin. This shaft is where the bead or jewelry head is screwed on. The skin around this shaft usually heals just as though it were a normal piercing.

Microdermal Piercing And Insertion Process

Microdermals are much less involved then an implant procedure and require no special tools other then a dermal punch (needle) and a taper.

The skin is pinched and the dermal punch is inserted at an angle. The punch is removed and the foot of the jewelery is inserted in the hole. Then with some finesse the piercer will separate the skin as needed with the jewelery and pop the heel of the jewelery into place beneath the skin.

The result is a small post sticking out of the skin in which a bead or other accessories can be screwed in.

Performed by a trained professional this is actually a pretty quick and easy procedure.

The most important decision of any new tattoo is choosing the proper tattoo studio. There are probably several tattoo shops within driving distance of your home. So how do you decide which tattoo studio is the right tattoo studio?

Tattoo artists don’t go to school for training, they are apprenticed. Anyone can make a flashy certificate or buy a trophy for the front window. Unlike your family physician or your lawyer you can’t just look at a wall of certificates and determine a tattoo artist ability.

What To Look For In A Tattoo Artist

Artists are a dime a dozen, and tattoo artists are no different. The best way to find an artist is by asking people who have tattoos that you like. Most everyone with a good tattoo is more then happy to recommend their favorite artist.

When looking into a tattoo artist be sure to see his “books”. All decent tattoo artists will have one, if not several, books full of photos of his previous tattoo work. These books should be filled with photos of real tattoos, not pages of illustrations on paper. Be sure to see photos of both fresh and healed tattoos. Tattoos can change quite a bit during the healing process if done improperly.

What To Look For In A Tattoo Studio

Not only do you need to find a good tattoo artist, you must select a studio that meets basic tattooing standards. If any of the following are not present in the tattoo studio you have selected, immediately run out the door.

First and foremost the shop should be clean. All work surfaces should be free of dust. Counters and supplies should be neatly organized and uncluttered. Floors should appear to be cleaned daily. There should also be a working sink in both the bathroom and the tattooing workspace.

You must make sure the shop uses hospital grade sterilization procedures. Ask to see the autoclave, a sterilization device used to prepare needles for piercing or tattooing. All needles should be one use and be sure that you watch the tattooist remove the needles from sterilized bags in front of you. Cups for ink should also be new and one use only.

If the artist doesn’t wear gloves, and change them any time they touch an unsterilized surface you need to get out of the tattoo shop immediately. Any tattoo artist that doesn’t use or change his gloves obviously does not care about the health of his customers. You can risk contracting anything from AIDS to a flesh eating staph bacteria if improper sterilization procedures are used.

I Found A Tattoo Studio I Like, But It’s Expensive

When you select a tattoo studio you are not only paying for the talent of the tattoo artist but everything that goes into running a clean and reliable tattoo shop. There is building overhead, cleaning products, needle disposal, bookkeeping, and a ton of other expenses that must be covered in order to run the business properly.

Remember… good tattoos aren’t cheap, and cheap tattoos aren’t good.

This is everyones worst nightmare. You get a tattoo and not too long afterward your skin is an infectious mess. Today we’ll look at tattoo related infections and how to avoid them.

What Is An Infection?

To understand how to avoid an infection you must first understand what it is and how it works.

An infection is by definition, the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host’s resources to multiply, usually at the expense of the host. The infecting organism, or pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the host and can lead to chronic wounds, gangrene, loss of an infected limb, and even death.

If that sounds like serious stuff, it’s because it is very serious. A small tattoo can lead to big problems if an infection develops.

How Does A Tattoo Get Infected?

Your skin provides a natural barrier from bacteria and viruses that live in our everyday environment. Once you break the surface of the skin you have created an easy way for a pathogen to enter the body. A fresh tattoo is an open wound. The infectious pathogen can either be introduced during or after the tattooing process.

Bacteria is everywhere around and any contact with a host surface could potentially cause an infection.

Is My Tattoo Infected?

An infection can produce many symptoms including increased pain, increasing redness, warmth greater than that of surrounding skin, red streaks coming from the tattoo site, pus or cloudy fluid coming from the tattoo area, a bad odor, swollen lymph nodes, and/or fever.

Minimize Your Risk Of Infection

One main cause of infection is the introduction of bacteria or virus during the tattoo process. This is often caused by improper sterilization of equipment or ignorance to general safe tattooing procedures.

Be sure you go to a reputable tattoo shop that not only uses hospital grade sterilization procedures and has a clean shop appearance. Chances are if the floor is dirty you don’t want to get your tattoo at that particular shop.

Another common cause of tattoo infection is the introduction of a pathogen after the tattooing process has been completed. You must follow all care instruction provided to you by your tattooist.

It is extremely important to keep your new tattoo from contact with any foreign surfaces which could potentially introduce infection. Also, be sure to clean your tattoo regularly with antibacterial soap and plain watter to minimize chances of infection.

I Think My Tattoo Is Infected

If you think your tattoo is infected run, don’t walk to your local physician. Infections are not something to play around with. Serious, potentially life threatening, complications can develop if you do not take care of an infected tattoo right away.

One of the newest body modifications to hit the scene is tongue splitting, also called “tongue forking” or more officially “tongue bifurcation”. The process involves literally cutting the tongue in half directly down the center. Once the tongue is split it is possible to move both sections independently of one another as seen in the video above.

How Are Tongues Split?

Surgical Splitting - The tongue is split using a scalpel or surgical laser by a certified medical doctor. The benefit of having a doctor split your tongue is the careful attention paid to sterilization and having all the proper tools to take care of any complications.

Fishing Line Method - Yes, you can split your own tongue with just fishing line. I would imagine this is the most common way tongues are split as no doctor is required. The only requirement is a healed tongue piercing and some thin monofilament fishing line.

Thread the line through the hole where the piercing barbel usually goes. Feed the line through and line it up with the center of the tip of your tongue. Tie the fishing line as tight as you can bear, and be sure to knot the line several times to avoid slippage. Remove the excess fishing line and leave it alone for three to four days. At that time, remove the existing fishing line and retie the tongue as tight as you can bear. Continue this process for several weeks and you will slowly split your tongue.

The tongue may not split completely using the fishing line method but the process can easily be completed with a quick swipe of a razor.

Thoughts On Tongue Splitting

Everyone I have ever talked to with a split tongue absolutely loves it. They all tell me they don’t know what they would do without two tongues. If you do decide to split your tongue, as with any body modification, be sure to take care of it during the entire healing process and keep a watchful eye for any complications.