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Help With Deciding On The Right Tattoo

When you have decided that you really want a tattoo and you know of a tattoo artist you are going to use then the next step is deciding on a particular tattoo design that you want. From this point on is where the hard work starts. Finding the tattoo artist is the easy part but deciding on what tattoo you want will take work. There are so many different kinds of tattoos to choose from it actually makes it harder to determine which tattoo to go with. It's also a lot of fun looking at tons of different possible tattoo designs. The type of artwork that you choose will be a personal preference but there are some designs that are more common than others. For example, an angel tattoo design is more popular with men than a rose or butterfly tattoo which is popular with women.
The colors to choose for a tattoo vary widely and all depend on personal preference. Rose tattoos do not have to necessarily be red, but can also be black or white as there are many different meanings with rose colors. Styles of the different tattoos will vary also depending on they type of tattoo.
The angel or devil tattoo will tend to be in larger format with bold dark colors, while a tribal tattoo will have many pieces and black color. A butterfly can be any different colors, sizes and shapes.
Choosing the location of the tattoo is also part of the process. You can have a tattoo put anywhere on the human body and some people will go overboard and place a tattoo in odd places such as the top of the head, under the neck, on fingers, feet and many other places you can think of. What is popular for women might not be as popular for men, such as women love to have tattoos placed on the lower back, upper back or on the ankle, while men tend to have tattoos placed on the upper arm, shoulder or back. It is all a matter of style and what the person likes best. There really is not a wrong place to put a tattoo as long as you like it.
As you can see, the choice of tattoo designs are endless and finding the right tattoo for you may seem like a huge task but of course there are many resources you can use to find the right tattoo.
Using the Internet to start your research may be a good idea as there are many different websites related to tattoo designs. There are many galleries and pictures that you can look through to get an idea of the kinds of tattoos out there. Most sites will try to sell you templates of tattoos, which might be of good use since you can take those templates to your tattoo artist, which in the long run will save you money from having a tattoo artist design a fresh tattoo. This does not mean you cannot have the template modified. The cost will depend on the size and complexity of the tattoo design that you decide to go with. So if you wish for a small tattoo, it might be worth the extra cost for a tattoo artist to create a unique design.
If you do not find any tattoo designs on the internet that you like, you can always go to your tattoo artist and ask for a sketch of a tattoo that you may be thinking about. This of course will cost extra but may be worth it in the long run as once a tattoo is put on the body it's very difficult to get rid of it. Be sure to spend time researching your tattoo and look through as many pictures and designs as possible as it will help you decide what you want.

After finding a tattoo artist you will need to do research to find the tattoo design. Start by looking through directories or galleries of tattoo designs. This will help you find the design you are looking for. Even if you don't know what kind of tattoo design you want, by looking through galleries you will get an idea of what is out there. Angel tattoos are becoming popular among men, along with devil tattoos. But for females you might want to look for rose tattoos or even any kind of lower back tattoo designs.

Tattoo Artists in Oaxaca, Mexico - Lawyer, Fine Arts Graduate Make Strange Bedfellows With Tatuadore

Background to Tattoos & Body Piercing in Oaxaca, Mexico, Through the Eyes of a Lawyer

Lawyer Kaireddyn (Kai) Orta began fabricating his own, rudimentary tools for making tattoos in 1996, while still in high school here in Oaxaca, Mexico. One day a neighbor saw him carrying a shoe box, and asked him what was in it. Kai showed him the adapted motor, needles, ink and other paraphernalia. The neighbor was the recipient of Kai's first tattoo. Kai then began doing tattoos for his schoolmates.

Kai had been interested in tattoos (tatuajes) and body piercing (perforación) since boyhood. It was natural for him, since his father was a history teacher, constantly recounting stories of rituals of Mexico's indigenous populations. There was no shortage of books around the house with images of pre-Hispanic peoples who were accustomed to self-adornment. Kai ate it up.

But throughout Kai's youth, seeing tattoos in the flesh was a rarity. Aside from in books and occasionally coming across a tattooed person on TV, he would only have an opportunity to actually see real live people with tattoos and body piercings when he would catch a glimpse of mainly North American and European tourists walking the streets of downtown Oaxaca, a Mecca for international tourism.

The modern tradition of tattoos and body piercings had been established in countries such as Canada, the US, Spain and Britain, long before it arrived in Mexico. Like so many representations of emerging subcultures, it takes upwards of a decade for them to catch on in Mexico, especially in the more isolated and conservative regions of the country, like Oaxaca.

