Print this pageTattoo
What is Tattoo ?
MAIN ENTRY. tattoo
FUNCTION: noun
INFLECTED FORM(S): plural tattoos
DATE:1777
1: the act of tattooing : the fact of being tattooed
a: an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin, or by production of scars
Tattoo from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
According to Merriam-Webster, spry is when the word "tattoo," with the meaning of inked images In skin, entered into English usage and was put into the dictionary. However, we can reasonably trace a likely derivation of the word which precedes that given date. We know from the records of the 1769 expedition of James Cook to the South Pacific that there was a Tahitian word totem, which means 'to mark." But the actual word "tattoo" existed before Cook and his voyages—about 150 years before.
In a happy coincidence, this previous form of the word meant "a rapid rhythmic rapping" and was used by military personnel. such as Cook and his crew, when referring to the call sounded before taps. The coincidence is a happy one because the sound of tattooing hi Tahiti was, in fact, a rapid tapping where the set of needles, looking like a small rake, was hit with a stick to drive Ink under the skin. Although the Tahitians called it tote., Cook and his men likely substituted a near sound-alike word from their own background. The West was forever changed when these early sailors absorbed this part of Tahitian culture and brought tattooed natives, as well as their own tattoos, back with them.
When you're thinking about getting a tattoo, you're looking at tattoos, or at least you should be. The first part of deciding what type of tattoo you want and where you want to have it involves looking at them wherever you might be able to spot them: on TV, in movies, in magazines, or, best of all, in person. Seeing one up close and in the flesh is really not as difficult as it might seem. Even if you don't know Angelina Julie, you almost certainly know somebody with a tattoo, since at least one in ten people is tattooed. In fact, the more you look, the more it seems that tattoos are everywhere. Seeing tattoos and being seen when you actually have one is all part of the tattoo dynamic, whether intentional or not. Tattoos naturally attract attention, a curious look or two, and also a set of questions well-known to anybody who has one.
These are the questions that the uninked all share and which invariably first spring to mind when they see someone's tattoo for the first time: Is it real? Did it hurt? Is it permanent? It is no coincidence that the answers to those three questions are at the heart of the tattoo process and of how to go about getting yourself safely and sanely inked.
Tattoo Trivia:
10% of the people In the United States are tattooed.
17% of the people in the United State between the ages of 18 and 24 are tattooed.
35% of NBA planers are tattooed.
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Is It Real?
Wondering if a tattoo is real or not isn't as silly as it might seem at first. People who are not tattooed or who simply haven't seen many tattoos can sometimes have a difficult time telling the difference. The quality and popularity of other less permanent types of body art are flourishing right alongside that of tattoos. A whole industry of products has arisen to fill the needs of people who are interested in body art hut who don't want to commit to something permanent. Body painting kits, temporary tattoos, mehndi, and even ordinary felt-tip markers have all been used to create designs on people's bodies. Ironically, as tattoos spread through the populace and, of course, through the celebrity population as well, makeup artists are becoming skilled at covering tattoos, only to then apply a temporary tattoo design that fits the character or movie.
Interestingly, people will often assume that a tattoo is not real. Again, this is not unreasonable since, despite the entrance of tattooing into the mainstream, tattooed people are still a minority. Also, people who see a tattoo have not been privy to the processes of investigation and decision making that might have led up to it; in other words, it may take them by surprise. They might even harbor some of the old and outdated stereotypes regarding tattooed people—for example, that the group is restricted to sailors and bikers—and not even realize it. All of these mental gyrations add up to an assumption that the tattoo could not possibly he real. But curiosity seems to get the better of almost everybody, although we try to temper it with a cultural desire for politeness, not wanting to stare. An innocuous filler for a gap in the conversation or an opening line in what will turn out to be a conversation about tattoos is simply to ask, "Is it real?"
Is It Permanent?
By definition, no temporary form of body art is a real tattoo. A real tattoo is as permanent as it gets. It is pigment that is inserted under the epidermis (the outer, protective layer of the skin) into the dermis (just below the epidermis, where the sweat glands and blood vessels reside). Once in the dermis, it is captured there by the body, essentially for all time. In these days of laser removal techniques, you might assume that nothing on or in the skin is ever really permanent. Do not, however, get a tattoo thinking that you'll be able to remove it later. The laser removal process is very lengthy, still quite expensive, and reportedly rather painful. In fact, it may not be possible to remove a tattoo completely or to remove it without some scarring. Always consider a tattoo very permanent.
Of course, part of the allure and quintessential nature of tattoos is their permanence. Their enduring character suggests something lasting, significant, memorable, and even eternal. At the same time, though, the thought of their permanence often works out to be a major hurdle for most people on their way to actually getting a tattoo. People who are taking the time to give some consideration to their tattoo design are concerned about the fact that it can't be changed, and rightly so. The choice of design, body placement, and colors needs to be something that stands some chance of remaining relevant for a lifetime. It would be ridiculous to suggest that people should pick something about themselves or their lives that won't change, because all things can and do change. from feelings toward other people to religion, and even gender. The very next chapter starts you out on the process of being able to find your design, choosing something that is relevant and meaningful. It's one of the most important but also one of the most pleasurable parts of the process of getting a tattoo.
