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How Is A Tattoo Made? In the most basic terms, tattooing is the process of puncturing the skin and depositing pigments below its surface. As discussed earlier, many different materials and techniques are used to create tattoos, but I will limit myself here to the modern Western method, which employs an electric, hand-held tattoo machine. This lightweight metal object looks like a mutated, top-heavy ballpoint pen, and it sounds a lot like a dentist's drill. It is operated by a foot pedal, with a variable speed controlled by a rheostat and determined by the tattooist, depending on personal preference and the type of work being done. Generally, two separate machines are used to create any given tattoo: a liner (to draw whatever outlines are necessary) and a shader (for filling in). Contrary to popular assumptions, tattoo needles are not hollow. In fact, insect-mounting pins or commercial sewing needles are favored, bound and soldered (usually by the tattooist) to form a group that holds the ink. The type of design and the tattooist's personal style dictate the number of needles used during the tattoo session but anything from a single needle (used in fine-line tattooing) to a chunkier bundle of over fifteen (for large-scale tribal motifs, for instance) is common. To begin the session, the area to be tattooed is prepared by cleaning, disinfecting, and if necessary, shaving. The selected design is then transferred to the client's skin by one of several means, including free-hand drawing or a variety of stencil techniques. A smooth, taut surface is optimum, so the skin will be stretched tight by the tattooist as he or she works. Top |
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Is It Bloody? The preconception that tattooing is a gory process just isn't accurate (if it were terribly bloody the ink would be washed out of the skin). A certain amount of bleeding is expected, but a skilled tattooist's needles don't penetrate the skin deeply enough to cause much of it. However, as with any body-altering process, there are exceptions, and you should check with your doctor if you have any concern about the effects of tattooing on your own system. Some tattoo clients bleed more heavily than others, some are slower to heal, and some even register an allergic reaction to the inks. Although all commercial tattoo inks today are advertised as hypo-allergenic, a few clients have reacted to the color red, for instance, and have found the healing process to be somewhat longer and itchier than normal. After the tattoo has been completed and bandaged, lymph, blood, and some ink will typically seep out, forming a scab that falls away after a week or so (don't pick it!). Within a few weeks the skin heals completely and the new tattoo is ready to flaunt. Top |
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Is There A Special Tattoo Chair, Will I Be Alone With The Tattooist? Barber chairs, massage tables, incline boards - they're all used by tattooists, and everyone has his or her own preferred ways of working. In the more private studio settings, clients are generally alone with the artists, although customers are free to bring a friend, and some tattooists working on intimate body parts prefer to have a third person around as a witness. In street shops several customers may be tattooed simultaneously, as in beauty salon stations, and privacy is often more limited. It is considered good form to ask before gawking at someone being tattooed. Top |
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Will It Hurt? This is the place to dispel one tattoo myth - namely, that getting a tattoo is excruciatingly painful. The level of discomfort depends on a couple of things: placement and pain threshold. Soft, fleshy areas like the biceps, buttocks, or shoulders are less sensitive than protected spots like the underarm and inner thigh, while bony areas like the ankle and spine are usually more painful. Everyone has a different tolerance for pain, and so reports on the tattoo process vary widely. If you are really worried, ask for a trial run without ink to see how you cope with the experience. Every tattooist has a personal opinion about handling whatever pain results from the process. Some recommend taking a pain-killer like Ibuprofen beforehand; others prefer customers to be in as pure a state as possible for the procedure. To many devotees, the ritual aspect of tattooing includes the inherent discomfort, and many comment on the adrenalin/endorphin surge that accompanies the process. Average sessions, lasting an hour or two (excluding work on the most tender areas), are often described more as an irritation than as the all-out torture many people expect. IS IT SAFE? According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, which in 1985 issued national guidelines for protection during the tattoo process, there has never been a recorded case of tattoo-transmitted HIV infection; the last reported tattoo-related incident of hepatitis was in 1950. Any self-respecting tattoo studio now resembles an art-studio-cum-dentist's-office: rubber gloves, disinfectant soap, disposable ink cups, and sterilizing autoclaves are the rule, to protect both the client and the artist. If you don't feel satisfied that the tattooist or studio is meeting health requirements (if there is no autoclave or disinfecting soap, for instance), take your business elsewhere. Top |
