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Tattoos are everywhere and everyone is getting them from teens to grandmas. You probably already know that tattoos are decorations on the skin like symbols, signs, and letters that are made by puncturing the outer layer of the skin and injecting color. Usually tattoo guns are the method of choice to apply them as they move fast and can puncture the skin fast.
They have many types of tattoo guns on the market and they all have very sharp needles. There are even guns out there that have more than one needle but they aren't very useful for making tight lines or intricate designs. Guns with single needles are the best to use, however you must change the needle after every use. Needles must be disposed of properly and can be a cause of disease and infection if used on more than one person.
Other tattoo types are known as "jailhouse tattoos". These sorts of ink are made by incarcerated inmates who use homemade tattoo guns out of materials that they can find. Jailhouse tattoo artists will make their own tattoo guns out of batteries and ink pens, however these sorts of tattoos can lead to infection and aren't very safe. Just like a regular tattoo gun, the jailhouse tattoo gun will puncture the skin, although these types of homemade guns will pull and tear at the skin while going too deep with the ink and ripping the skin.
When the skin is jerked and ripped it leads to a very poor looking design that appears smudged. Also if the ink goes too deep in the skin it can cause an infection. Deep inked tattoos look terrible, especially if they puncture the third layer of skin. Jailhouse ink is usually applied to prove that you've done time and maintain your street credibility, but they aren't safe or recommended.
Color is important in any tattoo, however black and white are the most often used colors. They require an equal balance of color and the right shape. Also if you choose a design that follows the contours of your body, your tattoo will look even more impressive. And for that reason, you should always have one applied by someone who is very experienced.
Tattoos are technically a form a body modification and include micro pigment implantation. They are inked designs, usually symbolic or decorative that are permanently placed under your skin. While tattoos have been around for hundreds of years, the tattoo gun is a relatively common technique of application. In history, tattoos were applied with needles and ink and at a high risk of infection. However even if you do use a sterile gun by a professional artist wearing gloves, there is still always risk of infection because you're opening the skin.
Getting a tattoo is an exciting moment for those who crave the pleasure and pain of being inked or pierced. But when getting inked, one always must be aware of safety.
Make sure to research out the tattoo shop or shops for safety precautions. They should have a clean atmosphere, and must know how to follow proper procedures. The entire shop must have the proper resources to run a shop. Otherwise do not acquire their services under any circumstance.
The artist must have proper tattoo or piercing equipment. They must be aware of a clean tattoo gun, and how mandatory it is when they ink the customer. Cleaning their tattoo gun is a must, to avoid infectious diseases on the customer. When dealing with piercers, they must have proper piercing equipment. The piercing needles must be fresh, or else the odd of getting diseases is high. Clean equipment must be shown, as using fresh needles is a vital part of getting pierced, or else the customer's health is at risk.
Make sure they have the best tattoo machine or industrial piercing set they can get. They should know what these are, so they will not scare off customers. Plus if they are skilled, they may use homemade tattooing machines, which should still follow the guidelines of safety, but without the fancy tags of the bigger company labels. Piercers should have industrial piercing equipment available, as those brands tend to be high on the market, as well as rate high in quality when customers get pierced.
These items are available through most tattoo supply companies, as tattoo guns and piercing kits are widely available to artists who perform these. These items are available wholesale, so the artist should know how to acquire these items.
Is this the year your son/daughter will want to get a tattoo? How about a body piercing? What are you going to do about it? What will you say?
I'm not promoting tattoos or body piercing for "children". However, I think we as parents need to understand something about teenagers: They are truly "tribal" and have a huge need to belong to a group they perceive are their peers.
Now, that doesn't mean they are aboriginal or primitive. Instead, it suggests that in their need to belong they need to have identifiable cues that signify their membership. It's not a "gang" mentality...you see plain ol' teenagers wear the same styles of clothing depending upon which clique they belong to ("goth", preppie, etc). And, you'll hear them use specific language that identifies their group membership. And, they use hair styles and make-up to differentiate them from "other" groups.
In their immaturity, they believe they are making a statement about who they are as "individuals". In truth they are loudly proclaiming which stereotypical group they identify with. The desire to get a tattoo or a body piercing may be one way they think they will belong to a "cool" group and to avoid the appearance of not belonging.
According to some studies, approximately 10% of high school and college students have tattoos and between 25-35% of students have body piercing. If you take the position of NO tattoos or body piercing until they are out of high school, you may find yourself engaged in a power struggle that you could lose. Sometimes our kids will choose to act foolishly BECAUSE we have forbidden them to. And, your child could defy you and get tattooed or pierced without your approval just for spite.
Talk about it--Talk about it--Talk about it! If you can, find out why your teen wants a tattoo or piercing. Ask what it will mean about him/her that he/she has a tattoo or piercing. What is the graphic that your teen wants and where?...Why? What body part is where he/she wants a piercing?--what will he she be wearing in the piercing? 