The state of Oaxaca was by and large physically isolated from the northern half of the country, and indeed the broader world, until the arrival of the pan American highway in the late 1940s. While the odd adventurer would make his way down to Oaxaca between then and the early 1960s, it was the hippie movement later that decade and into the early 1970s which opened up southern Mexico to the concept of North American and European counter-cultures, including tattoos, and then body piercing. However the prevailing sentiment of the Mexican middle classes was that their children should be insulated from foreign youth, and all that its subculture stood for.

Leap forward to the 1990s. Change would begin to emerge in Oaxaca. Tattoos, body piercings and other non-traditional forms of self-expression had begun to be perceived as mainstream throughout the Western World. The silver screen and magazines promoting its pierced and tattooed stars had become commonplace. Oaxaca had to take notice. And that included its older generation, which was then forced to recognize if not accept that the ritualized behavior of their grandchildren (and to a much lesser extent their children) could no longer be equated with something devious, dirty and wrong, simply as a consequence of changing their physical appearance through piercing and painting their bodies, permanently. Many in the Oaxacan youth culture were becoming critical thinkers through higher education, therefore better able to make informed decisions, stand up for them, and celebrate them.

Kai is thirty years old. Practicing law wasn't for him. By the time he had graduated and had a taste of the working world of attorneys (less than a year), he had already become an established tattoo and body piercing artist, with his own studio, albeit quite smaller than his current digs. And besides, most lawyers in Oaxaca do not earn the level of income that provides for a middle class lifestyle, at least by Western standards.

Kai's current studio, Dermographics, in the heart of downtown Oaxaca, consists of:

• The reception area with long desk and computer, tropical fish filled aquariums, display cases with mainly jewelry relating to body piercings, wooden African floor sculptures and masks (as well as a few Mexican masks), a bookcase filled with albums containing drawings and photographs of mainly tattoos, and two comfortable sofas where customers can browse through the "catalogues" at their leisure
• A similarly adorned middle room with supply cases by now of course filled with modern, commercial equipment and supplies, and a small adjoining workroom
• The back room, with chairs and "operating" table, for attending to tattoos and body piercings

"Here in Oaxaca we don't refer to ourselves as 'artistas,' Kai explains. "In the United States there's much greater acceptance of the art form and those who are dedicated to the skill, so in the US and other countries such as Canada it's acceptable to use the term 'tattoo artist.' But in Oaxaca we just refer to ourselves as tatuadores."

Kai & Colleagues Participate in Twelfth Annual Tattoo Fest in Oaxaca, Summer, 2010

During the course of a 3 ½ hour interview at Kai's studio, his friends and fellow tatuadores from Mexico City, Daniel (Tuna) Larios and his girlfriend Angélica (Angy) de la Mora, were in the shop working and otherwise serving customers, while for part of the time Kai was out running errands.

Tattoo Designs, Tattoos, Tribal Tattoos. Choosing Your Tattoo Design Has Never Been Easier

Tattoo Designs
are something you need to think about seriously. Do not make one of the most important decisions of your life an embarrassing mistake. Your choice on tattoo designs, which will be permanently inked into your skin, has to be some sort of tattoo designs that YOU are comfortable with, one that truly rocks and makes heads turn in awe.It can be difficult making that important decision on tattoo designs. It is something you do not want to rush then regret later on.
What you need to know about tattoo designs is that in this day and age tattoos are very common, in fact a study done in 2006 by the American Academy of Dermatology, estimated that roughly 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 50 had at least one to two tattoo designs. Even with tattoos being so common, many people do not know much about them. Tattoos are sometimes still considered odd, questionable and even taboo.