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How Do I Find The Right Tattoo Artist? The success of any artistic tattoo depends on a collaborative relationship between receptive client and skilled artist. As in any field, there are interlopers, dabblers, and inept hucksters jostling for space on the bandwagon, but with creative tattooists now in almost every city, no one should settle for hack work. A poorly executed art work has profound implications when it is part of your epidermis for the rest of your life. There are plenty of ways to find an artist to create your tattoo, but first decide how committed you are. It is not unusual for connoisseurs to travel to distant cities collecting work by masters in the field. If you'd rather stay close to home, one of the easiest things to do is simply ask someone who has a tattoo you admire and hope that it was done locally. Or visit the tattoo shops in your area and look at the photos of completed work to see if they reflect a style you like. By all means educate yourself first - pore over the magazines and learn what's well done and what's mediocre so you can recognize a good tattooist's work when you see it. The magazines also carry ads and lists of tattoo shops all over the country; they are in no way definitive, but they'll be a good place to start. Finally, attend a tattoo convention if you can, where a wide variety of tattooists and their clients will be all together under one roof. For the dates and cities of these events, consult the magazines. Top |
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How Do I Pick The Right Design? Considering that this is one of the most personal and permanent decisions you are likely to make, don't make it lightly and be as honest with yourself as possible about what you want and why. Again, educating yourself about all the tattoo possibilities will help, unless you have an indelible image already in mind. Providing some visual aid to guide the tattoo artist might be appreciated - for instance, album covers, photographs, art books, illustrations, comics, and antique graphic designs, anything that approaches what you envision. But then let the artist do his or her own work, advising you on changes and refinements, applying a particular style or technique, explaining why something might or might not look good. Asking an artist to copy someone else's tattoo is rather insulting, and something unique is a far better choice. Top |
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How Much Will It Cost? Prices vary depending on the tattooist, the size and complexity of the tattoo, and whether the design is custom or flash. A small tattoo in a street shop might cost twenty dollars; the hourly rate for a custom piece by an established artist can run between a hundred and two hundred fifty dollars. You should expect a nonbinding oral estimate based on the tattoos design, size, and placement; usually the only written estimates are those resulting from correspondence between a client and a tattoo artist living in different cities. Top |
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How Long Does It Take? This depends on the tattoo, of course, as well as on the speed of the tattooist and the duration of each session. A dainty little rosebud may take only fifteen minutes to complete; an intricate full-back piece can be weeks or months in the making. Figure on a single one to three-hour session for the average five-inch- square tattoo. There are plenty of stories about eight or ten-hour marathons for more complex tattoos, but these are grueling for both artist and client; a couple of three or four-hour sessions are often preferable, considering the intense, focused nature of the work. Top |
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What Maintenance Does A Tattoo Require? Once a tattoo is in place, its future depends on several factors, and most tattooists have printed care instructions that they give to their clients. Typically, a new tattoo will scab over immediately and then heal in a few weeks; during that period direct sunlight should be avoided or else the color can fade. Sunlight, in fact, is the enemy of tattoos, but proper protection with clothing and/or sunscreen can keep high- quality work looking pristine even after several decades have passed. And, if the color eventually needs brightening, it is not uncommon to be re-inked. Top |
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Can I Get Rid Of It? Tattooing should never be considered anything less than permanent since the removal process is expensive, time consuming, and not necessarily pleasant. Before medical solutions are sought, a tattooed 'cover-up' should be considered, since many a poorly made, out-grown, or otherwise unloved tattoo has been cleverly disguised by the added work of a skilled artist. Carefully planned and colored overlays can turn unwanted tattoos into finely wrought creations, without a hint of the earlier work. But if utter obliteration is the only solution, there is now hope for successful removal. Until recently, the removal process was fairly barbaric, relying on surgical incisions, dermabrasion, or chemical salabrasion, all of which cures were often less satisfactory than the problem. Recently, laser technology - particularly the high-tech pulse lasers - has opened up new possibilities for erasing tattoos. Developed in the 1980's, the Medlite, Dermalase, and Alexandrite lasers deliver short bursts of energy that are selectively absorbed by the tattoo ink; this process breaks up the