6 Signs of Tattoo-Rot (Infection)

6 Symptoms of a Rotting, Infected Tattoo

The following tattoo symptoms indicate infection and may occur from poor aftercare or from unsanitary tattoo practice such as the use of dirty needles, tubes, or tips, the implantation of tainted ink(s), or from contact with contaminated instruments.

1. Excessive Swelling:

   Although swelling is normal during and after the procedure, excessive swelling may hint at an infection. Excessive swelling may also indicate an allergic reaction to pigment used in tattoo ink. Make sure that you visit a doctor if the swelling has not gone down in 48 hours or if it worsens.
   



2. Excessive Redness:

   It is quite natural for the skin to turn red while tattooing. The tattoo may remain red for a day or two. If the redness spreads and it is accompanied by irritation, it's time to call a nurse or see a doctor.
   



3. Fever:

   If you develop a fever, you should be alarmed. It a flashing red light for infection. Make sure that you consult a doctor immediately. Ignoring this sign of the infection can endanger your life and it can allow the bug to spread to other parts of the body. You don't want that. Get medical treatment ASAP.
   



4. Discharge:

   A slight discharge of blood or pigment is quite common a day after the tattoo. It should, however, abate quickly. If you notice white, green, or yellowish pus issuing from the tattoo, consult a physician.
   



5. Excessive, Lingering Pain:

   Tattoos are somewhat painful, but the pain is more of irritation and it should decrease. Make sure that you seek medical attention if you experience the same amount of or worse pain more than two days after the tattoo. Pain can signal infection.
   



6. Red Streaks:

   Read streaks signify blood poisoning. The likely cause is use of unsterilized needles. Tiny Red Sores or blotches may also appear, they are also symptoms of a serious infection. Consult a doctor. This should frighten you; your artist probably didn't use clean needles!!!!! You might want to get checked for other blood-born pathogens such as HIV, Hep. AB & C. Red streaks and sores can also occur from a self-inflected sewing needle tattoo. (Sticking a sewing needle or guitar string in a flame, WILL NOT STERILIZE the needle. The temperature of an open flame is no hot enough to kill most bacteria, let alone spores, and other microbiological nasties. Home tattoos invite infection, disease, and bad art. Get your work done from a professional studio. Make sure your check out the shop and inspect your artist's portfolio first.)

3 Reasons Why Fleshtone Cover-Ups Mutilate Skin

Some tattoo artist offer a cover-up service that is similar to tattoo removal. The process involves multiple tattoo sessions during which the artist implants "flesh-tone" over an existing tattoo. Yes, they do go over black. The trick to covering black is MULTIPLE SESSIONS. Usually three to four sessions will lighten and even fully cover black. Even so, sometimes, you're left with something that looks like a weird bruise.

So what's the problem?

1. Your skin tone is NOT stable. Your skin changes color according to temperature, not mention sun exposure. If you tan, the covered area will not match. If you get hot or cold, the covered area will not match.


2. It is impossible to match your skin tone because your skin tone is actually several colors working together at once. Every color portrait artist knows this. It takes takes several layers of color to achieve passable skin tone in a portrait painting. The "Flemish Technique" demonstrates this best.


3. Once the pigment is implanted that many times, it's much more difficult to remove. If the "cover-up" doesn't work out, you will have to pay through the nose to get it laser-ed.

As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Make sure you get your work done by a competent artist. If you do get bad artwork, bite the bullet and get a laser removal.

Are Tattoo Removal Creams Safe?

Can tattoos be removed with creams?

Tattoo removal cream manufacturers advertise various success rates and some creams, such as Tat B Gone, Wrecking Balm, and Tattoo-Off are available over the counter or online. While tattoo removal creams cost less that laser treatment, their success rates and skin safety are not proven.

How Most Tattoo Removal Creams Work?

• The first step includes using a hand held medical device (same idea as picture above) that will effectively remove the upper layers of your skin.
  


• The second step use of the chemical serum. The tattoo removing serum penetrates in the deeper lower layers of your skin. The cream makers claim that their secret serum is what does the trick and is what ultimately fades your tattoo from within. Usually, the cream is applied for 4-6 weeks. The time allows for skin cells to replenish after each skin stripping. The 4-6 weeks is one tattoo fading cycle. Tattoo removal cream manufacturers usually recommend monthly purchases for 3-12 months, with daily applications.
  

There is no scientific evidence that tattoo removal creams work for everyone.

Many of the ingredients in the removal creams are classified as “high risk” in cosmetic safety databases and have unknown side-effects.

Despite the expense,

laser tattoo removal is currently the “gold standard” tattoo removal option

with the highest success rates.

