Warning: 5 Risks Scratchers Don't Want your to Know About

Tattoos aren't for everyone. There's no shame in wondering the world without ink. If you're considering a tattoo here are five risks to consider.

1. Allergic reactions

   Tattoo dyes — especially red dye — can cause allergic skin reactions, resulting in an itchy rash and other skin irritations at the tattoo site. This may occur even years after you get the tattoo. Also, the ink may just fall out as your body rejects it. If you're concerned about having a reaction to the ink, get a Black and Grey Tattoo (without white highlights). Black ink is super safe.
   

2. Skin infections

   Tattoos can lead to local bacterial infections, characterized by redness, swelling, pain and a pus-like drainage. This is usually the result of bad aftercare. As long as you follow proper aftercare instructions this shouldn't be a problem. If your tattoo does get infected, see a doctor sooner then later. I have a few posts about how to spot infections.
   

3. Other skin problems

   Sometimes bumps called granulomas form around tattoo ink — especially red ink. Tattooing can also lead to raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue (keloids). This is rare, but does happen on occasion. It's something to think about, especially if you're a getting something with a lot of red in it like a rose.

4. Bloodborne diseases

   It's almost impossible to contract a bloodborne disease in state with strict regulations such as Oregon. Even so, there's a minute chance. If you see your artist using dirty equipment, LEAVE. Infections are very RARE in a shop, but transmission could happen from a base scratch-er. Since tattoo needles bust open your skin, opening the crimson flow of your circulatory system, dirty equipment can infect you with blood-borne pathogens, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus and HIV.
   

5. MRI complications

   Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup may cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases — such as when a person with permanent eyeliner has an MRI of the eye — tattoo pigments may interfere with the quality of the image. This is most likely from inks/dyes that use minerals such as brown, red, blue, and "mixed green" (it has blue in it--you know yellow and blue make green.)

Medication or other treatment may be needed if you develop an allergic reaction, infection or other skin problem. In some cases, the tattoo may need to be removed. Keep in mind that tattoo inks are classified as cosmetics, so they aren't regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

IN OREGON YOUR ARTIST IS OBLIGATED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THESE RISKS BEFORE EVERY TATTOO PROCEDURE. It's the law.

3 Myths about Tattoo Ink (Really Tattoos Dyes)

1. Myth#1 Tattoos use Ink

   Nope! Tattoos use dyes, ink is a mouth worm. With INK, the pigment sits on the surface of the substrate; with dyes, the pigment sinks into the substrate. Since your skin is the substrate in tattooing, your skin is being dyed--the stencil or marker drawing on the surface is INK, but NOt the actual tattoo. Of course, getting inked sounds way better than get dyed.

2. Myth #2 Tattoo ink is Regulated by the FDA

   There are NO FDA regulations for tattoo ink. The FDA considers the inks used in intradermal tattoos, including permanent makeup, to be cosmetics. The actual practice of implanting inks/dyes is regulated by local jurisdictions. In Oregon, the only requirement for Ink is that it is purchased from a "commercial manufacturer":
   (6) Inks, dyes, or pigments must be purchased from a commercial supplier or manufacturer. Products banned or restricted by the Food and Drug Administration must not be used.
   OHLA Link to Tattoo Ink Rule
   

3. Myth #3 Laser Tattoo Removal Always Works

   Despite advances in laser technology, removing a tattoo is a painstaking process, usually involving several treatments and considerable expense. But even laser removals fails sometimes. Some colors such as RED, BLUE, and GREEN cannot be fully removed. BLACK IS USUALLY THE EASIEST PIGMENT TO REMOVE WITH LASERS. If the artist went too deep or the tattoo got infected, removal without scarring may be impossible.

To find out more about Tattoo Safety visit FDA.Gov

Don't Let Corporations Infect your Skin

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Getting a corporate logo tattooed is stupidest idea ever. Not only do corporations change, but so do you. What if Ebeneezer Scrooge had gotten "Money Over Bitches" in a fine hand lettered script? There would be no Christmas Carol. He would have died in a lonely cold grave, overtaken by Ignorance and Want.

