Inked Talk

April 24, 2009 marks the opening of the Philadelphia Independence Seaport Museum’s tattoo exhibit: Skin and Bones - Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor. The exhibit takes an educational and entertaining look at the beliefs and traditions that inspired maritime tattoos.

The exhibit will feature tattooing tools, both traditional and modern, tattoo flash and tattoo artwork, tattoo artifacts, and even a recreation of an old-fashioned tattoo parlor.  The exhibit will appeal to tattoo aficionados, of course, but it also aims to provide some insight into the often misunderstood inked culture by explaining the importance of tattoos in the context of maritime tradition, folklore and mythology.

In addition to the limited run exhibit, the museum will feature two screenings of the film Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, examining the life of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, the man most associated with American naval tattoos.

The exhibit runs through January 3, 2010.

Tattoos featuring Chinese or Japanese characters have been popular long enough in America to become nearly as trite as the tramp stamp.  Some recent news articles have been reporting that a similar trend is emerging in China, where English language tattoos are enjoying a new surge in popularity.

While tattoos have been a part of Chinese culture for millenia, tattoo parlors have been mostly taboo under the Communist regime. Nevertheless, tattoo parlors have been popping up in China in recent years, and although their legality may be questionable they are slowly finding their place in modern China. Even though tattoos still bear the stigma of criminal association, more and more younger people are becoming interested in tattoos because many of their favorite Western sports and celebrity figures are tattooed.

What is most surprising of all is the latest trend that Chinese tattoo artists are reporting.  Tattoo parlors are seeing more and more clients seeking tattoos in the English language.  Not surprisingly, it is the younger crowd that seeks the English language and Western-influenced tattoos, while older clients prefer to stick to traditional themes like tigers and dragons.

The attraction to English language tattoos is easy to understand.  In the Western world, a good Kanji tattoo has an air of the exotic.  To the Eastern world, an English language tattoo can present the same mystique.

Below: From McClatchyDC.com: “Ting Ting shows off the tattoo on the back of her cousin, Zhang Hui, who used English lettering to spell out the name of an ex-girlfriend.”

Tattoos and blogs are two things that have gained incredible popularity in recent years, so it is no wonder that the number of blogs about tattoos has increased exponentially.  A few tattoo blogs truly stand out as quality reads, and of those the first that comes to mind is Under the Gun Tattoos’ Myspace blog.  Under the Gun Tattoos is a studio in New Brighton, PA, and like many tattoo shops it has used Myspace as a promotional and networking tool as well as a gallery of tattoo art, studio photos, and more.  What sets Under the Gun Tattoos apart from the literally thousands of other tattoo shops with a Myspace page is the quality of Under the Gun’s blog.  Blog topics range from truly deep subjects, such as art appreciation generally and the ethics of tattooing (should an artist refuse to tattoo something, such as a swastika or white power slogan, that goes against his personal beliefs? ) to practical issues such as tattoo price considerations.  The pieces are always well written, informative, often humorous, and the only possible complaint one could have is that the blogs are sadly infrequent.

Tattoo enthusiasts of all kinds would do themselves a favor to subscribe to this blog.  I’d even go so far as to say it is worth setting up a Myspace account for.  Kudos to Under the Gun for doing such excellent work, and I look forward to reading your next piece.

Data:

Under the Gun Tattoos

1105 3rd Avenue, New Brighton, PA 15066

724.847.1592

Myspace Page

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is a different experience for everyone.  Some of us are recovering from a weekend spent with weird relatives.  Others are still fighting the traffic and the weather to get home after a holiday trip.  Still others are trading in their autumn decorations for the greens and reds of Christmas.  A good number of us - even those of us who ventured out on Black Friday intending to get all of our holiday shopping done early this year - are still in the process of planning out the holiday gifts for family and friends.  So what is a good gift for a tattoo enthusiast?

Subscription to a Tattoo Magazine.  Who doesn’t like browsing through the latest issue of Skin & Ink or Tattoo Savage?  The tattoo fan on your Christmas list will look forward to getting his favorite magazine delivered to his door.  If you are unfamiliar with current tattoo publications, About.com offers this great guide to help you decide which one will make the best present.