Tattoo Designs are patterns, pictures or markings made by dye inserted into the pores of the skin by perforating the skin with immense caution. People in the Tattoos industry refer to them as tats, work, ink or art. In scientific terms, tattooing is actually micro-pigment implantation.
Globally this type of art practice is gaining approval and many mainstream art and design galleries hold expos of tattoo designs and tattoo pictures. The popular name for tattoo designs is Flash.
Tattoo Designs more often than not reflect the personality of the person wearing them and so they should, they are on your body. Often people search for the tattoos they want in the actual parlor for something that will suit them. It would be hard to choose your tattoo designs from only what is on display in the chosen tattoos parlor. You should do extensive research on tattoo designs first. I have found numerous sites online that offer a plethora of tattoos, tattoo designs, tribal tattoos, pictures and information. The time it took to find as much information and ideas that I could was massive, but worth it in the end as we can be very specific to what we want when deciding on tattoo designs and location to place the tattoos.
Weather it be an extreme concern for your cultural roots or something of significant importance to you, the tattoo designs that you choose will be one of the most important decisions of your life.
I have heard countless horror stories of bad decisions related to tattoo designs. People excited to rush out and get those 'Perfect' tattoos that they saw on their favorite celebrity like Britney Spears, Alyssa Milano, David Beckham or Robbie Williams. Or even seeing some tribal tattoos in a movie like Blade, only to realize after coming out of the parlor that the tattoo designs just do not suit them, or wasn't what they expected. The fact then hits that they are stuck with those tattoo designs for the rest of their lives.
Their problem was a lack of research in tattoo designs and tattoos in general, because the excitement of actually getting some tattoos finally, blurred their judgment and made them hasty to rush out and get those tattoo designs that they saw or thought up and then trying to describe it to the artist. Definitely not the smartest thing to do.
Also the location of your tattoos is key. You must consider some things when thinking of the location of your tattoos. Will others see it easily? Do I want my tattoos to be easily seen by others? Do I want my tattoos in more of a private place so only those close to me would be able to view them? Which body parts hurt more than others? Generally, places that have thinner skin tend to hurt more. These places include, but are not limited to, due to differences in all of our bodies, the ankles, head and the lower back.
Less painful places include the upper arm, back of the shoulder and the chest. And it also depends on your pain threshold when getting tattoos on how bad it will actually hurt.
I bet you have heard of or been with some people who just rock up to the tattoo parlor, look through the tattoo designs in the books and all the pictures of tattoos on the walls, pick something that looks cool and jump right into the chair to get what should be meaningful tattoo designs inked into their skin. They either want to go the extremely cheap option and choose simple tattoos, (more common tattoo designs are generally less expensive `nd take less time) or they have just been out on a heavy night on the Britney Spears - (Beers) and just stumbled into the parlor, only to wake up in the morning wondering why they have a Superman tattoo pic on their butt.
Another really bad mistake.
Do not make these mistakes. Ultimately at the end of the day, it's YOUR body; think about this very important decision. What kind of tattoo designs are you after? What kind of tattoos do YOU really want? Remember, whatever you choose to decide for your tattoo designs and the location on your body, it will last FOREVER!
Make the decision a GREAT one.
Weathdr your looking for tribal tattoos or Celtic tattoo designs, Japanese or Chinese tattoos, exotic or fantasy related tats, superman tattoo pics, Robbie Williams tattoo, Brittany Tattoo, important after care information, choosing a good parlor, artist, safety precautions or even free tattoo designs, you need a source where you can grab everything you could want in one place.

Here is a site that will save you days, weeks and months as it has already researched the BEST the internet has to offer. This will save YOU time and money as it can be your SOURCE of Tattoo Design information. Tattoo Design Universe [http://www.tattoo-design-universe.com]

Expressing Yourself With Tattoos

Have you noticed that there are a lot of people that have Tattoos these days? In the past you may have only seen tattoos on people such as sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs but now tattoos are a very popular body decoration for many people. The types and styles of tattoos has also come a very long way. It is no longer crude pictures of pinup girls, skulls, and anchors. Tattoos have developed into very sophisticated art work ranging from Celtic crosses to very personalized symbols. People have found and created designs that express themselves in a very personal way.

What is a Tattoo?

Very simply a tattoo is a puncture wound made in the skin that is filled with ink. Although done differently today than in the past the technique is still somewhat similar. Today, tattoo artist use a tattoo gun that has one or more needles that penetrate the skin and delivery ink into the skin. Tattoos last a very long time due to the fact that the ink is placed deeply into the skin. The top layer of skins is called the epidermis and it is constantly shedding and being reproduced. If the ink from a tattoo was in this layer of skin it would not last very long. The layer of skin that the ink is injected to is called the dermis, which is a deeper layer of skin that is very stable and makes the tattoo stay visible almost permanently.

Tattoos in the past were done manually with a tool that they tapped on the skin to make the puncture wound and then the ink would be injected by hand. Most tattoo shops today have tattoo guns or machines to do this today, although you can still find areas around the world that still use the older style of tattooing. The tattoo guns make tattooing much more quickly today because the machine is able to deliver the ink into the skin as it is puncturing the skin. The tattoo artist can change the tip of the machine to contain one needle or group of needles depending on if they are drawing the outline of the design or shading part of the design. Most tattoo artist today are very skilled and know just how far to drive the needle into the skin to produce a good tattoo. Not going deep enough can result in ragged tattoo and going to deep can result in excessive bleeding, not to mention the pain would be much worse.

Does It Hurt?

Getting a tattoo can hurt and can take several hours or even days to complete depending on the size and design of the tattoo you are getting. The amount of pain can and will very depending on the location of the tattoo. Everyone has a different threshold to pain also. The art has a bit to do with it also. A good tattoo artist can provide less pain over a new or less experienced tattoo artist.

So you want a Tattoo!

