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Tattoos – A Body Art - Procedure


Procedure

The electric tattoo machine used in all the licensed tattoo parlors ensures safe and hygenic tattooing.

Tattoos are a part of the tribal culture. From etching designs on the skin in order to beautify them with ashes or ink, to using sharp sticks or bones, the tribals had a way of going about their tattooing. The indigenous people of Japan still use hand tools made of bamboo or steel to create the design. They call this method of tattooing “Tebori”.

The original tattoo machine was invented by Samuel O’ Reilly in 1891. It was based on the rotary technology of the electric engraving device, invented by Thomas Alva Edison. The electric tattoo machine, which is commonly used in modern times, is a far cry from the original model and makes use of electromagnetic coils. Ink is placed into the skin layers by groups of needles attached to a bar. This in turn is fixed to an oscillating unit which repeatedly drives the needles, 80-150 times a second, in and out of the skin. The number of needles depend on the size of the tattoo and the type of shading required.

A home-based method is "stick and poke". Here, a sewing needle is taken and is wrapped in a thread soaked in ink, leaving just the tip protruding. Using this simple instrument the skin is pricked repeatedly to generate a design.

Early humans depended on Nature to obtain ink for tattooing and for this reason the variety of pigments available was extremely limited. Today, an unimaginable variety of colors and shades of tattoo ink are mass-produced to be sold to tattoo parlors all over the globe.These dyes and pigments are derived from titanium oxide, iron oxide, carbon black, azo dyes, acridine and a wide assortment of inorganic and organic material. It is common for tattoo artists to mix and match pigments to arrive at unique colors.

Water proof brands are an all time favorite.The ‘flavor’ of the times, as seen by its overwhelming popularity, is Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS plastic).

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A tattoo artist must take care to wash his hands thoroughly before tattooing, so as not to pass on an infection into the raw wound.The body part that needs to be tattooed has to be carefully washed. The artist should wear gloves while carrying out the procedure and the wound must be wiped, at frequent intervals, with a wet disposable towel.

The time taken to carry out a procedure depends on the complexity of the design and the skill of the artist. Prices vary depending on the intricacy involved in the tattoo, its location on the body, the experience and skill of the artist and the geographical location.

Temporary tattoos are a great option for ‘the wary’ and for children as they look very ‘real’and do not involve permanent alterations. They range from water-proof stickers to those made from vegetable dyes, such as henna and last for a short while, from days to a few weeks.

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