That said, however, tattoos do change over time. In fact, not all of the ink inserted into the skin can remain there. En-stead, the body will do its best to take some of it away before it becomes permanent (more on this in chapter 4). The majority of the ink, however, is encapsulated and is then subject to the same changes that your skin undergoes. After the first three weeks of a tattoo's new life—in other words, after it is completely healed—the sun is a tattoo's biggest enemy. Exposure to ultraviolet light, which we know damages the skin, also damages a tattoo, breaking down the pigment to some extent. The result is obvious: faded tattoos with color becoming less vibrant anti also becoming less distinct, perhaps even blurred. The effects of the sun can vary greatly, however. The bearer of the tattoo controls to what extent the effects of the sun will play a part. Tattoos can also change shape as the body changes, stretching or contracting as the skin does. How long will a tattoo last? As far as is known, tattoos last forever, or at the very least, longer than we live. How long a tattoo will remain vibrant, though, is so variable that it defies a single answer (more on that in chapter 6). Suffice it to say that you and your tattoo will likely spend the rest of your lives together.
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Does It Hurt?
The business end of a tattoo machine consists of a set of needles (rarely is it a single needle, by the way, even for a thin line) that rapidly reciprocates up and down, for a very short distance, and introduces ink into the skin through very small punctures. You know it hurts. Actually, everybody really assumes that it does in fact hurt. The real question that is being asked when somebody says "Does it hurt?" is "How much does it hurt?" and "Can I take it?" Without a doubt, different people feel pain to greater and lesser degrees. It's also true that different parts of the body are more and less sensitive. Areas that are fleshy (upper arm, calf, abdomen) tend to feel pain less than areas close to bone (an ankle, elbow, or the spine, for example). Some people will describe it as a hot scratching sensation while others will feel something more acute. Some people will wince and practice a breathing exercise to control the pain while others chat casually and even seem to doze. It's also remarkable how much of an effect your tattoo artist can make, both physically and mentally, on your experience of pain in the tattoo process. Consider the fact that thirty million people in the US diorite have tattoos and that a high percentage of these will gel more than one. If the process were unbearably painful, it wouldn't get done.
Perhaps the best way to mitigate the pain (because by now we all agree that it does hurt) is to understand, in detail, the typical tattoo process (chapter 5). Nothing is as daunting as the unknown, but there is absolutely no reason for the tattoo experience to be unknown or even unpleasant in any of its aspects. Knowing what to expect, in what order, and how long it will last, will be the biggest ally in dealing with both natural anxiety and some amount of pain. Knowledge about the details of the tattoo process cart do more than mitigate pain; it can also help to assure that your tattoo process is not only a happy one but a safe one as well.
Is It Safe?
The answer to the question "Does it hurt?' revolves around the fact that punctures of the skin are involved in tattooing, and therein also lies the most important and yet the most unexplored question about tattooing, especially by those contemplating a tattoo for the first time: Is it safe? Opening the skirl, no matter how small the puncture, exposes the body to infection. The subject of blood-borne pathogens arid the risk of infection is something in which all competent tattoo artists are educated. Sterile techniques that are employed widely in the industry involve both single-use materials as well as sterilization and disinfection of equipment and the workspace. Safety, however, needs it) be uppermost in your mind as you begin the process of asking questions about tattoos and educating yourself. You will need to know what questions to ask of your tattoo artist and what answers are acceptable. There is no reason why your tattoo experience cannot be as safe as any trip to, for example, a dentist's office—in fact. even a bit safer than that.
"Although some studies have found an association between tattooing and HCV [hepatitis C] infection in very selected populations, it is not known if these results can be generalized to the whole population. Any percutaneous exposure has the potential for transferring infectious blood and potentially transmitting blood-borne pathogens (e.g., /IRV, HCV, or HIV): however, no data exist in the United States indicating that persons with exposures to tattooing alone are at increased risk for HCV infection. For example, during the past 20 years, less than I% of persons with newly acquired hepatitis C reported to CDC's sentinel surveillance system gave a history of being tattooed. Further studies are needed to determine if these types of exposures, and the settings in which they occur, are risk factors for HCV infection in the United States. The CDC is currently conducting a large study to evaluate tattooing as a potential risk."
Health safety, tolerable amounts of pain, the enduring aspect of tattoos, and the thoughts of people who see a tattoo are just a few of the issues involved in a mindful and meaningful tattoo experience. People who want tattoos intuitively understand their importance, and that fact is reflected in the popularity of the questions above. Although the answers to those burning questions have been given, there is a whole iceberg of information that lies below them which falls logically into the chapters that follow. Each chapter is designed to build on the previous one. When von understand that tattoos are permanent, you begin to understand the importance of the design choice.
then you understand what designs are tattoo -able and what you can reasonably expect from an image in the skin, you know better how to find your tattoo artist. When you understand exactly how your skin works in combination with pigment, you'll already know what to expect from your tattoo not only in the healing process but also over its life. Tattoos are clearly not for everybody but once you've decided that you want one, your reward is the joy in the process of getting one and the lasting image that results.
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