By asking questions in a non-threatening manner, you may get more information about the purpose of the tattoo or piercing. And, then you may be able to compromise if necessary.
What compromise? you might ask. When you become a partner instead of an adversary, you are in a position to counsel rather than demand. And, then your teen may be able to hear you and your concerns. 
If your teen wants to be like his/her friends, consenting to a well-placed tasteful tattoo/piercing could be an option to use to encourage compliance and fore-stall contrary "I'll-show-you" reactionary behavior. Perhaps an agreement to get just one before he/she is 18 will prevent an unsafe procedure, an inappropriate tattoo or piercing, or an poorly planned permanent "bumper sticker" .
Primarily, any tattoo studio should be as clean as possible, and most places are, but check before you have a tattoo done. There should be proper disposal bins, sterile gauze, needles and needle buckets, as well as health inspection certificates and disposable gloves.
The tattoo artist you employ should be a member of a national tattoo organization. Ask them if there are not any certificates hanging about.
Taking Zinc or Vitamin C will help build up your immune system, start taking them a few weeks before you get your tattoo. You should feel well when going to have a tattoo inked. If you do not feel well, make another appointment.
Be sure to rest and not be hungry. Pain medicine is a no-no, as they may possibly thin your blood. You must be of legal age to get a tattoo, and you should be sober. The area of your tattoo will have to be shaved and sterilized. Body art is in essence a small medical procedure
Caring for your tattoo while it heals is much like tending other open wounds. Leave the bandage on for 4 - 12 hours. Gently remove the bandage. If the bandage is stuck to the tattoo, apply warm water to it and the bandage will come off more easily. It should be left to air for about an hour and then gently wash the area with a gentle soap. Then apply thin layer of triple antibiotic cream. In the next few days, the area should be gently washed - do not scrub the tattooed area. Let it dry and apply the cream 3 - 4 times per day for the next few weeks. It is best to shower so that the tattoo is not submerged in water. Keep it moist with a water-based lotion and do not tamper with the scabs, they are nature's band-aids. After the area has healed, use sun block to protect your tattoo from fading, it may ensure a longer lasting tattoo.
For many years tattoos and decorative piercings weren't a real issue for members of the Mormon Church. Until the year 2000, there was only one reference to tattooing in all of Mormon teaching and that was in the 1965 unofficial personal publication Mormon Doctrine by Mormon Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie. It states; "Tattooing is a desecration of the human body and should not be permitted, unless all that is involved is the placing of a blood type or an identification number in an obscure place. Latter-day Saint servicemen in particular are counseled to avoid the pitfalls of tattooing. Persons who are tattooed are not, however, denied the ordinances and blessings of the temple."
We--the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve--have taken the position, and I quote, that the Church discourages tattoos. It also discourages the piercing of the body for other than medical purposes, although it takes no position on the minimal piercing of the ears by women for one pair of earrings." President Gordon B. Hinckley
At the time my husband and I were very active, temple recommend holding members of the church and had been operating a tattoo studio without any prejudice for many years. We were never treated poorly or shunned by the members of our Ward or Stake. Our Stake President's wife more than once brought her children to our studio to get tattoos. It was such a non issue that one of the ways I billed myself in advertising was Kita Kazoo the Mormon Girl Tattoo Artist.
Since then we both have been subjected to many discussions and debates on the right or wrong of getting and doing tattoos and piercings. At first I would defend my choice of profession using the scriptures, but eventually I got tired of it and began asking those who questioned me to explain to me, what horrible thing would happen in our society if everyone had a tattoo? After all, sins are those things that violate the golden rule and keep us from loving one another, not things such as, what clothing we wear or how we do our hair.
Now, 8 years later the whole subject of tattoos and piercings has in my opinion gotten out of hand. Now it is not so surprising to find that the local church authorities, such as bishops, stake presidents and temple presidents are taking it upon themselves to punish members who choose to get a tattoo. Not just in Utah, but all over the world. This has become such a big issue that people are leaving the church over it.
Some people who have tattoos are told not to take the sacrament and others are not allowed access to the temple. Some are being counseled to not marry those who have tattoos and piercings. As having been a 30+ year student of Mormonism and its history I feel that this behavior is not in line with the teachings of Mormonism or Christianity in any way.
Mormons aren't the only religion that superstitiously believes that tattoos are an evil and to be avoided as they supposedly will lead to worse sins. Many Christian Churches and Jewish Rabbi's do also. And there are good reasons for a religion to not want their flock to get tattoos or piercings.
Getting a tattoo not only changes the way you look but it also changes the way you think and feel about yourself. It is a clear message that you feel that you are the owner of your body and worse of all (to religious leaders), your mind!
Historically tattoos have been used as an expression of faith and commitment. One would think that getting a symbol of your beliefs tattooed on ones self would be encouraged. However, because of the recent history of American tattooing and the popularizations of tattooing, tattoos are being presented by the media and politicians as a dangerous amusement. It is not new for counter-culture decorations to be viewed as repulsive to many of the elders of our society.
