Medical Tattoos

Like all things in life you will find becoming a tattoo artist can be done through many paths. Many learn to be tattoo artist by doing tattoo after tattoo on who ever will let them until they learn the craft. However like in any skilled trade to be a good tattoo artist you need to find a good artist and do an apprenticeship and learn the craft from an experienced tattoo artist.

You may think apprenticeships are only for plumbers and electricians, but doing tattoos is also a trade and art and you need to learn from a good well trained instructor or mentor to learn the craft and do good quality tattoos. A apprentice will likely make little or no money while in training, much like when going to college but the training you receive is invaluable as it will give you a good and profitable and life long career.  The apprenticeship of a tattoo artist can many times be up to a year or longer depending on how fast the apprentice learns the craft and doing tattoos well becomes second nature. In an apprenticeship you learn first by seeing how tattoos are done and then by doing tattoos under the careful eye of a master tattoo artist.  When you start your apprenticeship as a tattoo artist you will have to learn to clean the equipment and clean the shop as well as learn the art of doing excellent tattoos. It may seem as if some of what you are learning is non tattoo related, however a clean shop and equipment are a huge part of having a successful and long term tattoo business. I can’t over emphasize how important cleanliness and hygiene are to a successful tattoo business as they are as important as doing good tattoos and you have to learn to respect the process and the customers need to be in a clean and sterile environment while being tattooed.

As you start to learn the art of doing tattoos you may start by creating stencils, and some artist may let you create some of your own which you can add to your portfolio which you will build up as you do your apprenticeship. Many shops buy their needles, however some make their own and if so this may be one of your duties as an apprentice and will be helpful if you choose to do so in your own shop some day. The next logical step will be to watch tattoo artist do tattoos, and help position clients when needed in doing difficult tattoos where skin needs to be kept tight during tattoos. When you first start tattooing you will do so on fruit, animal skins, or fake practice skins and once the master tattoo artist is sure you are ready he will let you slowly start actually working with clients and building your skill as a tattoo artist. Usually in the beginning you will only do lining around tattoos or shading as you build your skill and expertise in doing tattoos. You may think tattoo artist are looking eagerly for tattoo apprentices, however getting an apprenticeship with a good tattoo artist can sometimes take a year or more and sometimes you may even have to relocate much like going to college.

You may ask yourself is all this time and effort worth it and why would anyone go through all this to become a tattoo artist. The answer is being a tattoo artist is a recession proof industry as people will always get tattoos and body art, and being a good and experiences tattoo artist will bring you and your family a very nice income for the rest of your life and you can move any where and will always have clients if you learn you craft and trade. So best of luck and I want to wish you the best as like anything in life nothing worth while is ever easy, but the rewards are well worth the work and time needed to become a good and qualified artist.

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Tattoo pigments in past came from minerals that were ground up and black carbon, and  the pigments today are much the same as they come from minerals. Some of the pigments used these days are made of industrial and organic pigments, and some of the pigments used these days are vegetable based. Many of the other pigments used these days are plastic based pigments which are very brightly colored and many have reported reactions to them.

With the varied types of pigments used form mineral, vegetable, industrial, plastic their are a variety of conditions that people experience from the use of these unregulated pigments and inks. Some of the conditions include scarring, allergic reactions, toxic reactions, reactions to light, some of the new ultra violet pigments are very dangerous as some of them are toxic and radioactive.

Its alarming that more and more people are having tattoos done and the inks used to do their tattoos is unregulated and untested for use under skin. Many of the new inks that are so popular that glow in the dark are even more dangerous and could cause very serious health concerns.

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Since so many are having  health issues with tattoos chemistry students at Northern Arizona University, looked at the chemical make up of a many tattoo inks to better understand the associated health risks.

A study done by the Northern Arizona University concluded that there needs to be more regulations and safe guards set up to protect the health and welfare of the public, as most of the pigments and additives used in tattoos are untested or regulated for safety for injection into skin. Tattoo artist are given a license and can use whatever inks they feel to be safe under the skin in tattoos. Tattoos are growing in popularity among young people, and are no longer for just used by the more rough element of society and health issues from tattoos are showing up more and more.

Tattoos have become very popular and more people than ever are having them done, yet just as many are having unwanted tattoos removed which is costly and painful.

The study done by Northern Arizona University looked an many inks and the potential danger of these inks and additives to consumers from tattoo inks. The test was done on many of the popular black, red, blue, yellow and white inks and these inks were chosen from most likely base ink colors. The testing done showed that inks vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and some inks even showed the presence of metals which again shows that inks should be regulated more for public health and safety. As stated many different health problems and conditions may stem from the lack of control or testing of tattoo inks and additives. Some of the conditions linked to tattoo inks are allergic reactions, tattoo inks moving to other areas of body like lungs, burning sensations during MRI’s, skin conditions sometimes years after a tattoo is done. There are many conditions and reactions linked to tattoo inks, the fact that there is no real testing or consistency of the make up of inks is why there really needs to be more monitoring of the inks and additives used in the tattoo industry. Another problem with the fact that many of the chemical parts of tattoo inks and additives being unknown is when many go to have a tattoo removed, not knowing the chemical make up of the tattoo makes it more difficult for doctors to easily remove the tattoo.

