[kokosas]

Body Art: A Series on what to know about Tattoos, Piercings, Scarring and Branding.

By SABRINA BRADEY, MACINSIDERS

The decision to get a tattoo, piercing or other forms of body art is a big one and should be done with due consideration. As a young woman with several piercings and a tattoo I thought I'd give you some hints, tips and general information about body art, the procedure and what you need to know before you put anything on or in your body.

What to get?

Whether it's a piercing, a tattoo, or a branding/ scarring you have to make sure it's somethingyou want. Piercings do heal over and close up with little to no marks left but they still cost money and often hurt, tattoos however are very difficult and costly to remove and I've yet to hear of someone being able to reverse the effects of a branding/scarring.
Like with my first piercing, my first tattoo meant a lot to me. My mother's family is Irish and it's something we're all very proud of, so after over 2 years of consideration I finally got a Celtic knot pattern tattooed on my back with a light green background. This is something that I won't grow out of nor is it a trend that is going to die within a year. When you get a tattoo, make sure it means something to you. A friend of mine has the symbol of Sick Kids Hospital tattooed on her body because she spent a lot of time in her childhood there and thus it has sentimental value to her. Whatever you get, make sure it's something that you're passionate about and you will want forever.

Where on my body do I get it?
This is a double edged sword in the world of questions because it depends on the person and their gender.
Women:
As a woman with a tattoo I think that women should take careful consideration when getting inked. Where the tattoo will be and what size, shape, design of the tattoo all need to be taken into consideration because not all tattoos can be pulled off well on certain body types. We also have to keep in mind that with age our bodies often start to go south of the boarder. It's a race to the knees ladies! Keep this in mind when getting a tattoo on the breast area or the lower stomach because it can cause problems if you decide to have children. I know that for many of us in university this is a thought that is so far in the future that it’s still half formed but when you’re making a decision about your body the future should always be considered. When pregnant your skin stretches and the tattoo will too but the tattoo won’t look the same when you shrink back to size.

Another thing women should consider in regards to getting a tattoo and babies is having an epidural during labour. An epidural, for those not in the know, is the process where a needle with a numbing agent is inserted into a woman's lower spine to help with the pains of labour and contractions. Most anaesthesiologists these days do not have a problem giving a woman an epidural if she has a lower back tattoo but there can be complications with it. One of the main reasons why an anaesthesiologist may hesitate to give an epidural through a tattoo is that the skin is harder after it has been tattooed. Scar tissue often develops under the surface of the skin, it's not something you can usually see, but it's harder to pierce with a needle. Considering this is a needle going into your spine and could potentially paralyze you, perhaps you'd want it to be as smooth as possible.

The second reason why there may be some hesitation on the anaesthesiologist's part is that sometimes the epidural can leave a small scar and could possibly mar the tattoo itself. If you're planning to have a tattoo in your lower back area, talk to your family doctor first and get their professional opinion.

Keeping on the same track, women should consider whether or not their tattoo will interfere with a formal event (this applies to men as well). Having a picture of Betty Boop on your neck may not go well with the wedding gown, but that's your personal choice. At the end of the day, consider whether or not you'd be proud to show that tattoo off at a formal event or not. If you are, awesome! If not, pick somewhere less conspicuous.

Men:
Traditionally men have a bit more freedom in this area. There are very few areas that are ‘taboo’ for men to tattoo. However, there are two suggestions I would have for men thinking of getting a tattoo:

One- Keep in mind that, like with women, when the body changes shape drastically, so will your tattoo. That means if you're heavily muscled now you have to maintain it. Same thing applies to skinny or overweight people. It is ideal to maintain your body shape and weight if you have a tattoo because any drastic changes… like loosing a hundred pounds… will affect your tattoo.

Two- Mind where you put the tattoo and the image/stereotype it gives. As much as everyone says that an employer cannot reject you because of your body art doesn't mean that they won't anyway. Some stereotypes include tattoos on the hands mean you’ve served time in jail or tattoos on the neck mean you have an affiliation with a gang. A general rule, especially if you want to have a business job, is to be able to cover it up with a dress shirt. If you can't you may want to put that tattoo in a different place.

What do I need to have to get inked?
By law to get a tattoo you must be 18 years or older with photo ID. Any shop that will give you a tattoo under the age of 18 is shady and honestly, it's not worth it. Waiting until you're 18 to get a tattoo is a good decision on many levels: One- chances are you've stopped growing or are almost done. Two- In my humble opinion, anyone under the age of 18 is probably too immature to make a good decision about getting a tattoo and will most likely end up regretting it. My own mother got a rose tattooed just under her collarbone when she was 16 and she regrets it to this very day.