Tattoo Apparel.  The two hottest names in tattoo-inspired apparel right now are Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy.  The Ed Hardy lines feature everything from wallets and belts to  T-shirts and even a fragrance.  The Sailor Jerry line, while not quite as extensive, does feature the famous Sailor Jerry rum.  Can you ever go wrong with rum?

Books about Tattoos.  A search for “tattoo” on Amazon.com yields results numbering in the thousands.  While not all tattoo books make good gifts, a little research and foresight can make sure that you select a good one.  Some tattoo books that are best avoided are photo books or flash books which feature little more than pictures of tattoos and tattoo designs.  While these are useful when someone is looking for a little inspiration for their new ink, as a gift these may not be ideal unless you know the person is actively looking for some new body art.  A better option may be something a little more specialized.  Does the person on your shopping list like Japanese tattoos?  Bushido, Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo is an excellent choice.  Or what about a gift for someone that you know is just looking into getting their first tattoo?  Ink: The Not Just Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo is a wonderful resource and would be a great gift for the not-yet-inked.  There are so many books on tattoos available and in print right now that finding an excellent gift for the tattoo enthusiast is easier than ever.

Gift Certificates to a Favorite Tattoo Shop.  Many tattoo shops, such as Milwaukee favorite and friend if Inked Talk Custom Tattoo, offer gift certificates.  Tattoos are pricey, but a gift certificate doesn’t have to cover the full cost of a tattoo.   They can typically be used towards the cost of a tattoo, or even shop merchandise like t-shirts or aftercare products.  Tattoo gift certificates are a great way to get something that a tattoo enthusiast will love, and a little support for a local tattoo shop is always appreciated.

Longtime friendships are a rare and beautiful thing, and a when a group of six New Jersey women - friends since grammar school - celebrated their milestone fiftieth birthdays this year, they decided to commemorate their friendship in a unique way:  they got matching tattoos.

Sue Tobjy, who already had six tattoos, suggested the idea to her friends about a year ago.   One of the women, Darlene Tremont, had three tattoos herself and was easily convinced. The other four weren’t quite as quick to warm up to the idea.

“Can’t we all get a piece of jewelry?” Kathy Sippie countered.

Jewelry just didn’t have the permanence that the women felt was appropriate to commemorate such a long standing friendship. Tobjy reassured her friends that the pain of getting a tattoo is worse than going to a dentist, but not as bad as childbirth. Eventually, the women all agreed, and they decided on shooting stars. The main star in the design is symbolic the women as a group, and the smaller stars represent their personalities. Jae Conner of Electric Lotus Tattoo and Piercing in Boonton, New Jersey did the tattooing.

The women are all 1977 graduates of Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey, and they have all remained very close over the years. They take a yearly vacation together, and they meet for dinner once a month.

“We can all relate to each other,” said Tobjy. “I know more about these girls, and we know each other’s lives, our families, everything. They’re in my life forever.”

“We’re all soul mates,” declared Lori Atieh.

Last week Inked Talk featured John Paul “JP” Bertrand’s attempt at breaking Oliver Peck’s world record for the most tattoos completed in a 24-hour period.  The tattoo attempt was made yesterday, October 23, 2008, but Bertrand failed to beat Peck’s record of 415 tattoos within 24 hours.

Crowds gathered outside of Key West Ink to get a free tattoo as a part of the record attempt.  Even the rain after nightfall couldn’t keep the enthusiastic crowds away from Key West.  Participants could choose from one of four simple designs, which is what Bertrand feels kept his efforts from reaching the 416 tattoos needed to break the record.

A picture from the Key West Ink website shows the early-day crowd.

Bertrand completed 371 tattoos, which is an average of 15.5 tattoos per hour for a full 24 hour period.

“It’s hard to focus in 24 hours on four different things and make it flow fast,” Bertrand commented.  He plans to make another attempt at the record in the future, but he will feature just one tattoo design in order to streamline the process.

Whether you love or hate the Suicide Girls (warning: the SG site is NOT work safe or child safe. Take the appropriate precautions before clicking!), you have to admit that there was some genius behind the concept: the website featured tattooed and pierced semi-nude girls with alternative fashion tastes and charged people for the privilege of looking at their photos. Add some interactive forums and limited original content, and the Suicide Girls website was worth the price of admission, which was a monthly fee charged to your credit card. Admittedly, Suicide Girls was essentially just a specialized softcore porn site, but quite honestly, it was a lot of fun.