The pigments and additives used in tattoo ink are not FDA approved or tested for safety for injection into skin, and many are having adverse health problems and complications from their tattoos.

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When you consider getting a tattoo, you should consider that the inks used in tattoos and permanent makeup is subject to FDA regulations as color additives, however their is no real control over their use in tattooing or the additives used in tattoos either. Their is some limited control of the tattooing process by local laws. With the rise in popularity of tattooing the FDA is taking a closer look at the issues with tattoo removal, and infections and bad reactions that result from tattooing. Another thing to consider is that many of the colors used in tattooing may be approved for cosmetics but are not approved for injecting into skin. More that 50 pigments and shades that are used many are industrial grade colors suitable for use in printing or car paint and it is unknown how safe they or the additives used really are for use in permanent tattooing and makeup.

Despite the fact that many of the inks and additives are unproven and it is unclear about the long term safety to humans of injecting them into skin. Many choose to get tattoos as a form of expressing themselves and some to so to alter appearance and hide the fact that their skin is otherwise discolored. Some even tattoo on eyelashes as they have lost theirs due to health conditions like alopecia.

For whatever reason people choose to get a tattoo be it for personal expression to mask a health problem they should be aware of the fact that many of the inks and additives are unproven and untested for injection into human skin as permanent body art.

Some of the Risk of Tattooing are as follows:

• Infection Problems. One of the primary risk from tattooing is infection from unsterilized needles and this can cause severe conditions like HIV/ AIDS and Hepatitis.
• Tattoo Removal problems. Many advances have been made in tattoo removal but the process is still very painful and expensive and often leaves at least some scarring.
• Allergic Reactions To Tattoos. It is rare that people have allergic reactions to pigments and additives in tattoos, but sometimes it happens years after someone gets a tattoo. It can be very hard to deal with these allergic reactions as removing the permanent inks is very hard to do.
• Skin Reaction To Tattoo Inks. A condition called Granulomas is something that sometimes happens when the body forms bumps around what it considers to be a foreign material like tattoo inks.
• Tattoo MRI Complications. Many have experienced burning or swelling of tattoos temporarily from MRI procedures. Though sometimes an MRI can cause minor complications to those with tattoos, not having a needed MRI can many times be much more serious.

Tattoo and Body Art Remooval

Some of the ways people have tattoos removed are abrasion, surgery, laser treatment, scarification, and some attempt camouflage with at new tattoo over the old one. All of these approaches have varied success and all have different draw backs.

• Laser Tattoo Removal Treatments: This process is rather expensive and takes weeks and sometimes even months, and can in some can cause skin discoloration and is marginally successful. There have also been many instances where laser removal has caused some of the additives or pigments in tattoo inks to cause severe allergic reactions.
• Tattoo Removal Dermabrasion. This process in itself causes scarring by sanding with a wire or diamond sanding of the tattooed area.
• Surgical Tattoo and Body Art Removal. This process is done with balloons put under the skin to stretch skin and then the tattooed area is removed, large tattoos may take several surgeries. Some say that surgical tattoo removal causes less scaring.
• Tattoo or Body Art Camouflaging.  Creating a new tattoo to cover up an old one is sometimes successful, but you have to remember when you are tattooing over an already tattooed area that the inks appearance may be effected by the color of the original tattoo.
• Tattoo Removal Salabrasion. The salabrasion process is using a salt based solution and abrasion and is used less often any more.
• Tattoo Removal  By Scarification.This process is done with abrasive acidic solutions and usually scars.

You need to be careful getting tattoos as when Britain’s Health and Safety Executive investigated he arrived at the conclusion that the pigment residues near tattoo motors may mix with body fluids and lead to HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis. The reason for this is hand held tattoo machines can not be properly cleaned and kept sterile.

Please keep in mind that if you, a friend, or family member is or has been injured from a tattoo or permanent make up contact an attorney to protect your legal rights. Attorneys will help you see where you stand legally and you will not be charged fees unless the attorneys can recover damages for you.

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When you first get a tattoo they are typically Swollen,shiny and extra bright. Within 24-36 hours the tattoo should scab over and with proper care the scab is thin and some what flexible. If the tattoo is healing properly then it will peal after 4-6 days and it will look as if the tattoo is flaking off. Many times you will have itching during this phase of tattoo healing and skin ointments will usually reduce the itching and irritation. Never leave the tattoo slick or sticky from excessive lotion or ointment, always blot dry.

When healing goes wrong typically you will have heavy scabbing, and sometimes puss, redness, and bumps are often also a symptom that you are not healing properly.  Often when you are having difficulty with a tattoo before heading to a doctor, it is wise to consult the artist as he can let you know if the tattoo is infected and requires medical attention. Some doctors are prejudice against tattoos and many times they prescribe unneeded medications which can cause further complications. However if you are concerned about a tattoo and the artist is not available and it seems to be infected then do what you think to be best and seek medical care if needed.

If you do not clean your tattoo properly, and do the care for it as advised then likely it will not turn out well and can even have ink missing or heavily scarred areas that look bad once healed.

When people get tattoos that have blood disorders that require blood thinners and steroids then many times their tattoos do not heal properly and typically do not turn out well. Also those with thin skin, or sun damaged skin can many times have dificulties with tattoos turning out well.

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