Corporate logos and memes are the epitome of slavery. Did you know that the term "brand", as in a the Google Brand is the SAME as the Cattle brands charred deep into Cattle? It's a sign of ownership. When you wear a brand, not only are paying to advertise for the company, but you're also telling the world that company owns you.

Beware of Back Room, Basement Scratchers

Fifty bucks and an E-Bay account are all it takes to get your hands on some machines and ink. These cheap, Chinese, home tattoo kits are serious danger to personal and public health. Everyday some drunk, mentally ill, or meth.ed out scratcher busts out the "tattoo gun" and takes aim. (BTW, tattoo "gun" is a term that untrained artists use; the correct term is "tattoo machine" or "irons".)

Dim lighting, filthy dust, smoke, and soot floating over the suspiciously stained torn pillows and the shaky hands of the "artist" ravage the skin the world over. When by some miracle of God, the tattoo doesn't get infected, the craftsmanship is far from stellar. Good work takes more than a steady hand, machines,and ink. The art of tattooing is a craft. The quality of the artwork is but one part of the craft. Machine settings such as spring tension, needle configuration, and technique all conspire to either breath life or death into your work. Tattooing is NOT something you just do. It takes training, practice, and dedication to achieve professional level work.

Is your local tattoo pro responsible their for cleaning up the damaged skin from a terrible “tattoo”? Most artists offer cover-ups. But even pro tattooers are not created equally. Cover-ups, in my opinion, are a specialty. Usually, it is impossible to completely cover old work. Some artist can achieve very good results through multiple sessions. Yes, black can be covered in about three sessions of color.

Often the goal of a cover up is to disguise the crappy work. The only other option is laser removal. But lasers can't remove scars from staph or from needles that plunge too deep.

Save your skin, don't get a basement home tattoo. Go to a shop, check out the artists portfolio, and THINK BEFORE YOU INK.

The Tattoo Shop in Sandy, OR Irie Tribe Glass & Gifts

I used to work at Irie Tribe Glass & Gifts, also known as Irie Ink or Irie Tribe Ink, the only tattoo in Sandy, OR.

I no longer work there. Because I practice Zen, I will not dive into the dirty details of why I left that shop. I wash my hands of that place. I wish the owner, Justin Kruckman, the staff, and the tattoo artists there the best.

For a time I was at Voodoo Tattoo. The shop is a trip, full of New Orleans signs, doors, beads, skulls, and crows. The ambiance cannot be matched. The girls that work the counter are friendly and not hard on the eyes, if you know what I mean. But I was a ship in the stormy seas of Willow Sparrow when I worked there; loud claps of thunder, bright flashes of lightening, sharp rain blasting in the cold wind. Every once in a while, a clear sunny day. But the storms were too much. Never knew when they'd come, how long they'd last, or how severe. Tragic, really. Voodoo Tattoo could be a great shop.

So, far there's only one shop where I would actually work. Graveyard Tattoos in Clackamas, OR. Allan and Bob are solid artists. They could definitely, use a Web site re-design though.

Graveyard Tattoos is clean, well lighted, and offers a safe, interesting tattoo experience. Bob puts flash from his students and his artist on the wall.

In fact, I got my first professional tattoos from Graveyard Tattoos when I was learning the art of tattooing there as a student. Overall, it's a professional environment, but still has the essential elements of real tattoo shop. And it's right across the street from Fantasy Adult Shop (inside joke.)

Excellent Source for Great Tattoo Designs

Simplicity at its best. Don't be fooled by the coloring book title. These designs are an awesome starting point for your artist. Each one has clean line-work and solid design that will last years to come.





Some art schools use this as a reference for tattoo arts. It has thousands of highly tattoo-able and easily modifiable designs. I highly recommend this book to tattoo enthusiasts, not only for variety of subject, but also for its unique style.

Tattoo Blog Back in Action

I converted my WordPress blog to Blogger. We're up and running again. Soon, I will add a custom domain.