The "D" Stands for "Don't Watch"

When the LA Ink started off, it helped a great deal. It blasted away the stereo type of the dingy, drug infested tattoo shop. (These shops aren't just a myth in fact many of the shops in Oregon have seedy elements. Criminal artists, IV drug users, and perverts.) Even so, it showed NOT ALL tattooers are thug-druggies. It demonstrated tattooing as a craft for the uninitiated and the curious.

Although the show has always had some degree of "drama", for instance Corey Miller's epic battle with a vasectomy decision, the show's main focus was the tattooing. Unfortunately, as the years go by, the focus switches to the half-baked drama.

Now the show spins around a pre-fabricated story-line, complete with scenes you'd never see in a "documentary". In one episode Kat had a cacellation. She phones her back-up clients. There is a shot of the clients just walking down the street. They pretend to be surprised by the unexpected call. Obviously that shit had to be scripted. I doubt the LA Ink film crew shot everyone walking around in LA that day. You can't even see people move their mouths when they talk. Each scene or piece of "dialogue" is random footage with a choppy voice-over; the mismatched audio blurbs and phony scenarios have turned to the show into a very boring soap opera. Soap Operas at least have master mind criminals, spirit possessions, and steamy love affairs. Frankly I don't want any details about Kat's love life.

The carnal sin the show has committed is cutting back on the actual tattoo work in favour of focusing on minor conflicts which are blown entirely out of proportion in the hopes of achieving interesting television. The end result is one less viewer.

5 Tricks to Great Lettering

1. Keep it short and sweet.

   Whether your words are from a poem, a movie, a verse of Scripture, or a song, remember that short quotes work better than long ones. For example, "Fearless", "No Risk: No Reward", and "Faith" are better than "I am not afraid of anything", "I like to take risks because the rewards are worth it", and "I am a ( Crazy Christian, Mental Muslim, Hip Hindu, Zany Zennist, etc.)."
   



2. Pick a Good Location.

   For short quotes, the best places are the foot, wrist, back of the neck, ankle and arm. For longer lettering tattoos, the rib cage, shoulder blade, collar/chest, back, and hip area.
   



3. Pick a Good Lettering Style/Font.

   Not all fonts will look good as tattoos. I prefer script because it looks nice and usually has a better flow than computer fonts.
   
   The lettering below is far too busy to stand as a good tattoo. Over time the dots and line will merge together making it illegible. The solution is make it larger and to space the letters.
   
   
   
   Fonts like this one work better. They're bold and have large areas of black. The lettering is also legible.
   
   
   
   In general if you can shrink the font and still read it, it's probably going to be OK to tattoo.
   



4. Make sure the style of lettering has the "personality" for the quote.

   For example, this doesn't work:
   
   
   
   The style of lettering doesn't have the right personality for the message. Ol/Gangsta English would be better.



5. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR ARTIST'S PORTFOLIO for LETTERING.

   Lettering is one of the MOST TECHNICALLY DEMANDING TATTOOS. There is little room for error. If you don't see a lot of lettering or the lettering is weak (uneven lines, messy fill, illegible), pick another artist. Not much can be done with bad lettering. It usually has to be covered or faded.

3 Easy Ways to Piss off your Artist

1. Get Wasted before your appointment.

   Friday nights are the worst for this. One lady stumbled into the shop with a black eye and scrapes all over her face, she slurred out something like, "iwannagetatattootonight". For kicks I asked her, "What do you want?". "'Ilovedrugs iwanitnon my forehead." I told it would cost $2,000. "Lemmegogetthemoney". Never returned, big surprise. It doesn't matter if you made the appointment sober, you can't get tattooed in Oregon if you're drunk or show signs of IV drug use. It's the LAW.



2. Squiggle during your tattoo.

   You can seriously mess up your artwork doing this. One girl I tattooed kept squiggling during the outlines. I told her to stop moving around. When I got to a line near her lovehandle, she levitated out of the chair. I took my foot of the foot-switch to stop the machine and raised the machine high above her skin, but she jumped so high that the needle poked a small dot on the side of her design. I had to add "sparkles" to make it fit with the rest. To top it off she bitched about having to pay extra for the sparkles. You move, you pay.



3. Spit your guts out and confess to crimes.

   I like talking to clients during the tattoo. It's one of the reasons I love this art form; you get to see people in their purest and crudest state, but there are some stories I can do without. Don't burden your artist with all the nasty details of how you did your sister when you were younger. It's awkward. And isn't that you're sister holding your hand?

5 Unforgivable Tattoo Sins

If this tattoo had color, it would have it all.

1. Design Dysfunction.

   This ex-stripper turned tattoo artist had a knack for bad tattoo designs. She attempted to draw a Sailor Jerry Anchor, but it didn't come out right, which is pretty difficult with sailor flash because it's so simple. Somehow she manged to screw-up the drawing. Thinking herself the artist, she insisted that the design remain unchanged. The guy who tattooed didn't do a great job of executing the tattoo, but that wasn't the REAL problem. The crap design was the problem. She went mental when she saw it. Months later she insisted the shop owner to drive to her shop to fix the thing for free. When he refused the drive--not the fix, she bad mouthed him all over town and still to this days speaks ill of him. What can say, she's a crazy bitch.



