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Tattoo

When Did Tattoos Become the “IN” Thing?

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Following a trip back through America’s past, Tattoos first started showing up on more and more men in the US during the late 50s. Originally, tattoos were fancied by sailors and marines, and military personnel during the many, many wars our country fought over the years, namely World Wars. Since the 20s, military people have been getting their ranks, or unit, faction, etc. tattooed on their bodies, generally on their shoulders, as a sign of loyalty and pride. Back in the day, if you had a tat, it either meant you just got out of the military or you just were released from prison.

For historical definition, there are tattoo machines that date back all the way to the late 1800s.

There was this taboo association with tattoos that caused people to react. Ink on your skin, “Oh no, that person must be a ruffian!” In the early 1960s, in New York City, tattoo parlors enjoyed a brief period of popularity, until the City Health Department linked outbreaks of blood-borne hepatitis to them and shut many of them down. Shortly thereafter, the state of New York would outlaw tattoos, something that wouldn’t be repealed for a few decades.

In the 60s, Janis Joplin got one of her famous tattoos by Lyle Tuttle, something that would ultimately represent the nomenclature of tattoos as they transcended to 70s rockers and dead heads. By the time the 80s was in full force, tattoos were not nearly as taboo as they used to be. Many major cities had tattoo shops on street corners, and even those who were of higher education were getting inked.

Perhaps the popularity of MTV made tattoos more recognizable and mainstream during the 80s, a trend that would continue into the early 90s—when popular culture cemented tattoos as something that was not only acceptable, but that was hip, in and no longer taboo; never to be again.

While the 90s truly cemented a place for body art, most tattoo artists concur that it was the 80s that really made it hip. Things like MTV made it more mainstream, popular and desirable for many. This fad crossed over into the 90s, and into the 2000s. Growing more and more as time passed, up to the present day; where you see tattoos nearly everywhere you look, and on people from all walks of life.

Are Tattoos Becoming More Accepted at the Workplace?

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I have been pondering this aspect for quite some time now, and being a tattoo enthusiast as well as a business minded person, I have always wondered if tattoos are being more accepted at the workplace. While I don’t have time in my day to fully investigate this matter, I can tell you what I have learned from my own eyes by merely venturing out into different places where people who have tattoos happily work without being degraded for sporting tats, and without having to even cover them up. After a few months of taking some mental notes, I have been able to derive a list of places that you could work at where they really could not care less if you have any tattoos on your body.

  1. Obviously: Tattoo parlors – this one just needed to be said, even though it’s assumed.
  2. Most sports bars, pubs and restaurants. I can’t tell you how many of these places that I have been to where people working, be they servers, bartenders or hostesses, are flaunting some pretty noticeable tats. Seems like these places stopped making them cover up their tats. Sweet!
  3. Grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and storage units. I have been to all of these enterprises recently, and I have seen many different people that have large tats on their bodies that are not covered up.
  4. Customer service centers and call centers. These places generally don’t care what you wear to work, as you are working the phones and no one can see what you look like. Tats are entirely acceptable.
  5. Casual offices. Some might require you wear shirt to cover them up, but according to an article that I read in Inked Magazine, most of these offices are lightening up on their restrictions. This is found in abundance at offices for information technology companies; such as the one that my best friend works at.

Top Five Reasons to Never Tattoo a Name of a Lover on Your Body

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I am sure that you have all seen it before—or that you may even know a person who has had it done—what I am talking about is tattooing the name of an intimate partner on your body. To answer any potential lingering questions: No, I do not and never will, tattoo a name of any person on my body. But there are tons of people that do, and will. According to many tattoo magazines, and some online sources I read, this comes with a very identifiable curse. That curse being: Generally most relationships end within six months of this process taking place. Sounds a tad bit superstitious right? But look around online, and you will see what I have read, and then you will believe. So I have been intrigued by this cult classic phenomenon and total no-no, enough so to write the top five reasons why one should never tattoo the name of a person you are dating or in a relationship with on your body. They are as follows.

