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What to think about Before Getting a Tattoo

Chapter 1 - What to Think About, Before Getting a Tattoo


So, you’re thinking about getting a tattoo. Before you make that kind of commitment, there are a few things to consider …

The reasons you might want to get a tattoo are obvious. You want a piece of bodyart, which makes a statement about you and will reflect your pride in your appearance and express your inner self.

The reasons not to get a tattoo are more numerous:
  1. Tattoos are painful
  2. According to some sources 50% of all people who get tattoos have them removed. It gotten so bad, it called the “five year rule.” It is much more expensive to remove a tattoo than it is to get one
  3. There might be health risks to consider
  4. A lot of people choose the wrong reason to get tattoos

Pain


The pain experienced in the process of getting a tattoo has been described as:
  • bad sunburn
  • rubber band snapping at your skin
  • scratching feeling
  • bee sting
   
Why are there such different opinions on the degree of pain? Well, it’s about your personal pain tolerance and also, where on your body you get your tattoo. If you're getting a tattoo in an area that is well covered with flesh, like your upper arm, expect mild discomfort. Tattoos on areas where skin sits directly on top of bone or tendons will be more painful, such as back tattoos along your spine and ankle tattoos that sit directly on the ankle bone.

If you faint when you get vaccinated, then tattooing is not for you.

If you have no problems with shots, blood and needles, you’re likely to go through the tattooing process with little or no problems.

I’ve even seen people who are really afraid of pain describe the process as being fun and a great experience.

Why? Tattoo virgins, getting their first tattoos are undergoing a “rite of passage.” People are more likely to be mentally and physically prepared to accept a certain amount of pain during the tattooing process.

Also, once someone’s gotten their tattoo, that particular discomfort is over. Their focus will shift to what a beautiful piece of body art they have and what they no need to do to take care of it.

Pain that is finished is quickly forgotten. That’s simply how our minds work to protect us. Ask any woman who has just given birth.

Tattoo Removal


There is another chapter in this book dedicated to facts about tattoo removal.

Approximately 50% of people who get a tattoo have them removed within a five-year period. (This statistic increases or decreases depending on whether you talk to tattoo artists or tattoo removal clinics. There are no official United States numbers. With the majority of information coming from hospital and removal sources, it is hard to gage the accuracy of any data.)

Reasons range from people outgrowing their tattoo or the reason they got the tattoo, to tattoos being a stigma for certain jobs.

I worked in the entertainment industry. Tattooing may be an accepted practice for talent, but is still not an accepted practice for management. Tattoos for talent are also placed on very discrete regions, low on the back, high on the arm, perhaps on the thigh. If they’re not placed out of the way, out comes the makeup artist to cover them up.

Professionals try never to get tattooed in a place that will prohibit their job growth – neck, hands, lower arms and for women, the cleavage area of the breast, the lower leg and ankle areas.

You will face hiring discrimination for many jobs if you have a visible tattoo. When is the last time you went to your bank and noticed that a teller or bank official had a tattoo?

Tattoos are commonplace and this might change over time. But it hasn’t happened yet and people getting a tattoo should  that in mind.

(See Chapter 7 – Tattoo Removal for more details.)

Health Risks


Tattooing has become one of America’s fastest growing categories of retail business. Permanent body art continues to gain acceptance and a growing number of tattoo artists are opening studios in middle class neighborhoods.

While our younger population has an appetite for tattoos, our older generation has the vote and the tax dollars. This has led to greater scrutiny of the tattooing industry as a whole. While there are certain health risks associated with tattooing, I want to debunk one of them immediately.

HIV/Aids


To date, it has not been proven that anyone has ever contracted HIV at a tattoo studio. And, given how tattoo guns are constructed it’s not likely to happen.

However, there are valid health risks associated with tattooing. Let’s go over them.
  1. Find a clean studio that meets recommended safety guidelines. (See Chapter 2 – Finding a Tattoo Artist.) If the studio can’t meet your safety checklist – walk away. You will be able to someone else to give you a tattoo.
  2. Infectious disease risk (specifically hepatitis, HIV and tuberculosis,) rises in an unsanitary studio. There have been statistics of increased tattoo-related hepatitis B and C infections. And just because no one has gotten HIV in a tattoo studio yet, doesn’t mean there won’t be a first time. Make sure your studio adheres to health guidelines.
  3. Skin diseases you already have may flare up as the result of a tattoo. This includes chronic eczema and dermatitis.
  4. Some people are allergic to tattoo pigments containing mercury, chromium, cadmium and salt. This is very rare.
  5. Keloid scarring may occur, especially if you skin is in the darker range. If you don’t heal well and scar easily, don’t get a tattoo.
  6. A new tattoo is an open wound. It must be cared for as such.
  7. If you are pregnant, have diabetes or medical condition; talk to your doctor before you get a tattoo.
  8. MRI’s can trigger reactions in certain tattoos, such as permanent make-up tattoos around the eyes.
  9. The dyes that are used for tattooing are approved by the FDA for application on the skin, not in the skin. Not even the new Freedom2 Infiniti Inks have FDA approval.

Other things to think about:


To maintain a tattoo in pristine condition, you should wear sun block of at least SPF 30 over your tattoo or cover your tattoo from the sun. Tattoos that are exposed to the sun blur and fade.

The American Association of Blood Banks won’t accept blood donations until one year after a person has gotten a tattoo.

Don’t get a tattoo while you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Not only will alcohol increase bleeding, but it will also impair your judgment. Wait until you are sober before you do something this important. No responsible artist will tattoo someone who is obviously drunk or on drugs.

If you get a tattoo on the back of your body, you will need help in caring for it while it heals. Arrange in advance to have someone who can do this for you.

Some religions have prohibitions against tattooing.

And, of course …

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton. Tom and Roseanne Arnold. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.


Love fades long before tattoos do! Angelina Jolie opted to have her Billy Bob tattoo removed by laser. So did Tom Arnold. Johnny Depp found laser removal so painful, that he stopped and his tattoo now read: Wino Forever!



Let’s face it, tattoos are the kiss of death for love affairs. If you or your partner decide to get tattoos, try to get symbols that have personal meaning to you. Not “vow” or “portrait” tattoos.
 
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