2. Indecent Implantation

   Poor tattoo execution on a good design can be serious a problem. It's sucks to see good traditional design, such as an anchor, a swallow, or a rose fucked up by bad line-work and crap fills. One guy who stepped into the shop had what I suspect was a nautical star tattooed on his left hand. He was wasted when he tattooed the thing with a homemade tattoo machine. I've never seen anything this bad before. There were three crazy wandering lines for each point of the star. It was like he just couldn't get the points to connect; so he swirled out a new line each time. He never quite succeeded. The fill wasn't any better. The entire tip of one point of the "star" was black. (Nautical stars alternate, black, color, black color, etc.)



3. Color Confusion

   This usually involves putting in the wrong color. I guess the guy above fits into this category too. But I've also seen my share of purple smurfs and putrid portraits. Color can go very wrong in color portraits; so make sure you're artist up to the task. Also pay attention. If you see your artist bust out the red ink for a black and gray tattoo, say something.



4. Lame Lines.

   I hate seeing shaky, timid lines, it just makes me cringe.



5. Misplacement/Misalignment.

   The ex-stripper turned artist mentioned above also had a slightly crooked cross on her lower back. This one might have been a joint effort. She approved of the placement, but the artist should have double checked. A few days later, the ex-stripper's boyfriends told her "the cross ain't right". Guess they had good view of it, if you know what I mean.

3 Terrifying Facts about Tattooing

1. Your Tattoo Artist might be a Criminal. I worked at shop where the lead artist was a convicted sex-offender and convicted felon. He committed 1st degree felony assault (practically murder, the worst assault charge you can get). He was constantly high or in trouble with the law. Worst of all, he had his creepy hands all over young female clients. CHECK OUT YOUR ARTIST. I left the shop as soon as I discovered the facts about him


2. You risk Infection.You can contract Staph, Hep. C (or A or B), HIV, and other blood-borne pathogens from a DIRTY, UNTRAINED ARTIST. Tattooing involves exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Both you and your artist are at risk. If your artist does not follow infection control standards, you can get sick. Usually you're artist will know enough not to infect you with Hep. or AIDS. STAPH is your biggest risk. A Staph infection will scar you and can kill you if left untreated.


3. You can get a Bad Tattoo. I've seen some terrible tattoos. Shaky unconnected line, muddy vomit coloring, and moderate scarring from untrained, inexperienced artists. Most can be removed or covered, but in some cases you're left with a scar.

Not all tattoo studios or artist are equal. THINK BEFORE YOU INK. Check out your artist and Studio. Tattooing is sacred. Putting your time to do a little research will get you a better tattoo.

How Not Get a Tattoo

They don't hurt that much!!! WTF?

Three Steps to a Bad Tattoo

1. Stumble into your friends living drunk without any idea of what you want
2. Have your Friend who bought a Tattoo Kit from Ebay Tattoo you
3. Let your cat or dog lick your tattoo.

Are Color Tattoos Safe?

For some people they're safe, for others they are dangerous. Color carries risk. Yellow, for example, is made of cadmium yellow (potential carcinogen), ochres, curcuma yellow, chrome yellow, or disazodiarylide. Curcuma is derived from plants of the ginger family; a few people are allergic to it. Adverse reactions are commonly associated with yellow pigments, in part because more pigment is needed to achieve a bright color. Red and blue have similar stories.

Reactions vary in severity. Sometimes it means delayed healing, other times the body just spits the ink back out, but other times it's more severe, resulting in blisters and scarring. I'll spare you the gross images. If you want to see them, then just do a Google Image search for: Tattoo Allergic Reactions.

The worst thing about COLORED tattoo ink is the "proprietary" color trade-secret. Companies DON'T have to place the ingredients on the ink bottle because the color is considered a "TRADE SECRET". That's BS and irresponsible. Consumer health is more important; besides, Oregon doesn't allow artist to make their own ink. Ink must be purchased from a commercial manufacturer, BUT THERE IS NO REGULATION for the manufacture of the INK!!!!! WTH?

How to Check an Artist's Portfolio

There are many qualities to look for in good tattoo artwork. But it doesn't take art expert to spot a few tell tale marks of a good/experienced tattoo artist. Here are five things to look for when you inspect a tattoo artist's portfolio:

1. Clean, solid, stable lines.

   Line-work is paramount in tattooing. Lines hold the design together; they also determine to a large extent the longevity of the tattoo. Here's what to look for in the lines:

   • Solid, connected lines.

