tattoos and body mods

There are as many diffrent tattoo designs out there as there are reasons for getting ink in the first place. they range from small and discreet...





to ... well, this guy

http://trulyparanormal.blogspot.com/2011/05/lizard-manerik-spraguelizardmanlizzard.html
 And both the reasons and the ink range from the sublime to the stupid. So I thought that in this blog I would talk a little about tattoos and share some of my personal observations.

 If you're thinking about getting ink there's a few questions you might have
1 Does it hurt?..
A:It's a needle genius, of course it hurts. How much it hurts depends on a few diffrent factors, like where it is. Different parts of your body have different types of skin, and some places hurt more than others. Everybody has their own level of pain tolerance, and everybody reacts their own way. I've also been told that girls usually take it better than guys. And a lot of it depends on the artist
2. How much does it cost?
A: depends on the artist. Most of the time though,if you talk to the artist about what you want to do and how much you have to spend, they can work with you
3: "Well, I know this guy who does good tats..."
A: DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!  As far as I know, no state allows tattoo artists to operate without being licensed and inspected, and for very good reason. Some of the things that you can catch from improperly sterilised tattoo equipment include MRSA( see the pic below), hepatitis and even HIV.
Still think that getting a tattoo from a scratcher is a good idea?
http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle/art_and_leisure/2009-04-tattoo-equipment-sales-legal-but-ethical.html
4; How do I find a shop? 
A: Do your homework. You obviously have internet access, Look up shops and artists in your area, most of them will have their portfolios online. Talk to people. Tattoo artists ( the good ones anyway) are passionate about their craft and will be happy to talk to you.  Here's a few good questions to ask:

1) How long have you been doing this professionally (in a licensed shop)?

2) May I see your up to date BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN CERTIFICATION? (this should be renewed every year)

3) May I see your portfolio?.. In this age of technology you can usually look up an an artist's work on the internet and compare portfolios before you even set foot in a shop..

4)  May I see your autoclave spore test results?

5) What precautions do you take to insure my safety from things like MRSA and Hepatitis?

No reputable artist will have a problem answering these , in fact I cribbed this list from Ryan Gillikin"s blog at http://www.myspace.com/almightytattoo Ryan is an artist and shop owner here in Jamestown who is working hard, trying to educate the general public about his craft. 

5: I don't know what I want to get though?

The possibilities are endless. Just remember what I said about stupid tattoos:

http://www.woosk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twilight-tattoo.jpg

 Don't forget...this shit is permanant. Don't get something you will regret later. Roxy and I both chose designs that had a personal significance to us

this one's roxy

and mine

You don't really need a specific design. Talk to the artist and give them a general idea, and chances are you'll come up with something cool. And if you just want to get something because you think it's cute or cool go ahead. Just remember that you might not think it's so cute later on
6:Won't people judge me? 
Of course they will. You don't need a tattoo for that. Admit it, everybody does it...remember the green guy ?(scroll back up...I'll wait) You probably formed some kind of opinion about him from that picture,didn't you? Well, just so you know, his name is Erik Sprague. AKA the lizard man. Yes, he works as a freak. What you DON'T know is, he's a P.H.D. candidate with a B.A. in philosophy. Unless you're self employed or has a really cool boss, you might want to make sure you place your ink somewhere it can be easily covered. Other than that, who gives a fuck what anyone thinks?
One last thing about choosing a shop, take someone with you (especially women). Any reputable shop will be fine with someone coming back and watching. That protects you from inappropriate behavior and as Ryan pointed out to me it protects the shop from lawsuits. If the artist (or piercer) won't let your friend come back, leave.  


And finally, when the big day arrives, make sure you remember a few things:
1: show up on time ( if you have an appointment) 
2:show up SOBER. It's against the law in most places to tattoo or pierce someone who is under the influence
3: wear appropriate clothing. By that I mean think about where you'll be getting the tattoo. If you don't want to sit there half-naked for what may be a long time, wear something that can comfortably be moved to expose the area.
4: take a shower. You're going to be breaking the skin. you might wanna clean it first.Besides, someone is going to be sitting very close to you...think he wants to sit in a cloud of B.O.?
And once you're done, listen to what they tell you about aftercare. They know what their talking about.


Good luck... Feel free to leave a comment and let me know about your tattoo experiences