First and foremost, if you are going to get a tattoo, get it done safely! Remember, a tattoo is a puncture wound that needs to be taken care of just like any other scrape or cut that you may get. By taking care of your tattoo you will be less likely to have it get infected. It may sound a little silly but you need to make sure that your immunizations are up to date. Tattoo shops today have implement steps to help you avoid infections and disease but it doesn't hurt to take an extra step for your own safety. Have a plan to get medical care if your tattoo does get infected. Some signs of infection are excessive redness, prolonged bleeding, pus or changes in your skin color around the tattoo.

If you have a prior or existing condition such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes or a condition that effects your immune systems by all means consult with your doctor. He may be able to recommend precautions that you can take before getting your tattoo.

Choosing the place to get your tattoo is very important. You want to be sure the tattoo shop is clean and safe. Things such as needles, gloves, mask should all be disposable and should never be used on more than one person. The guns themselves and other equipment that is not disposable should be sterilized after every use. You can contact your local government agencies(county, city, local health department) that can inform your on licensed tattoo shops, standards or complaints against a specific tattoo shop.

Want a Tattoo?

Before taking the step to have a permanent tattoo affixed to your body, you must first do some thorough thinking. Take into consideration that any tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life and is VERY expensive and painful to remove. Choose the location of the tattoo on your body very carefully. It may be a good idea to wear a non-permanent tattoo for a while to make sure that the tattoo you're getting is exactly the right size and design you want.

Tattoos are reasonably painful to get, but you may stop the tattooist at any time during the procedure, until you feel ready to go on again. Some people feel pain more acutely than others. Most people feel inclined to get another tattoo soon - which is an indication of the bear ability of the pain. Large tattoos are done over a period of time, to give the wearer time to rest after each session. And yes, when the tattooist perforates the skin, there will be moderate bleeding. It is a good idea to be well rested before your first tattoo!

Expensive or Cheap? Good tattoos are expensive BUT nothing looks worse that a botched up tattoo. My advice is to choose a professional artist at a tattoo parlour, pay the extra amount and make sure that you get quality that will last a lifetime. Your tattoo artist should use a transfer sheet to transfer the image onto your body before starting to add on the colours...

Hygiene? Going hand in hand with choosing a professional tattooist, is making sure that your tattoo is done with all the hygienic safety precautions in place. A professional tattooist will show and explain to you all the safety precautions that are taken. It is a good idea to shop around beforehand to be able to cut out dodgy tattooists. See our article about safety precautions.

Aftercare Aftercare should be prescribed to eliminate infection of the wounds and allow proper healing. In some countries underage tattooing is not allowed and special permission has to be given to tattoo mentally incapable people. It is advised to make use of well trained and professional tattoo artists and precaution must be taken by the client to make sure that tattooing is done only under the most hygienic circumstances. The responsibility ultimately lies with the client to make sure that all the safety precautions are adhered to. Click here for link to tattooing equipment for sale There are no hard and fast rules concerning immediate aftercare of a tattoo. It is advised though, to keep it as sterile as possible while it heals. Specially developed tattoo ointments are recommended, but there is consensus that gentle cleaning with soap and water is recommended. gentle anti bacterial ointment can be applied if the special tattoo ointments are not available.

Care must be taken not to use too much water for rinsing, though as this could also wash out tattoo inks or soften scabs before they naturally fall off. If a tattoo gets infected, the chances of distortion of the image are very good due to the formation of scar tissue and the loss of pigments. Two of the tattoo taboos are to remove scabs before the skin sheds them naturally and exposure to the sun is not advised. Tattoos frequently exposed to the sun will also have to be redone or touched up sooner then those not exposed - so stay out the sun - even after your tattoo has healed! Picking off scabs will remove the ink as well before it has set in and the sun tends to bleach tattoo inks. A tattoo looks at it's best when the maximum ink remains imbedded in the skin.

Keeping a tattoo moisturised for the first two months after the first week of initial healing will keep your tattoo looking better for longer as the tattood area tends to become very dry during this stage. Keeping it moisturised will aso prevent scabbing and scarring. Allergic reactions to t`ttoo inks have been reported, but is very rare. It is recommended that a small patch of skin is subjected to the ink, before attempting a tattoo, especially facial tattoos, such as make-up tattoos. A program was introduced in Canada to legalize Prison tattooing. Inmates are trained and equipped with the right instruments to do tattooing properly - eliminating the chances of infection and disease spreading.

The History of tattoo's

Tattoos are hot, modern day body art and fashion accessories. Tattoos have been around for ages and still are a cultural icon Everyone wears them, from the celebs to the everyday moms and dads. Ladies, especially, have become very aware of the appeal that a well placed tattoo can have lower back tattoos, small and secret little tattoos, flower tattoos and many more, are meant to surprise and please and decorate and so it does too, otherwise it wouldn't have been that popular!