     The lines should NOT be shaky. Shaky lines indicate inexperience. Solid lines require proper machine set-up and tuning, choice of needle configuration, and a stable hand.

   • No "foggy lines".

     Foggy lines in LINE-WORK and Blowouts put you at risk. If you see a hazy line, run. The tattoo artist went too deep or tilted his or her hand causing a blowout. You should NOT see blowouts or foggy lines in a portfolio.

   • Even line-weight.

     Uneven line-weight or variance in the thickness in the line, unless it's obviously intentional, usually means the artist is either lifting his or hand or failing to maintain a steady speed while inking. Either mistake leads to weak, unpredicable line-work.



2. Solid Fill.

   Fill should NOT be spotty or dotty; it should be evenly toned throughout the filled area. It should also connect to the line or color border. Some artists do fill in multiple sessions to ensure bright, vibrant color. An artist who uses that technique will include a picture of the tattoo AFTER it is healed. If you see lots of "weepy" oozing tattoos in the portfolio, choose another artist. Excessive weeping results from overworking the skin, wanting to put too much color in one sitting.



3. Smooth Color Blends and Shading.

   Uneven dotty blending of color patchy shading indicate a lazy or inexperienced artist. Color blends and shading should look airbrushed. Good color blends and shading aren't an accident. They require proper machine tuning, needle configuration choice, and a practiced hand. (There is an exception to this. Some Old Skool Art has "California spit", the shading is decoratively dotty, not sloppy. I'm guesing that if you know about California spit, you're a true connoisseur and know how to spot good work already.)



4. Good, quality artwork.

   Good lines, solid fills, and smooth gradients can't overcome a crappy design. You want to make sure that your artist knows how to create quality art. He or she should have a firm grasp of proportion, perspective, color theory and other artistic aspects of tattoo design.



5. Good Expression of Concept.

   This refers to how the artist interprets and translates the design request. It doesn't matter how technically proficient or even how talented he or she is artistically; if he or she cannot create a design that effectively communicates your idea, you'll end with a bad tattoo. In my opinion, tattoo designs should be simple, you should be able to recognize the design from half way across the room. If an artist can't translate your idea into a simple, effective design, it won't look good.

3 Reasons Why Only Idiots Get Lover's Names Tattooed

1. Love can Turn to Hate. If it does you're STUCK with a constant reminder of how that person controlled you. You'll want it removed or covered, both cost money.


2. Names change but tattoos stay the same. You're lover might decide to change his or her name. Hey, it happens. Maybe a celebrity or politician with their name does something despicable. Of course, you'll be stuck with name too and everyone will think you endorse the despicable person. For example, what if you're lover's name was "OJ"?


3. It's a CURSE in the tattoo world. No matter how much you love someone who is living, getting his or her name tattooed on you is almost a guaranteed breakup. I can think of few reasons why this is so. First, getting a name tattooed is a desperate attempt to show the person how much you love him or her. It usually doesn't work and some people get freaked out by it. Second, the name is a kind of BRAND. The person wearing it may realize this later on, leading to resentment.

Satanic Devil Tattoos

Contrary to popular belief a devil does NOT mean you are a SATANIST. I have a Devil Tattoo & I'm a Zennist. Devil tattoos can represent the mischievous little boy or girl inside us all. It doesn't mean that you are evil or anti-religious. Everybody has a little devil in them. It must be honored.

The devil tattoo wearer is having a little fun and it should be taken as such. Even when a tattoo artist paints horns on an angel, it is just their expression of the duality. We are evil and good at the same time.

Devil tattoos in extreme cases may be a form of religious expression, but this is rarely the case. And even most satanist are widely misunderstood. Many of Anton Levey's books are very funny and much more aimed hedonism than midnight blood sacrifices of virgins.

Devil tattoos can also represent the constant temptation that we have in life. Perhaps that's why the mere sight of them can instill the fear of eternal wraith, ironically reminding the wearer to steer clear of sin. Devil and Satan tattoos are also kind of talisman. Since you have evil on you already, evil will leave you alone. This odd logic and superstition are common in the tattoo world. You see it a lot with nautical tattoos. I think the Traditional Rooster & Pig Tattoos exemplify it best.

Lotus Flower Tattoo Design Meaning

From the slime and filth of a murky pond springs the lovely lotus flower. This remarkable feat of transformation ties to many Asian religions especially throughout India. Within Hinduism and Buddhism the lotus flower has become a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life.

For most tattoo enthusiasts, the lotus tattoo celebrates the beauty of life. Like the mighty koi, the symbol represents the struggle of life at its most basic form.

Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who overcome drug use, abuse, depression, and the like. Like the flower they have been in the filth but have risen above this to display their real beauty.

Personally, I think the traditional Japanese rendition looks best for this type of tattoo.