What shop do I go to?
There are several places in Hamilton to get done up but the question is, which are the best? I personally have never had any body work done here in Hamilton (although I plan to get another tattoo) but there are several MacInsiders members who have. Their top two recommendations were Cottage 13 and Sinkin'ink. See the thread on Hamilton body art shops here. I had my tattoo done in downtown Toronto at New Tribe.
Do a bit of research on a few shops before you go to one. Feel free to ask to see the shops sterilization process/room. All equipment should be opened up from a sealed sterile package in front of you. Taking a needle out of a jar of liquid does not count, this is not the hair dressers and the risks are a lot higher than getting head lice. Take a look around the studio, does it smell? Does it look clean and organized? Ask to see the autoclave oven that they use to sterilize reused equipment (like the gun or the tongs). If a shop doesn't have an autoclave then walk out. Boiling equipment isn't good enough to sterilize the tools that are used to pierce and tattoo. An autoclave is used in hospitals and is a trusted way to sterilize tools that have come in contact with bodily fluids.

Before you get any body work done be sure to look at the portfolios of the artists in the shop, feel free to browse for a while and get a feel for what type of art they do. With every artist, the style is going to vary and you may have to go to another shop to get the one that you're looking for. Remember that this is your tattoo and it's going on your body so don't be afraid to be picky about it.

What are the risks?
As with anything that you put in your body, tattooing has its risks. There are high risks and low risks that depend on who does your tattoo and on how your body reacts.
Home tattoos are a NO. It doesn't matter if your friend's friend was a tattoo artist before and knows what he/she is doing. If they're not in a licensed studio chances are they aren't using the right equipment or using sterilized needles. I'm sure you've all heard about Pamela Anderson and her Hepatitis C which she got from sharing a needle with her ex-hubby Tommy Lee. Never, ever share needles or equipment with someone else even if you know them. Anything that goes in a body or comes in contact with bodily fluids needs to be sterilized or properly disposed of. No exceptions. I cannot stress this enough. Dirty equipment can mean blood born diseases like Hepatitis, HIV and more.

Skin infections and irritations can also occur for various reasons and aren’t necessarily a sign of dirty equipment. Complications with tattoos are rare so long as they are done by a professional in a sanitized environment with proper equipment but sometimes the person’s body can react in unexpected ways.
If you have sensitive skin or any kind of skin related allergies you should do some in depth research, like talking to your family doctor, before you get inked. Some people have been known to develop rashes or skin irritations from tattoos, especially those that involve red inks. This depends on the person and does not mean that you were given a bad tattoo, it’s just unfortunate.

What about tattoo removal?
As mentioned before, tattoo removal is a difficult process. It is considered a cosmetic surgery in almost all cases unless there is a severe allergic reaction and it takes many visits to have it removed. The cost to get a tattoo removed is often thousands of dollars while the tattoo cost a couple hundred.

There are many scams out there that claim creams can remove them but there’s a reason why a tattoo is meant to be permanent. These creams often hinder more than help; while they may help the tattoo fade it will still be visible and people often get skin irritations as a side effect. So now you have a half faded tattoo that looks like crap and your skin is most likely itchy, red and possibly infected. Good job.

You wouldn’t pick up a random bottle of medication and just take it would you? So don’t walk into a random shop and let someone stick you with needles. Do your research and think it over long and hard before you commit to something that is most likely with you for life.

[lorend]

I wonder who that friend is...

[dreus]

I dunno... *shrugs*

[kokosas]

You two think you're so clever don't you?

[lorend]

Damn straight.

[__lexington]

Yay!

BUT! Whatever happened to getting tattoos for pure aesthetics? I realize it depends heavily on the individual and their lifestyle... but there doesn't always have to be a deep, heart-felt, meaning behind everyone tatty, does there??? :S

[kokosas]

Aesthetics is nice but who can say that they won't grow out of it? At least when something has meaning to you you're less likely to grow out of it. The way I see it, too many people get tattoos when they're young because they think it looks good and ten years later they regret it.

[lorend]

I agree with kokosas. I know a bunch of people who got tattooed at sixteen and seventeen and now in their early and late twenties totally regret their decision.

It's like those barbed wire tattooes on the biceps about 6ish years ago.

[__lexington]

*Shutter* Yes the barbed wire.

I understand the high probability of growing out of something that looks nice, but at the same time, I think if you are totally commited to the art that you'll make a good decsion either way.