Tattoos dating back to the second millennium before Christ have been noted on mummies as body decoration. Tattooing has been an ongoing practice since about ten thousand years ago in Japan as evidence shows. Different ancient traditions and cultures have been identified by the types of tattoos that they made use of.

Tattoos have been a popular form of body art for thousands of years in Europe and Asia. With the spread of Christianity in Europe and the effort to convert tribal people with traditional cultures that involved ritual tattooing, to Western religions and cultures, the use of tattoos almost completely disappeared in Europe for a while, because it was considered a pagan practice. Europeans to see tattoos again after it had lost its popularity for so many years, were Captain Cook and his sailors when they visited the Marquesas Islands in the 18th Century. Captain Cook described the tattoos as markings and said that the Polynesians called it "Tataw". The sailors who were on the journey with him reinstated the art in Europe, where it soon was reinstated as a popular form of body-art. Sailors, especially, were associated with tattoos At the time tattooing was a common custom outside of Europe and until today tattooing is a tradition amongst indigenous peoples around the world.

Tattoo Mistakes - How To Avoid Them

Every day, thousands of new tattoos are completed, but unfortunately for many people their tattoo does not meet their expectations. And while it's possible to make a tattoo fade using laser removal technology, it's time consuming, costly and painful. So here's how to avoid the most common mistakes that people make with tattoos.

1) Never Agree To Get A Tattoo When You're In The Wrong State Of Mind

Getting a tattoo when you're in the wrong frame of mind is a shortcut to disaster.

So don't even think about getting tattooed when you're drunk, depressed or under pressure (it's not a good enough reason just because all your friends are getting one, or have got one). And don't get a tattoo done on a whim.

You know it's a whim when you find yourself in a tattoo studio and you hadn't even considered getting a tattoo the night before!

It's good to be spontaneous, but not with something that will last you the rest of your life. So before you get a tattoo, always ask yourself "Do I want to get this tattoo?"

And keep asking yourself that question every day for a fortnight. And only after you genuinely answer yes every day, do you go anywhere near a tattoo parlour.

2) Choose The Right Design

Choosing the right design is absolutely vital to the amount of pleasure you get from your tattoo.

Let's face it, if you want a dragon, you won't be happy with a flower design. And if you want a large tattoo, you won't be happy with a small design.

So don't compromise on what you want. The final choice of tatoo design must be yours and not that of your friends, partner of tattoo artist. After all, you're the one who'll have to live with it.

It should be a piece of artwork that you absolutely love. And something that you're certain you'll continue to love for years into the future.

Another mistake that many people make is believing the they have to select a design offered by their chosen tattoo studio. If you choose a reputable artist, they'll be able to create a tattoo from any design that you take along with you.

In fact, this is one of the best ways to get the right tattoo.

Browse the internet where you can find thousands of high quality tattoo designs to choose from. Most cost less than $20. Take time from the comfort of your own home to decide which design you want. Take a few days to think about the designs that you like. Then, once you've made up your mind, print out both the color reference guide and the tattoo stencil and take them to your chosen artist.

This option is much more relaxed, and you're much more likely to select the right design. It certainly beats picking a design on the spot when you're waiting in the tattoo studio.

3) Cheap Isn't Always Best

Whatever happens, make sure that you select a high quality stencil for your tattoo design.

All high quality tattoo designs consist of two parts, the main tattoo design which includes the color reference, and a matching stencil of the design.

What many people don't realise, is that the stencil is applied directly to your skin by the tattooist using a machine caller a "liner".

So don't be tempted to do things on the cheap. Buy a quality tattoo stencil (most cost less than $20). Trying to create a tattoo from the color reference design or trying to trace a stencil is a shortcut to a tattoo disaster.

A poor stencil will always lead to a poor tattoo. Traced stencils are not accurate and will translate into a shaky looking design. Regardless of how good they are, a tattoo artist can only quality work from a quality stencil.

4) Test Your Tattoo First

Okay, you've found the tattoo design that you want, but you're not sure where to place it and what size to go for. Do you take a risk?

No. There are millions of people around the world who wish they'd chosen a slightly different tattoo design, gone slightly bigger, or placed it further to the left etc.

So if you want to avoid adding to these regrets, it's important to test your tattoo before you take the plunge.

It's now possible to get special tattoo test paper that will allow you to turn your design into a temporary test tattoo. Just print your chosen design onto the test paper and apply it to your skin.

Then it just a case of living with it for a day to two and forming your own opinion. How does it make you feel? Are you happy with the size and the position that you've selected? Does it catch your eyeline when you're not looking at it? Is it distracting? And then comes the big question; ask yourself, "could I live with this for the rest of my life?"

Testing your intended tattoo is the only way to confirm whether you've made the right decision.

