Best Tattoos

The thought of getting your first tattoo can be very exciting. They can be awesome pieces of body art. They can tell the tale of your life's history and outlook. They can be an expansion of your character and values and everything you keep special. Plus, they are just awesome. But, unfortunately, they can just as easily signify a very bad choice made on a whim.

A tattoo is not something you hurry into getting. It's going to be a lasting reminder of who you are, so it's essential to know what you are getting before you the tattoo artist you select makes his first mark.

Do You Really Want That Tattoo?

There are several questions you really need to ask yourself before you set foot near a needle.

What is your inspiration for getting a body art in the first place? If you cannot provide a cogent response beyond "it's cool" or "because I want one", it's probably is a wise decision to stop right there for awhile. Sit down and think about why you are really seeking to do this, then do nothing for several weeks. Sleep on it. If you still feel strongly about it many weeks later, go forward and get the body art. But if you are still incapable of coming up with anything beyond a basic unfleshed reply, maybe a tattoo just isn't for you.

Ask yourself if you are ready to deal with any backlash from getting a tattoo done. Do you know for certain how your household would respond to it? Do you know for certain how your job would respond to you getting a body art, or if such a body art would adversely impact your career? While you might see a tattoo as a personal icon, there are still plenty of people in the world who will make a snap judgment, especially in corporate environments. You might be required to put on a high-collared or long-sleeved shirt to cover up. If that is the situation, is it still worth it to get a piece that only a few people ever see?

Ask yourself where you see yourself in 20 or 50 years. While body art might be a great things for you now, what happens later on when you try to move up the corporate ladder or you have children and grandchildren? Will a quote you like now still have the same meaning then? Will pop-culture references still be recognizable and be appropriate in the future? What about saggy skin or weight gain resulting in your tattoo becoming deformed? Will you need to explain why grandpa has a tattoo of a naked lady on his forearm or why grandma has something that somewhat resembles Tinkerbell on her back?

A poll conducted by Harris Interactive in January 2012 reported that of the tens of millions of Americans who have a tattoo, more than 1 in 8 (14%) regret ever having work done. The most common reasons, among those with regret, were that they were too young or they just no longer like the tattoo. And while you may love the idea of getting a tattoo, there are still many people who don't have a favorable opinion. Nearly half of respondents, 45%, say people with tattoos are less attractive than those without, 27% believe those with tattoos are less intelligent, and 25% think that tattoos make a person less healthy and less spiritual.

Choosing the Right Artist

You took the needed time and energy to make a decision and are definitely wanting to move forward and go get that tattoo. Excellent. You aren't done yet. The next phase is to contain your excitement for just a little bit longer until you look for the right tattooist. With something as essential and long-lasting as ink, you do not want to rush out to the first parlor you come across. There are a few methods to assess an artists skill and appropriateness.

First and foremost, the most obvious way to gauge an artist's competency is too look at their previous work. While glancing flashes on a wall and some sketches is a nice start, you won't really know how excellent a particular tattoo artist is until you see some of their prior work. They might have a ton of skill with a pad and paper, but a needle on skin is a completely different skillset.

If you have a hazy concept in mind for the particular artwork you want done, let the artist contribute some ideas to make sure you are both on the same page. If you discover an excellent style on the internet, print it out and take it to them and observe as they recreate it themselves on paper before ever considering them to create it to your body.

Don't be reluctant to ask for references. Previous customers are fantastic sources and can tell you factors that only they know - like the artist's conduct during the procedure, how difficult or soothing they were, how many sessions were required and how long of a time things took from start to finish.

And lastly, shop around on cost, but don't go necessarily to the place offering the lower price. A low cost might indicate lower quality or less experienced artists. Likewise, the most expensive place may not be the most skilled. Cost evaluations should provide you with an ballpark of how much your tattoo will cost you, but you should go with whoever makes you most confident in their abilities.

Go Get Inked!

So now that you've made sure you are ready to get a tattoo, know where you want it to be placed, know what style of design you want it to have, talked to several tattoo artists, and have made a final decision... go get inked, and welcome to the club!

Liam Swafford is a self-described "badass boy who loves badass tats." He is a regular contributor to BadassTattooDesign.com, a gallery and information site for tattoo designs for men and women.