Suicide Girls enjoyed relatively limited popularity until the site and some of its girls were featured on HBO’s Real Sex. Then the Suicide Girls site exploded, and with fame and fortune came a lot of drama which ultimately cost the SG site a number of their most famous girls as well as a lot of fans.

While some of the drama has died down, there is definitely something different about the current incarnation of the Suicide Girls website. Namely, the girls. A visit to the SG site today shows not the pierced, inked and dyed beauties that made the website famous. Instead, the site features regular, plain women, women you’d see at the grocery store, on the bus, or in college classes. Women who look like the women on nearly every other soft porn site on the Internet.

What happened, Suicide Girls?

Sure, there are some tattooed beauties remaining on the site, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at the site’s main page. With a few, rare exceptions, so many of the girls on the SG site look like everyone else.  Pretty, but common.

Maybe SG’s initial success was due to the fact that it was so different, and once different become mainstream it loses its edge. As things like tattoos and piercings become mainstream, the very definition of “alternative” changes. Suicide Girls certainly has changed, but its change has been to something far less extreme and far more mainstream.

I, for one, miss the old Suicide Girls.

EBay, the worldwide online auction site, allows sellers to offer their wares to an international market for a small fee. While you can find nearly anything on eBay, the site does maintain a strict list of prohibited items such as alcohol, firearms, adult novelties, food and drugs, to name a few. Most of these restrictions are related to the legality of the item being sold, or to public health and public safety. Despite the size of the auction site, which features hundreds of thousands of items worldwide at any given time, it runs a tight ship as to its prohibited items. EBay does not hesitate to cancel items that fall within the restricted item listings, and repeat offenders may find their eBay acccounts suspended.

In spite of some rather thorough prohibitions, tattoo guns and tattoo equipment remain unrestricted on eBay. In the United States, tattooing is generally regulated by the individual state, with some municipalities having their own licensing requirements. These regulations are primarily motivated by health and safety concerns. Many legitimate sellers of tattoo equipment and instructional DVDs will only sell to licensed tattoo artists, and with good reason. Without proper training on sterilization, cross-contamination and blood-born pathogens, an amateur tattoo can mean more than just bad ink: it can mean a serious health problem.

An eBay search for “tattoo kit” yields nearly 2000 results, many of which claim to include everything you need to start tattooing. Most recently, large number of these kits come from China. While the FDA does not regulate tattoo ink domestically, Chinese-made ink should give pause to even the most cavalier among the inked crowd, given the recent crisis of tainted products coming out of China.

None of the eBay auctions appear to be restricted to purchase by licensed tattoo artists, so anyone with an eBay account can purchase a kit and get to work. In fact, many of the kits include a free download or DVD of an instructional “how to tattoo” video.

Given eBay’s apparent concern for health and public safety, the lack of restriction on tattoo kits seems unusual. Perhaps it is a lack of education on eBay’s behalf, or perhaps the issue hasn’t been brought to eBay’s attention in any significant way. Of course, even if eBay was to add tattoo kits to its prohibited product list, anyone with an internet connection can still find a tattoo kit to purchase online, be it on Craigslist or another private website. However, eBay is much more accessible to a worldwide audience, and it offers payment safeguards and protections that other websites do not, making it an attractive place for buyers to go for a tattoo kit. If the tattoo community could convince eBay that the sale of tattoo kits should be restricted in some meaningful way, if not outright prohibited, at least some untrained “scratchers” would have to think long and hard about obtaining and using a tattoo kit without proper training and supervision.

Portrait tattoos are popular as memorials to those who have passed on and as tributes of respect to those we admire. While portrait tattoos in general range from remarkable to mediocre to downright sad, sometimes a portrait tattoo is so unique in its message that it merits mention.