An Honest Tattoo Designs US Review - Is it Worth Your Cash?

Getting and choosing a tattoo is a big decision to make. Especially since you're going to be living with the one you choose for a long, long time. So, it might be best to take a long good look at tattoo designs before settling on one.
It might take a while, but the important thing is that you get a tattoo that you will love for the rest of your life. However, the search for tattoos is no longer as hard as it used to be. There are a multitude of tattoo sites that showcase unique designs, allowing you to download the patterns before taking them to your favorite tattoo studio.
One of the popular tattoo sites getting reviews is the Tattoo US Designs.  A jaunt on the site will reveal a collection of more than 3,000 tattoo designs. The designs are segregated into 40 categories, some of which are:

• Alien Tattoos
• Eagle Tattoos
• Religious Tattoos
• Angel Tattoos
• Evil Tattoos
• Animal Tattoos
• Fairy Tattoos
• Scorpion Tattoos
• Aztec Tattoos
• Fantasy Tattoos
• Shoulder Tattoos
• Bird Tattoos
• Flag Tattoos
• Skull Tattoos
• Butterfly Tattoos
• Flash Tattoos
• Snake Tattoos
• Cartoon Tattoos
• Flower Tattoos
• Star Tattoos
• Character Tattoos
• Girl Tattoos
• Sun Tattoos
• Celtic Tattoos
• Heart Tattoos
• Symbol Tattoos
• Chinese Tattoos
• Indian Tattoos
• Tiger Tattoos
• Cross Tattoos
• Japanese Tattoos
• Tribal Tattoos
• Demon Tattoos
• Letters Tattoos
• Wings Tattoos
• Devil Tattoos
• Lion Tattoos
• Zodiac Tattoos
• Dolphin Tattoos
• Dragon Tattoos
• Panther Tattoos

Add to that, they also have these three great bonuses for the members. The first one is the "Phrase Creator Widget" that successfully translates any English word or phrase into Arabic, Chinese or Hebrew.
This widget in itself is already great since you can translate your favorite phrases cool tattoo ink. Tattoo virgins can get a glimpse of what their favorite phrases would look like in ink and that in itself holds a special pull.
Bonus two is an audio book that contains everything you need to know about tattoos. Information ranges from choosing a tattoo parlor to picking your perfect tattoo. The third bonus is the "Got Ink?" eBook which contains a multitude of information for tattoo enthusiasts.
Tattoo US Designs also provides a quality guarantee and a full refund in 8 weeks or 56 days in any event that you can't find the tattoo design you want. Not a bad offer, and with the amount of choices, it won't be a problem taking your pick on all these tattoos. The site also has a sneak preview for those who want to take a look at the designs before enlisting themselves and includes an eBook titled "You and Your Tattoo".
Regardless of what you pick, remember that tattoos are one way of telling people about you without uttering a single word. And it's not just the tattoo design, the ink's placement in which body part, the size, the color - these things all add up into defining a person wearing the tattoo. A tattoo is not purely for aesthetic reasons, it's a statement. Good luck on finding that perfect tattoo, have fun and look awesome!

101 Tattoo Facts

1: An Ohio restaurant specializing in cheeseburgers offers a lifetime 25% discount for anyone who has a tattoo of a cheeseburger and at an unrelated tattoo studio in a nearby town, they're offering a 25% discount on cheeseburger tattoos- Sounds suspicious.
2: Tattoos are rarely done in ink, what is commonly called inks, are actually suspended solid color particles, mostly metal salts and plastics, but not vegetable dyes as commonly believed.
3: There are no reported cases of HIV infection from a tattoo in the U.S., but there are three from dentist's offices.
4: More women than men are getting tattooed today.
5: Tattoos are considered a minor medical procedure.
6. Until 2006 it was illegal to get a tattoo in Oklahoma
7: Lucky Diamond Rich of New Zealand is the most tattooed person in the world, and after running out of space, has started putting lighter tattoos on top of the darker ones, and vice versa.
8: Robbie "the coon" Koch recently broke the world's record by inking 577 tattoos in 24 hrs. The old record was held by Kat Von D of the television show, "LA Ink." Update- Hollis Cantrell actually owns the record as of 2009 (801 tattoos) but Robbie the coon sounded better. Hollis's final tattoo was on his thigh.
9: The first recorded tattoo is believed to have been found on a mummified iceman in 3300 BC. He had 58 tattoos, mostly dots and lines.
10: In 1876 Thomas Edison invented a machine that ultimately became the tattoo machine, but it took modifications by Samuel O'Reilly in 1891 to adapt the device for tattooing.

