Maybe it is the colorful walls. Or perhaps it is the rails of sketches that are enticing you to look through but simply being that makes you feel part of it. So you flick through, the guy at the counter who looks like a human advertisement for tattoos ignoring you coolly as you look.

Just when you’re about to give up, allowing a wry smile at your own foolish notion that maybe you would actually get a tattoo for yourself, you come across one which makes you wonder if it was not so foolish an idea after all. You know that a butterfly or a fairy is so cliché, but you want to get one anyway, because they’re beautiful.

To all, butterflies are a vibrant symbol of transformation. They are the complete and utter depiction of a fragile world where change is extremely common, in fact, when change is just the cycle of life. And this symbolism has not been lost on you either. Drawn to it, you know you want something like that.

Not completely sure you glance through again. Flip. Flip. And there, another butterfly, but this time, it is settled upon the outstretched hand of a fairy. You wonder how she can do that, butterflies die when they come into contact with a human hand. But a fairy is not human, and again, with your lips turning at the edges, you see how magical she is.

Would it not be great to have magic in your life again? Just as you did when you were a child, before you changed, before you grew up. Would it be great to see beauty, and nature, and life completely freely once more. Heading over to the guy at the desk, you ask if there is any way to put the two together, that butterfly that made you think, that fairy that made you smile.

Before getting a tattoo or a body piercing find out what all the risks are and how to get rid of the tattoo or body piercing if you no longer want it.

A tattoo may only take a few minutes to get but it can last a lifetime. Tattoos are permanent. They are designs put on your skiing with pigments injected into the top layer of your skin with needles.

Here is how tattoos are created: A needle is connected to an apparatus with tubes which contain dye. These needles pierce the skin multiple times kind of like a sewing machine but on your skin. The needle inserts tiny drops of ink creating the tattoo. Tattoos can hurt and a large tattoo can take up to several hours to create. The tattoo may even bleed

What are the downsides of getting a tattoo?

You are piercing your skin so you may be a risk for more skin infections if you get a tattoo or piercing.

If you get a tattoo you put yourself at risk for getting blood related diseases. If the machine the tattoo artist uses you can you can get hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tetanus, tuberculosis and even HIV.

If you use red ink in your tattoos you may get a rash with bumps.

Tattoos can also lead to bacterial infections. The symptoms are redness, warmth, swelling and pus.

Again if you use red ink in your tattoo this can cause allergic reactions that can last for years.

Your tattoo will also require cleaning and maintenance. Your tattoo artist will give you instructions on how to clean and maintain your tattoo. You should apply skin care products and avoid too much exposure to the sun for your tattoo. Especially in the beginning.

Tattoos takes several days to heal. Do not pick at the tattoo. Give the tattoo time to heal properly.

What if you want to get rid of your tattoo? This is very common.

Tattoo removal is difficult and often still leaves scars and skin discolorations.

Laser surgery if the best way to get rid of a tattoo. Laser beams penetrate the top layer of the skin and the light is accepted by the tattoo. This method may demand up to 10 treatments over a period of a year and even then the tattoo might not completely disappear.

Another method of tattoo removal is called Dermabrasion. The tattoo is frozen until the skin is numb then the skin is sanded down. This method does not hurt very much but it usually leaves a scar.

You can also remove that tattoo surgically but this invariably leaves a scar.

Coming up with a tattoo you want to have with you for the rest of your life is a very complicated and difficult process that should never be rushed. Getting rid of a tattoo is difficult, expensive and more painful that getting the work done in the first place, so you should really make sure you’re going to get something you’re happy with before gun starts buzzing. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing your tattoo artist carefully.

There are several misconceptions about tattoo artists out there, especially when it comes to understanding what their job actually is. Tattoo artists aren’t just illustrators, they’re part of the creative process that makes the tattoo work. A tattoo artist is really as much of a graphic designer as he or she is an illustrator and a good artist can make your design or idea a reality by helping to flesh out your concept. This is their job, after all, and you’re as much an advertisement for their abilities as you are a customer, so they want to make sure your tattoo looks cool. Considering how important it is to the final product, it makes a lot of sense for you to stop and really consider who you want inking you up.