View the original article here

Tattoos are considered to be more popular and socially accepted nowadays. Tattooing is a trend that started growing during the early 90's. According to a recent study, more than 36% of Americans and Europeans have at least one body tattoo on them. Medias play a great role in increasing the popularity of tattoos through reality shows and magazines with the photographs of celebrities with tattoos on them. Many feel that, beautifying their body with permanent ink helps them to profess their individuality. If you are really interested in getting a tattoo, it will be better to study up on the risks associated with this particular form of body art, and take necessary precautions before going for it.

The biggest risk in getting a tattoo is the selection of your tattoo artist. Consider the following hints before choosing your tattoo artist;

Go to a professional tattoo artist and try to avoid home-made tattoos, especially made with Indian ink.

Take a look around the tattoo parlour to conform whether the place is clean, hygienic and brightly lit.

Make sure that the artist uses new sterilized equipments for each client or thoroughly cleans and sterilizes the equipment using autoclaves.

Make sure he uses standard safety precautions to prevent infections and he wears rubber gloves.

Never go to a parlour with less sanitary conditions to get an inexpensive tattoo. Your health matters more than money.

Make sure that the tattoo artist has credentials, a license and experience.

As tattooing requires the breaking of the skin barrier, it may cause various health risks, including infections and allergic reactions. Getting a tattoo at an accredited professional tattoo parlour is comparatively risk free, but, still it puts you into the following risks;

As needles are inserted under your skin for tattooing, there is an increased risk for the diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. There are no reported vaccinations against HIV and Hepatitis C. But, you can take vaccinations against the contracting Hepatitis B.

In addition to these viral infections, there is a risk of bacterial infections and allergies to dyes and needles. Some infections may be mild and treatable. But some may turn sever.

Infections that can be transmitted due to the unsterilized equipments or contaminated ink includes tetanus, tuberculosis, herpes simplex virus, staph, fungal infections, some forms of hepatitis, HIV etc.

It may cause skin infections such as impetigo or school sores.

Long-term skin diseases like psoriasis, dermatitis and even tumors have been reported as a result of tattoos.

Thick scars called keloids are more likely to appear among dark skinned people.

Mental distress due to regret after getting a tattoo. This is reported as one of the main risks after getting a tattoo.

Occasionally, when a blood vessel gets punctured during the tattooing procedure, a bruise or hematoma may appear.

Allergic reactions due to some metals present in the ink, especially colored inks, have been medically documented. Nickel present in the ink, mainly caused the metal allergy. Other metals that cause allergies include mercury in red cinnabar, cadmium sulphite, cobalt blue, lead, lithium, copper etc.

In some temporary tattoos like henna, problems have been reported. Henna tattoos contain a dark brown dye; para-phenylenediamine (PPD) that causes delayed allergic reactions. The reactions include skin necrosis, scarring and hypo-pigmentation. By analyzing some henna dyes, toxic chemicals used in textile and hair dyes has been found in addition to PPD.

Some hospitals and testing centers will refuse to do MRI scanning of the person with tattoos as there are metal particles in the tattoo which causes a burning pain for them.

Even if you wish to remove a tattoo, some colors like yellow will breakdown into toxic chemicals and spread in your body.

If you are still planning to get a tattoo, then it's imperative you follow the proper safety precautions. Make sure you are getting a tattoo in a place away from food, hazardous waste and other unsanitary conditions. Finally, after receiving your tattoo, get proper aftercare procedures from your artist and be sure to follow it.

More Recommended Tattoo Designs. http://best-tattoo-reviews.com/

View the original article here

Before you decide to get a tattoo, you should always take a little bit of time to talk to your tattoo artist. When you speak to him, you should be sure to ask questions and find out anything you can about your new tattoo. You should also find out information about his background, and other important bits of information that will assist you in moving forward with your decision.

The first thing you should find out is how long the parlor has been in business. This will let you know just how professional the quality of tattoo work is and the overall reputation for the business. If the tattoo parlor belongs to the Better Business Bureau you can always check their record and see if any complaints have been files about the business in the last few years.

