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.

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.

Historically, the anchor tattoo had a clear meaning: it was the mark of a sailor who had sailed the Atlantic Ocean. The popularity of the anchor tattoo among sailors was certainly understandable: aside from being a “tool of the trade,” the anchor is an obvious symbol of stability and groundedness - two things that a sailor in perilous waters may long for. Over time, regional variations in the style and color of the anchor tattoo developed, each with their own meanings among sailors.

Anchors also have a connection to Christianity. In times when Christians were persecuted for practicing their faith, the anchor (with the horizontal bar beneath the ring) became a secret symbol of the cross - a connection which is certainly not lost in some anchor tattoos.

Today, people of all professions may find some connection to the anchor tattoo simply as a symbol of steadfastness and stability. Some incorporate text or other images with the anchor to give special significance to their tattoo.

The anchor tattoo has proven to be very versatile both artistically and in meaning. There are nearly as many variations on the anchor tattoo as there are people who have the tattoo, and their reason for choosing an anchor are likely just as varied.

If you enjoyed learning about the anchor tattoo, you may also enjoy a previous Inked Talk article on the heart tattoo.

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 Convnetion 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 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.

If shopping for new ink or supplies doesn’t keep you busy, the Brew City Convention still has you covered. Look for Miss Maya Sinstress’ burlesque show, body suspension performances by Nu Ethix, music by “Daredevil Musician” The Enigma, and much more. Tattoo enthusiasts can show off their ink in one of several dozen tattoo contests running each day throughout the convention. Tattoo artists can attend one of several tattoo seminars, such as Gut Level Tattooing 2 with Jeff Gogue, and Techniques in Black & Grey with Marshall Bennett.

Ticket prices are $15.00 per day, or $35.00 for the weekend. Children under twelve can attend for free.

Full details of the event are available on the Tattooed Kingpin website.

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.

***
“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.

AskMen’s Top 10: Tattoos guys should never get. Not a terrible article with some mildly funny moments, but boo to Ask Men for forcing the reader to click on ten separate links to see the full top ten. Definitely worth a look for the crazy-ass unicorn tattoo though.

The Huffington Post is wondering whether Sarah Palin’s lip-liner is a tattoo. The photographic evidence and supporting “cryptic e-mail” isn’t exactly convincing.

Some San Francisco tattoo parlors will be offering STD testing as a part of their services. Just as tattooing and barbering went hand in hand in the old days, maybe tattooing and health clinics will become the new partnership.

Ah, parody. As a follow up to the latest story of a three-year old Bristol boy whose skin was badly blistered by a PPD-laced henna tattoo, this humor site offers a fun follow up.

Inked Talk brought the first of these articles in February of 2008. A news story from England prompted a second story about henna and PPD allergies in July. The latest article from the UK may sound like a repeat, but yet another child in Bristol was scarred badly by a Bart Simpson henna tattoo laced with PPD.

(Yes, that’s Bart Simpson scooting a towel across his backside. Not only will this boy have a scar in the form of a pop culture icon that is likely to be long since passé by the time he gets into high school, but he has one of the tackier Bart images that he could have chosen. Poor kid.)

You can read the full article here.

Regular Inked Talk readers know that I get up on a soap box over PPD at every opportunity, so I don’t want to beat a dead horse too badly today. However, if you must have a henna tattoo, or if for some reason you feel you must have one applied to a child, be absolutely certain that the tattoo artist does not use henna laced with PPD. The good henna tattoo artists - and there are many - are well aware of the dangers of PPD and wouldn’t think of applying PPD to the skin. Talk to the artist first, ask questions, and proceed only if you feel comfortable with the answers.