23-year old Jack Newton of Brighton, UK, had Stephen Hawking’s likeness tattooed onto his leg by Stewart Francis at the Angelic Hell tattoo studios in Brighton. Newton admits that he tried to read Hawking’s most famous scientific work, A Brief History of Time, but found it confusing. Nevertheless, he sees Hawking as an inspirational man because he achieved so much despite his physical limitations. Hawking, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS), a condition more commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At age 21 he was given no more than three years to live, butt he overcame that prognosis as the progress of the disease slowed more than expected. Hawking is confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak unassisted, yet he is universally recognized as a foremost mind in the areas of cosmology, quantum gravity and string theory.

The portrait is underlined, rather oddly, with a line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian: “‘He’s not the messiah. He’s a very naughty boy.”

The tattoo was done in one single seven-hour session, and the likeness is unmistakable. Newton himself is a tattoo artist apprenticing at Angelic Hell. The ink has already won a number of awards at tattoo conventions, and recently made worldwide news in a number of online articles.

In addition to our original content, we at Inked Talk scour the news media for interesting articles and viewpoints on tattoos to comment on and share with our readers. The media is full of talk about tattoos these days, and while not every article or viewpoint merits its own post here at Inked Talk, there are always great articles and websites out there that deserve at least a mention. So once again, it’s time for the Inked Talk weekly roundup of tattoo links. Take a break from your work, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy!

An anti-tattoo Letter to the Editor at the Daily News Record opines that people who choose to get neck tattoos “are either convicted of a felony or are doing something to get convicted of a felony.” Obviously, that comment didn’t sit well with a few people , as it prompted a number of interesting comments as well as not one, not two, but three follow-up letters. I noted that the paper’s Letters to the Editor on issues like the economic bailout plan didn’t even provoke that much of a response.

Everyone has to comment on whether tattoos are becoming mainstream enough to be accepted at the workplace. This week’s entry come from WSJ.com.

The Omaha World-Herald has a nice piece on rib cage tattoos. The picture associated with the story is great - probably more script than I’ve ever seen on one tattoo, but it looks great.

A tattooed Suicide Girl, Zui, is in the cast of a new reality show called “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.”

Creative Loafing has a nice article about the statistics on tattoo regret. Well, the question posed is on tattoo regret. The response is a nice historical perspective on tattoos that doesn’t answer the question, but the writer actually makes the whole thing a nice read.

TampaBay.com discussing tattoos with motocross champ Carey Hart.

The entry of tattoos into mainstream culture happened quickly, but in settings where tradition rules the day adaptation has not come as quickly. Tattooed brides who want to cover their ink for their wedding photos have had to resort to dresses that conceal their tattoos, and retail and corporate employees must select locations for their tattoos that are easily covered up while on the job. Cosmetic companies have seen an opportunity in this, and a few have begun marketing concealers as tattoo cover-up makeup.

Not a bad idea.

One brand, Colortration, markets a liquid concealer that claims to be the best tattoo concealer product available.

Colortration offers a $16.00 custom trial kit consisting of six shades that can be tested to produce the best skintone match. The Colortration Barrier Spray, for an extra $17.00, helps the concealer last longer, particularly on areas like the hands which are much more prone to wear. Colortration liquid concealer runs about $35.00 for a 1.35 ounce bottle.

Another product, Tattoo Camo, uses a two-step process for tattoo concealment. The camouflage paste masks the tattoo, while the setting powder prevents it from rubbing off or smudging. Unlike Colortration, which sells its concealer and barrier as two separate products, Tattoo Camo sells its two steps as a kit for $34.95.

Another option for tattoo cover-up is the Ben Nye line of theatrical makeup, including some developed for tattoo concealment. The Ben Nye formula sells for about $7.00 per 0.3 ounce container, which boasts 50-200 applications.

For many, one of the big questions associated with getting any tattoo is how that tattoo will affect others’ perceptions of that person. A bride may hold off on that large back piece until after the wedding so as not to scare grandma, just as the ink-loving office slaves avoid tattoos on their hands, necks and faces so as not to become unemployable in their chosen professions. An effective tattoo concealer really changes the playing field, making previously taboo tattoo locations available so long as they can be covered up when needed.

Tattoos are forever, even the bad ones. Some of the most facepalm-worthy bad tattoos are those that incorporate bad spelling. Bad art can be a matter of opinion, but spelling is something that is easy to double-check and when it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Some incredibly misspelled tattoos have found great fame on the Internet, including a previous post here on Inked Talk.

