Art of Body Painting

Tattoo designs have become a passion among the people and have started to spread its branches wide. It seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to modern designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos.

The adornment of tattoo designs was earning popularity before. But in the recent days, the art of tattoo design learning have gained familiarity among the people. Tattoo has been around for a long time. Throughout history, tattoos were worn as a decoration. A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that's filled with ink. It's made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area, usually creating some sort of design. Maybe you've thought about getting one. But before you head down to the nearest tattoo shop and roll up your sleeve, there are a few things you need to know.

Tattoos used to be done manually — that is, the tattoo artist would puncture the skin with a needle and inject the ink by hand. Though this process is still used in some parts of the world, most tattoo shops use a tattoo machine these days. A tattoo machine is a handheld electric instrument that uses a tube and needle system. On one end is a sterilized needle, which is attached to tubes that contain ink. A foot switch is used to turn on the machine, which moves the needle in and out while driving the ink about 1/8 inches (about 3 millimeters) into your skin. The outline will be cleaned with antiseptic soap and water. The tattoo artist will clean and disinfect the to-be-tattooed area. Any blood will be removed by a sterile, disposable cloth or towel. When finished, the area, now sporting a finished tattoo, will be cleaned once again and a bandage will be applied.

Think Twice
If you're thinking about getting a tattoo, there is one very important thing you have to keep in mind — getting it done safely. Although it might look a whole lot cooler than a big scab, a new tattoo is also a wound. It's very important to make sure the tattoo studio is clean and safe, and that all equipment used is disposable (in the case of needles, gloves, masks, etc.) and sterilized (everything else). Make sure the tattoo studio has an autoclave. If you have a medical problem such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes, skin disorders, a condition that affects your immune system, or infections — or if you are pregnant — ask your doctor if there are any special concerns you should have or precautions you should take beforehand. Also, if you're prone to getting keloids it's probably best to avoid getting a tattoo altogether.

Easy Way of getting Tattoo
For those tattoo lovers who cant take pain of needle. Temporaray tattoos are not true tattoos in that they don't result in permanent pigmentation of the skin, but they can produce a similar appearance for some short amount of time. The most common style of temporary tattoo is a type of body sticker. These tattoos are generally applied to the skin using water to temporarily transfer the design to the surface of the skin. Although, temporary tattoos themselves are waterproof they can be removed easily with oil-based creams and only last a few days. They are popular with children. Today's temporary tattoos use vegetable dyes and a layer of glue similar to what is found in an adhesive bandage.

How to Care of a Tattoo
To make sure your tattoo heals properly the last step is taking care of it fully. Don’t touch the tattooed area and don’t pick at any scabs that may form. Keep a bandage on the area for up to 24 hours. Wash the tattoo with an antibacterial soap and use a soft towel to dry the tattoo — just pat it dry and be sure not to rub it. Put an ice pack on the tattooed area if you see any redness or swelling. Try not to get the tattoo wet until it fully heals. Keep your tattoo away from the sun until it's fully healed.

If you're outside often it's recommended that you always wear a sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 on the tattoo. This not only protects your skin, but keeps the tattoo from fading.

So enjoy this body art but be careful also.