The first and most important piece of advice for anyone considering a tattoo is patience. This applies to all levels of your tattoo, from coming up with the idea to picking an artist. You can have your idea kicking around in your head for a long time; taking a few extra days to consider which artist you want working on you is a small price to pay for getting a good final result. You should take the extra time so you can shop around and check out several different studios. Price isn’t the only thing that’s important here- you’re looking for an artist with a portfolio that shows off an art style that matches what you want as much as you’re trying to save some money.

While you’re shopping around you should really pour over the different portfolios at each studio. A given studio will often have a related set of styles for their artists, or a shared history and background. This isn’t always the case though; you can only tell by looking at what each of the artists have done. This isn’t impolite or anything, a good artist will want to you to check out their work. It makes it easier for them to gauge what you want in a tat and can give both of you a place to start from when coming up with a design.

Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways to determine who you want working on you. Listen to your friends or other customers from the studio to figure out what kind of experience they had with the place. This can include a lot more than just the quality of the art. Everything from how the artist interacts during the tattooing process to the aftercare necessary is part of the tattoo experience. Don’t be afraid to ask people with tattoos where they got theirs. Most people really enjoy talking about their tattoos and are happy to advertise for their favorite artists.

Picking your artist is a process that is difficult and time consuming but totally worth the extra effort, especially if you’re considering getting multiple tattoos. Many people establish lasting relationships with their particular artists and go back again and again for touch ups or additional work. Picking the right artist can be the difference between getting a tattoo you regret and a piece of art that you’ll love forever.

Given how different every tattoo and tattoo artist is, there’s a big range of prices, even for very similar tattoos. Pricing for tattoos will never be as simple as ‘that’ll cost you fifty.’ Usually you can get an estimate on the cost before you get the tattoo done, but there are a lot of things that can change the price even after the artist has gotten a chance to think about it.

Location, Location, Location

One of the most important factors in getting a tattoo is where you are when you get yours done. Tattoo artists are just like regular people in that they have bills to pay and those bills depend on their location. A tattoo studio in downtown NYC will most likely be more expensive than one in the Midwest, regardless of the quality of their products. That’s because the shop in NYC will have higher operating expenses like rent and wages. This can vary a lot depending on the different locations and there’s no inherent reason to think that the guys in NYC will do a better job.

Artist reputation and work portfolio

A closely related factor relating to the price of a tattoo is the fame of the artist. Just like a Picasso is more expensive than some random guy’s painting, getting a tattoo from Brandon Bond will cost you more than a piece by someone just getting started. The quality and fame of an artist can certainly drive up the price he or she can afford to charge, especially if it’s backed up by a consistently excellent final product. Part of the price for having a famous person do your work is being able to say that they did it, and really famous artists can charge truly enormous amounts of money for their artwork.

The bodypart you choose to tattoo

The last two price variables are economic, but there are a lot of things about the tattoo itself that can impact the price. One of these is the location of the tattoo on your body. This varies a lot from artist to artist, but different body locations can be awkward or especially difficult for an artist to work on. As a result these spots cost more money. The general rule of thumb is that the more visible and risky a location is, the more expensive the work will be. Tattoos on faces, necks and hands, for example, tend to be more expensive that back or shoulder tattoos because there’s a greater risk of messing up and less margin for error.

Tattoo Design

Then there’s the design. An elaborate piece with tons of detail work will take more time for the artist to perform and be more demanding on them. Intricate or looping patterns can be even more complicated and time consuming. There’s also the question of how much time the artist spends doing design work. If you’ve spent a lot of time hashing out the details and customizing your tattoo then you’re going to pay more for that piece than someone who takes one directly from the flash templates in the books. You’re getting what you pay for here, but it’s an important consideration.

Color or no Color? That is the question

Another important factor in tattoo prices is color. When a tattoo is done in color it requires a much greater investment of time and effort because the process of applying color is more complicated than simple black and white. It takes needle changes and ink mixing to get the balance just right, both of which are skills that take a long time to develop and perfect. As a result color tattoos will end up being much more expensive than black and white.