tattoo pigment, which is gradually eliminated from the body. According to my conversations with dermatologist Dr. Steven B. Snyder (in Owings Mills, Maryland), who has removed hundreds of tattoos and is recommended by the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, the combined use of Medlite and Dermalase beams is important since each is effective on different pigment colors. The Alexandrite laser, while touted as removing all colors, requires more treatments and expense. Dr. Snyder cautions that even though the combined approach most often does not result in a permanent scar: "Any cosmetic procedure always carries some risk due to individual patient responses, and there is a 1 to 3 percent chance for some change in the skin. But the great majority of tattoos can be removed without scarring." The pulse-laser process costs, on average, between two and three hundred dollars per treatment, with the length and number of treatments depending on the size of the tattoo. For example, a typical two-by- three-incher takes about twenty minutes; a three-by-five-inch tattoo can require up to three treatments, and large tattoos are tackled in ten-by-ten-inch segments. Snyder describes the process as feeling "like a rubber-band snap with each pulse." and half of his patients choose to forgo a local anesthetic. Top |
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What Does A Piercing Feel Like? The sensation of a piercing varies with the sensitivity of the area being pierced. Most areas feel similar to having a blood or allergy test. Top |
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Are There Any Age Requirements? Soul Survivors has age limits for specific piercings. These are OUR own guidelines, not laws. The piercer has the right to refuse anyone for any reason. No one will be pierced under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Under 16 years: Ear piercing with parental accompaniment at the discretion of the piercer. 16-17 years: Any piercing except tongue, nipple, and genitals. 18 years and over: Any piercing. Top |
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Health And Healing Considerations Consider a piercing only if you are healthy. Food and sleep are essential for you body to heal the piercing properly. Eat a descent meal before being pierced, it will minimize your chances of feeling light headed, nauseous, or faint. PLAN for the piercing and make time for this experience. Taking synthetic drugs during a certain time period before or after you have a piercing can lower your immune system and inhibit healing. Please discuss any concerns with your piercer. Top |
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Is The Procedure Sterile? Our needles are single use/disposable and our stainless steel instruments are AUTOCLAVED (sterilized) on the premises after each use. Our piercing rooms are cleaned after each client. Our sterilization procedures are health board approved and similar to hospital/dental practices. NEVER LET ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REMAIN UNSAID IN REGARDS TO STERILIZATION. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE STERILITY OF THE PROCEDURE. JEWELRY AND METALS Soul Survivors Tattoo uses a medical standard 316LVM implant grade surgical steel. The nickel and carbon content in this grade of surgical steel is unlikely to cause allergic reactions while plated or 'hypoallergenic' metals, including gold jewelry, can cause problems. The thickness (gauge) and diameter of the jewelry used for the initial piercing is determined by the area. For healed piercings, various sizes, styles, and materials are available to choose from and our counter staff will gladly show you your options. Top |
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Needles Vs. Guns Stud gun piercing is not a sterile procedure. Stud gun piercing causes more trauma (needles make a clean incision while studs tear tissue) to the area and lacks precision. Studs do not allow enough room for swelling and proper cleaning. Yes, stud piercing is cheaper; however you get what you pay for! Top |
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Will It Bleed? Some piercings and people are prone to bleeding and can bleed off and on during the initial healing. If you take any medication that affects your blood you need to discuss it with your piercer. Top |
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If I Am Prone To Scarring Should I Get Pierced? If your skin is prone to keloid scarring you need to inform your piercer. Keloid scarring refers to any raised permanent scarring that is not a result of internal surgery. Skin that keloids from minor trauma (scratches and scrapes) is quite likely to keloid scar from piercing depending on the area. Top |
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What Kind Of Long-Term Effects Can Be Caused By Piercings? Nipple piercing can cause permanently enlarged nipples and sometimes decreases sensitivity. The majority of piercings do not cause any long-term effects other than a pox mark, or a darker area where the piercing once was. There are dental implications with oral piercings, however properly placed piercings with correctly sized jewelry, can minimize risks. If you have concerns discuss them with your piercer. Top |
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Does Medication Cause Problems? Starting or stopping medication can affect the healing time. If you are currently on any medication inform your piercer. Top |