One famous tattoo typo took on a life of its own. The infamous “Chi-tonw” tattoo actually spawned a few copycats. Most people who are unlucky enough to sport bad ink don’t have the luxury of being able to say that they are trendsetters, but the original Mr. Chi-Tonw has that claim to fame for his poorly-spelled ink. Even with that fame, there’s little doubt that he would prefer a properly spelled tattoo.

Inked Talk doesn’t intend to call out an artist who has the misfortune of creating a poorly-spelled tattoo, but a tattoo flash book at the Milwaukee Tattoo Convention had a glaring typo on an otherwise cute piece of flash, and that inspired today’s piece. (Protip: pluralization of a word does not require an apostrophe.) It’s one thing to make a typo on a detailed or wordy tattoo: the work was likely done within a relatively short period of time, and let’s face it - sometimes you can look at your own work time after time without catching an error. Like the famous brain-teaser below, sometimes it takes a second, third or fourth look before a mistake becomes obvious:

A flash book seems like a different animal entirely, though. Unlike a tattoo which can be discussed, roughed out and stitched in within a span of a short sitting, a flash book, theoretically, is assembled over time with plenty of opportunities for review between conception and publication. Sadly, that one glaring typo really clouded the rest of that artist’s work.

Carpenters say “measure twice, cut once.” I think there’s some analogy in there for tattooing.

The Brew City Tattoo Convention was in full swing this weekend.  Inked Talk takes a look at Milwaukee’s only annual tattoo convention

The Good:

There was a lot of great body art on display.  From the artists’ samples to the ubiquitous flash books to the ink being done at the convention to the attendees, tattoos were literally everywhere.    Japanese traditional tattoo aficionados were treated to the work of North Star Tattoo of New York City.  Sailor Jerry fans just had to delight as it seemed that about every other booth was hawking Sailor Jerry flash or Sailor Jerry inspired work.  Body jewelry booths, though far fewer in number than the tattoo booths, presented an amazing range of jewelry not typically found in the average body piercing shop.

There was more to do than shop and gawk at the ink.  Performance artists ranging from burlesque to suspension and music put on shows throughout the day and tattoo artists gave seminars on technique, for a fee.    Tattoo contests were open to all, with enough categories to ensure that everyone who wanted to could display their ink for the judges.

The Bad:

With all of the good, there were some negatives as well.  The most glaring problem was the space in the main hall, particularly during the tattoo contests.  The artists and vendors were set up in the main room of the convention, which is also where the tattoo contests were being judged.  This caused a huge amount of congestion at one side of the room which made it difficult for people who weren’t interested in the judging to move around and look at the artists’ work.  The sheer amount of people watching the tattoo contests combined with the room arrangement made it difficult for most people present to see the tattoos that were being judged, so sadly unless you were a judge or were lucky enough to be right near the judging area, you missed a lot of the contest.  Due to the number of people wanting to participate in and view the contests, they would have been better held in a separate room instead of clogging up the already busy main hall.

The Weird

Granted, weird should be expected at a tattoo convention, but when something stands out as truly weird it merits mention.  I need to preface this by saying that I love to see the nude female form nearly as much as most red-blooded men do, and my mention of this at all has absolutely nothing to do with me being offended.  I was far from offended at anything I saw on Saturday.  The “tits for t-shirts” contests are fun for everyone involved, and if a woman wants to show off her goodies in exchange for some freebies, good for her and good for those lucky enough to watch.  While the convention did an adequate job of making sure that the children present weren’t close to the action for these contests, these contests were probably better kept in an age restricted area of the event to ensure that the convention doesn’t get negative attention from the community that hosts it.

In all, the event was a lot of fun with plenty to do and see.  If you couldn’t make it to this year’s convention, you can still see a lot of the great ink by visiting Black Sheep Photography’s photo gallery from the convention.  Lynn Allen of Black Sheep was in attendance for the entire convention and got some excellent photos of the whole event.

Of all the tattoo blogs that have sprung up on the Internet, this is a personal favorite.  Tattoosday features different tattoos found around the New York City area.  The premise is very simple:  the blog’s writer accosts interesting people with tattoos, photographs their ink, and tells their stories on his blog.  The sheer number of tattoos and the wide variety of stories make the site a fun read, and one that I keep coming back to.