A lot of studios do their pricing based on the time a tattoo takes to complete, which is a good way of rolling all of these factors into a single value so the customer understands what’s going in to the final price. Often shops will have minimum prices for their tattoos as a way of making sure they make some profit off of their customers as well. Either way, the various factors above will go a long way in determining exactly how much you’ll pay for your tattoo.

One place you could begin your search for high quality tattoo designs is in magazines with tattoos becoming more popular than ever before there are more publications available for research, you will even find different magazines for specific types of tattoos, ie. Tribal, Japanese or Floral. The only downside i could see to this way is you would have to buy a lot of magazines in order to get the choice you desire.

Your hunt for the perfect tattoo design could also take you to your local library where you could look through the numerous books available again in all aspects of tattoo designs there may be a limited choice if a lot of people have the same idea as you and have already borrowed the book, so you leave yourself at the mercy of whatever you library has left.

You could check out your local tattoo studio for ideas, by looking at previous work he/she has done already it might inspire you for your own creation but be wary of this because if you are looking for something unique and original this may not be the best choice as you may even see a similar tattoo you like already on someone else.

Another place to search for your tattoo design could be on the internet there are literally thousands of different sources of great looking designs. There are membership sites available to you that offer services such as printing your favourite design out so you can take it along to your tattoo studio. Or you may be a little more creative as many of these tattoo design sites offer a solution where you can take elements of different designs and create a unique tattoo design for yourself.

So wherever you decide to get your tattoo design from remember don’t settle for second best and choose a design that you really want and deserve.

To understand exactly how a tattoo works, you need to learn a little about the skin. More properly called the dermis system, your skin is a distinct organ. It’s the largest organ in your body, covering all of you in a series of different layers. Depending on the location, there are between 4 and 5 layers of skin at any given point on your body. The outer layer is called the epidermis, and that’s the layer we’re most familiar with. The epidermis protects the body from infection and houses follicles where hair grows. Under the epidermis is a thicker layer known as the dermis.

Tattoos are made when a hole is created through the epidermis and into the dermis. While the epidermis dies and flakes off regularly, the dermis remains constant, which keeps the pigments from the tattoo from disappearing as skin flakes away with time. Tattoos are made when the proper type of ink is injected under the epidermis through a hole made with a a needle. Most modern tattoo systems are ‘needle guns’ that use electrical motors or air pressure to drive a needle like a sewing machine. The needle, loaded with ink, delivers the color to the right layer of skin, making a permanent image. No matter what happens to the skin’s outer layers, the ink will stay in exactly the same place.

Modern tattoo guns are pretty impressive machines. Depending on the settings and set up, they can run at between 50 and 3000 PPM (pokes per minute) and deposit their ink about a millimeter below the outer layer of the skin. Each poke places one drop in the desired location. Believe it or not, the modern tattoo gun was based off of a design by Thomas Edison for an engraving machine. This design was modified and perfected by Samuel O’Reily, the proper father of modern tattoo technology.

Modern tattoo guns offer a lot of advantages over older methods of tattooing. The metal is easy to clean and sterilize, the needles can be easily replaced and the control methods allow tattoo artists to perform with greater control and accuracy than most of the old methods. Needle depth and size can vary the thickness of different lines drawn on the skin, allowing for heavy line work or delicate shading as necessary. Tattoo guns also simplify the process of changing colors, speeding up the process and reducing the damage to the body from a tattoo.

There are other ways of making tattoos than the modern needle gun, often favored by traditionalists of some stripe or another. Many schools of Japanese tattoos use small pads of tiny needles like a prop from a magician’s trick. These pads are tipped with ink and worked into the skin. Other, even older methods for tattooing use slices across the epidermis instead of the needle technique. Cutting the skin lets the pigment into the dermis and creates an image that is both colored and raised from tissue scarring.

The science and technology of the tattoo is an important component of getting body art done, as you should always understand what you’re getting into before making such a major decision. Once you understand the how of tattooing, however, you’re better able to understand what is and isn’t possible for body art and you can work with your tattoo artist to make sure you’re getting what you want.