You should also find out about his qualifications as well. Experience is a must here, as infections and other diseases can easily be contracted if the equipment isn’t clean. Tattoo artists deal with needles on a daily basis, making experience very important. Finding out how much experience and qualifications a tattoo artists has will tell you quite a bit about what you can expect from them.

You’ll also want to find out if the tattoo studio guarantees their work. In the unlikely event that you don’t like the outcome of the tattoo, you’ll obviously want it to be fixed. The better studios will fix it without requiring any money. Refund policies are also important, especially if you don’t like the quality or the workmanship of the tattoo.

The cost is also very important. Before you decide to get a tattoo or agree to anything, you’ll obviously want to know the full cost. The bigger tattoos can be quite expensive, although even the smallest of tattoos can be expensive as well, especially if you’re on a budget. You can save yourself a lot of time and prevent any type of surprises by knowing the costs upfront.

Infection is also something you’ll want to find out about. The better tattoo artists can provide information about infections, and tell you how to prevent them. They will also tell you about their services, and how they can prevent you from getting an infection. When you ask infections, he should also be able to tell you exactly what to do if you think you are developing an infection as well.

If you suffer from a fear of needles, you should always ask if there is a way to help you. You should never feel bad about asking, as many people are deathly afraid of needles. Needles are used with tattoos, as there is no other way to put the ink in the skin. If you are afraid of getting a tattoo due to the needles, you should make sure that you let your tattoo artist know. Chances are, he may be able to take extra steps to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

Asking questions is never a bad thing when it comes to getting a tattoo. If a tattoo artist hesitates to answer any question you ask or acts hasty towards you, you should always leave and find another tattoo artist. Tattoos always have risks and concern, which is why tattoo artists should be more than willing to answer any questions that you may have. Asking questions can help to ease your concern and make you feel better about the artist – which is why you should always make sure you write a list of questions before you visit the tattoo parlor.

Although most tattoos are applied with no problems at all, there are some tattoos that result in a not so good outcome. No matter how safe you may think they are, you simply can’t overlook the risks involved with getting a tattoo. Tattoo artists may tell you that there are no risks involved - although this isn’t the case.

The biggest concern you have when getting a tattoo is unsanitary equipment. If the equipment isn’t cleaned and disinfected after each use, the risk for getting a disease is very high. You can also end up with a serious skin disease as well, if the tattoo gun is dirty or if the tattoo artist doesn’t clean his equipment. The tattoo studio should be clean as well. With a lot of visitors, a studio can get dirty quickly - which is why it should be cleaned on a daily basis.

After getting your tattoo, if you notice any swelling or excessive redness around the tattoo, you should visit a doctor immediately, to find out if the tattoo is infected. In most cases, tattoo infections can be treated with medicine. If the infection is severe, you may be admitted to the hospital so they can further treat you. In the more severe cases, you may end up having to get the tattoo removed to prevent further infection. Removing a tattoo requires surgery, which also involves risks as well.

If removal of the tattoo is recommended or requested, the procedure can either be performed as an out patient surgery or one that requires a minimal stay in the hospital. The surgeon or physician will determine the removal, based on your health and overall chances of developing an infection. In most cases, tattoo removal is safe, with most patients given medicine that will treat infections and prevent any type of pain.

Although health risks are a concern, one of the biggest concern for may is the overall appearance of the tattoo. Tattoos that are done by amateurs or not applied well, normally result in the appearance being ruined. Tattoos are something that will stick with you for the rest of your life, which is why the appearance is so important. If you get a tattoo removed, chances are that a scar will always remain. Even though most scars will become less noticeable as years go by, they will never completely go away - and always provide a reminder that a tattoo was once there.

Before you get a tattoo, you should always make it a point to examine the studio and ensure that it’s clean. You should also ask questions, and make sure that the tattoo artists clean the equipment they use. If you stick around for a bit at the studio, you can normally find out a lot about the way they do business and how clean they are. If the studio appears to be clean and tidy, chances are you won’t have to worry about dirty equipment or infections.

As with everything else in life, there are always decision to make. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, you should first decide your reason for getting it, how you will feel about having it later on in life, and if the tattoo is something you can see yourself with. Before you put a permanent tattoo on your body, you should make sure that you are getting the tattoo for you because you want it. Whatever you do, you should always avoid getting a tattoo simply because someone else suggested it.