11: The record for the longest tattoo session is 43 hours and 50 minutes and was completed by the very observant and talented artist Melanie Grieveson, of Australia. The tattooed was Stephen Grady.
12: In 2005 Kimberly Smith was paid $10,000 to have Golden Palace.Com tattooed on her forehead by the casino, to help pay for her daughter's education. The casino is noted for its outlandish promotions.
13: Thomas Edison had five dots tattooed on his left forearm, similar to the dots on dice.
14: Lip tattoos only last 1 to 5 years and need to be frequently retouched, the most common a cosmetic lip liner.
15: The second most common reason for tattoo removal is mistranslation.
16: In 2010 Channel will unveil its new line of fashionable temporary tattoos. The set of 55 tattoos sells for $75.
17: Most Tattoo machines hold between 1 and 10 needles and some ancient methods using rakes hold up to 27.
18: Anil Gupta is considered NYC's most expensive tattoo artist at over $350 per hour.
19: In the majority of cases, the outline of a tattoo shouldn't bleed at all, and the shading for only a few minutes.
20: As of 2006, 1 in 4 women aged 18 to 50 have at least one tattoo.

21: U.S. President James Polk is said to be the first white man to have a Chinese character as a tattoo.
22: A brothel in Cologne, Germany is offering any patron who gets a tattoo of the businesses logo, by their in house artist, free entrance for life ($6.25 US) and discounts on lap dances ($25.00 US. ea)
25: The word "tattoo" has been in the top ten searched terms since Lycos started tracking search engines.
26: Democrats are more likely to have a tattoo then republicans, 18% to 14%.
27: January 23, 2010. A new US Marine Corp directive prohibits anyone with a full sleeve tattoo from becoming an officer. It also prohibits tattoos on the hands, wrists, fingers, and the inside of the mouth.
28: July 17th, 2009. 18 year old Kimberly Vlaminck sues a Romanian tattoo artist over the 56 stars that she awoke to, scattered across her face, 53 more than see asked for. She later admitted that she lied in the lawsuit and had asked for all fifty six.
29: Blues singer Janis Joplin had a wristlet tattoo and a small heart on her left breast.
30: In Oregon, it is a felony to practice tattooing without a license or in an unlicensed shop.

31: Heiress and socialite Paris Hilton had one tattoo to her credit, the name of then boyfriend Nick Carter on her right butt cheek. It has since been removed by laser.
32: The traditional Samoan tattoo, pe'a, covering the body from mid torso to the knees, takes 3 months to complete and up to 1 year to fully heal. A typical session lasts from dawn till dusk, or until the pain becomes too great, and resumes the next day unless the skin needs a few days to heal.
33: In a 2002 survey, 8 of the top 10 voted, "most beautiful people in the world" had tattoos.
34: Tattoos done today don't turn blue when they age, unless they were originally blue, the inks are much more stable.
35: The first occurrence of the word tattoo in the Oxford English Dictionary came in 1769 and is credited to Captain John Cook.
36: A rooster tattooed on one leg and a pig on the other is said to protect a sailor from drowning. Neither animal can swim.
37: Queen Kamamalu of Hawaii (1808-1824) was the first woman to have her tongue tattooed.
38: Most tattoo artists will not tattoo a pregnant woman.
39: Some tattoo artists claim that if you shield a new tattoo from sunlight for the first two years it will remain brighter and clearer for decades.
40: Over 40 million people in the U.S. have tattoos.

41: 26% of Americans with a tattoo say they make them feel more attractive, with women voting that way almost 2 to 1 over men.
42: Tommy Lee of Motley Crue holds the record for highest altitude tattoo, having been inked in 2008 at 45,000 feet. The tattoo was said to cost $150,000 dollars.
43: 73 year old Isobel Valley, the world's most tattooed women, has every square inch of her body tattooed, except her face, and also has fifty piercings, 15 of which are visible. The majority of the piercings are below the belt because she wants to jingle when she walks, she says.
44: An increasing number of people are having medical alerts tattooed to aid doctors in case of an emergency.
45: 43 year old former soldier Shawn Clark has the names of all 232 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan tattooed on his back.
46: At one time red ink was known to fade; not so with today' inks.
47: The title of The "Hardy Boys" #47 is "The Mystery of the Whale Tattoo."
48: When Cortez landed on the Mexican coast in 1519 he was horrified to find the natives practicing devil worshiping and had somehow permanently marked images of their idols on their skin. He called it the work of the devil.
49: A tattoo of an anchor on a sailor indicates they have sailed across the Atlantic.
50: One third of Americans with tattoos say they make them feel sexier.

Tattoo After Care

It may be your first time, or it may be your tenth time, but in every case, you should review your tattoo after care instructions prior to getting your new tattoo. You might wonder about the logic about looking at the instructions before getting your new tattoo, but it is like baking a cake, you just don't want to make any mistakes with these instructions because new tattoos are open wounds and susceptible to infection.