The blogger, Bill Cohen, estimates that only about one in seven people that he approaches about his blog actually participates.  When you see the huge number of tattoos featured on his blog, you have to appreciate just how much work Cohen has done on this project.  The blog has an archive that you can get lost in for a few very enjoyable hours, and then look forward to the next post.

Cohen has a particular rule for finding tattoos to photograph:  “I won’t go to shops to take pictures. That’s just too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel.”  Cohen puts himself out “in the wild,” approaching people as he spots their ink.

What is the appeal of Tattoosday? Its simplicity is genuine.  The tattoos featured in the blog range from amazing to average, and the stories behind them reflect a wealth of backgrounds, experiences and influences.  The blog isn’t a showcase of the most beautiful ink on the planet - although there are certainly some amazing and beautiful tattoos on that blog.  Rather, the blog is a snapshot of everyday tattoos on everyday people.  The tattoos featured in the blog could belong to any of us.

Author’s Note: I really don’t enjoy picking apart another writer’s concept of journalism. I embrace a “live and let live” philosophy, and I realize that there is a lot of bad writing out there. Today, however, I make an exception because of an article that appears written for the sole purpose of making a sensational headline without any real basis in fact. I find that unacceptable on a personal level. So pardon the vitriol, and don’t believe everything you read.

***
“Does it hurt?” and “Is it safe?” are among the first questions people ask before getting their very first tattoo. We all know the answer to the first question, and as to the second we can only reply that people have been getting tattoos for years, and other than the extremely rare allergy, it certainly appears to be safe. I feel fine, don’t you?

Good news just isn’t as interesting as sensational news, so today we are treated to a headline in a northern Arizona online paper that proclaims “Research reveals tattoo ink contains metals, may cause cancer.” Tattoos can cause cancer? That is a terrifying possibility. But we need to read beyond the headline in this case.

The article itself suggests that the connection between cancer and tattoos isn’t just tenuous, it is so far completely unsupported by the evidence. According to the article, the danger lies in the fact that modern tattoo inks contain “metallic salts, oxides, sulphides and selenides,” and chemicals which were originally intended for use in “writing, automobile paints and printer inks” rather than skin contact. Well, that does sound a little scary, but we need to read on.

As evidence of the connection between cancer and tattoo ink, the article relies on Jani Ingram, an associate professor of chemistry, who has been researching and analyzing the metal content of tattoo ink. She acknowledges that different ink manufacturers use different components to obtain the variety of ink colors, and some inks do have metal components.

Nowhere in the article does Ingram suggest that these metal components are cancer-causing agents. Her only caution is that people getting tattoos should want them for life, as the tattoo removal process involves breaking up the ink into particles that can be absorbed by the body. “I tell folks that if they are going to get a tattoo, that they should want it for life,” Ingram said.

So, where is this cancer connection again?

The article goes on to remind us not once, not twice, but three times that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate tattoo ink. To illustrate just how shocking that is supposed to be, the article quotes a college freshman, Renee Hamilton, who just got tattooed four months ago:

“I didn’t know that the FDA doesn’t regulate what goes into tattoo ink,” Hamilton said. “I think that’s disgusting. I think that the FDA should regulate tattoo ink because it’s going to have an effect on anybody who has a tattoo and a lot of people have them.”

Mmm…okay. And the cancer connection? I’m still waiting for it.

The FDA does not require disclosure of the components used in any given ink because they can be considered trade secrets. Since these components are not disclosed, “tattoo inks may contain chemicals known to cause mutations, birth defects or cancer, though these symptoms may take years to appear.”

Really? That’s the connection? Because the tattoo ink isn’t required to display a list of ingredients, we should assume that it contains components that cause birth defects or cancer? Why don’t we go ahead and assume it contains unicorns and rainbows and my dead grandmother’s ghost too?

I can conclude from this article that tattoos aren’t dangerous, but bad journalism and unsubstantiated conclusions can cause a lot of undue anxiety. Perhaps there is a connection between tattoo ink and cancer - despite decades of research by the smartest minds in the world, the causes of cancer remain, for the most part, a mystery. Nothing in this article makes me want to think twice about my next tattoo.