You must be attentive to your new tattoo, and keep it as clean as possible to ensure that it heals as cleanly as possible so you prevent infection and end up with the nicest looking tattoo possible.

While the healing stages of a tattoo will be as unique to each individual as there are people in this world, the tattoo healing process does follow a general pattern. The specifics of each tattoo's healing process will depend on the different skin type of the individual, the location of the tattoo on the body, an the techniques of the tattoo artist. These factors can all cause a variance in the healing process from individual to individual.

You will be given aftercare instructions by your tattoo artist. These aftercare instructions differ from artist to artist. My recommendation to you is if in doubt about anything, always go back to your tattoo artist before seeking the help of a doctor. Your tattoo artist can take a look at your tattoo and tell what to do if their is a problem to correct any healing problems.

If your tattoo artist cannot help, they should send you for medical attention from a doctor. If they do not, then of course, you must go yourself to make certain that your health is not at risk. This is your responsibility.

Many times doctors don't know much about tattoos and will prescribe unnecessary medications that may harm your tattoo's healing process. Some doctors may even be biased against tattoos. That is why I suggest that you go to the tattoo artist first if you suspect their is a healing problem with your new tattoo. The artist works with tattoos day in and day out and is familiar with the best way to heal their work.

When you leave the tattoo studio, you will have a bandage on your new tattoo to protect it from outside contact. This bandage should be removed 2- 3 hours after getting your tattoo. Your tattoo may bleed a little for the first 24 hours, remember, your new tattoo is akin to an open wound.

Before you remove your bandage, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water, in between the fingers, and under the fingernails. Then dry your hands with a clean paper towel. Do not use any old towel that is laying there, or even a clean towel as lint may be transferred to your hands.

Make sure you have not let a large amount of blood dry on your bandage so that it sticks. Be very, very gentle as you remove your bandage so as not to start the tattoo bleeding again. If you just rip off your bandage, you can mess up the appearance of your new tattoo, and you don't want to do that, now do you?

Wash your tattoo gently, very gently with anti-bacterial soap and water to clean it. Do not scrub your tattoo, do not use a washcloth, or anything else other than your fingers or hand to clean the tattoo. Do not rub, but "pat" the tattoo as you wash it. Then, when you are finished, pat the tattoo dry with a clean dry paper towel. Or, use clean toilet paper even, if you don't have any paper towels on hand.

Let your tattoo air dry for 15 minutes or so. This will promote healing.

After your tattoo has dried, apply a few drops of Emu Oil to your tattoo. The presence of essential fatty acids along with the hyper-oxygenation of Emu Oil naturally increases the circulation to the applied area which is why Emu Oil works so well and so quickly to heal.

Even though it is an oil, it has been proved that Emu Oil does not clog pores (unlike most commercially made tattoo aftercare products that are petroleum based), therefore allowing the skin to breathe during the healing process. Emu Oil penetrates through all seven layers of the skin and is rich in nutrients (essential fatty acids) that feed the skin to aid in new cell development that can hasten the healing process. Emu Oil is also a natural emollient keeping the skin moist and pliable.

The application of the Emu Oil immediately after the tattoo has been cleaned will also relieve the discomfort and reduce the inflammation and redness of the new tattoo. Emu Oil will help set the new colors due to its deep penetrating properties and will help reduce plasma oozing.

Using Emu Oil 2-3 times a day after repeating the cleaning process while the tattoo heals will keep the area moist reducing or eliminating the flaking or scabbing that often occurs as new tattoos heal. Emu Oil can prevent the need for touch ups which saves the artist time and money, and makes for a happy tattoo customer.

New tattoos will look red and swollen immediately following the tattoo procedure. The tattoo will continue to appear this way for a few days throughout the tattoo healing process. Within a week to ten days the skin surrounding the tattoo should be more back to normal - most tattoos are completely healed in three weeks time.

While it is healing it is important not to do the following things or you may damage your tattoo:

- Do Not scratch your new tattoo

- Do Not pick at your new tattoo

- Do Not expose your tattoo to sunlight or tanning beds under any circumstances

- No swimming, hot tubs or baths the first two weeks after getting your new tattoo

- Do Not shave the tattooed area for at least 30 days following the tattoo procedure

- Only touch your tattoo with clean hands, do not let others touch your tattoo

Not only is Emu Oil good for healing new tattoos, it is good for restoring older, aged, sun damaged tattoos as well. This is due to the natural hyper-oxygenation of Emu Oil which brings blood and oxygen to the surface of the skin. This, coupled with Emu Oil's ability to moisturize through all seven layers of the skin, allows users to see quick results when the oil is applied to older tattoos.