  1. The six month curse. Most people believe that if you tattoo the name of your partner on your body that within half a year you will be broken up. It really does happen quite often. So there is something to this model.
  2. What if you break up later on? Then you have this name of a person—whom you more than likely detest at this point—on your body forever. Do you really want that?
  3. It’s freaky cheesy and overdone. That’s right! Think of something a bit more original for a tat that you plan on having for a lifetime. You may as well go ahead and get a heart with the word ‘Mom’ tatted on your body.
  4. Why not just buy monogrammed jewelry instead? If you are that inclined to have the name brandished on your person, get a monogrammed bracelet or necklace. If you do break up, you can just toss it in the fire and be done with it.
  5. Names look silly on bodies when tatted. They just do. That’s my personal view. But when there are so many other artistic options to choose from, a name seems like the worst option.

Think before Tatting

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Now, I am not the person who can preach against tattoos. I have 4 of them, 3 in highly visible locations. However, from my experience, I can say that there should have been some additional thought taken when considering two of the tattoos. They were incredibly painful, and every now and again, I wonder if I could not have put them in a better location. It’s not that I dislike the tattoos, but rather that they are so visible and they often appear less than professional on me.

Now, I have an excuse for my stupidity. The tattoo was free and I had a very limited amount of tie to consider the location and color of the tattoos. It was obviously too little time for me to consider. I opted to get two matching tattoos on my wrists. Even though I could see my tattoo artist’s wrist tattoos were up higher, I opted for the area right below the wrist joint. Mistake 1, that location is incredibly painful to have tattooed. In addition, the tattoo in that area is more prone to having the ink fall out since there is so much movement there. Mistake 2 was to have them done in black rather than grey. The black is very visible against my pale skin, making the tattoos appear bigger than they actually are.

Here are some things to consider when you are looking at getting at tattoo.

1. Do you really want the tattoo or are you getting it because it seems like a good idea and a cool thing to do. A great way to avoid the impulse tattoo is to make your self wait 6 months before committing to getting the tattoo. If the desire for that tattoo lasts 6 months and the design and location has not changed, then you can feel comfortable getting the tattoo done.

2. Will the tattoo interfere with your chances at getting a professional job? While most employers do not hold a tattoo against a prospective employee, there are several places that look down on the tattoo. Hospitals and public figures often do not encourage tattoos in that employees as this can hurt the image of the company as a professional facility. If having a visible tattoo is going to hurt these chances, consider getting one in hidden location, such as the shoulder, chest or back.

3. Will you feel uncomfortable dressed up with the tattoo so visible? I never thought that I might feel odd with tattoos showing while dressed well. I enjoy dressing up and I look good in a suit. Unfortunately, the tattoos on my wrists are clearly visible while I talk and move my arms. This does not bother me when I am with friends, but when I am meeting a customer, I am very conscious of it. It’s the same way when I go to the gym and participate in classes or discuss things with other professionals.

4. Will you like the tattoo years down the road? Everyone thinks about when they are senior citizens and wonder if they will still like the tattoos that they have on their body. Most people assume that they will no longer care whether they are tattooed or not at that point. However, some people get bands and teams on their body. What happens when the band breaks up or the team is sold? Will you still want that tattoo then? This is the thing that a person really has to think about.

5. Lucky tattoos exist, as do the bad luck tattoos. There truly is the 6 month curse when it comes to some tattoos. The number one tattoo that has the 6 month curse is the partner’s name on the body. Remember, the tattoo is nearly permanent. To have it removed is incredibly painful and often leaves a scar. For this reason, people often tattoo their spouse or partner on their body as a simple that the relationship will last forever. However, for some reason, as soon as the name is tattooed on, the relationship almost always ends. This leaves the person with a name on their body that they are no longer associated with. Talk about awkward.

While tattoos are becoming the norm in society, they still carry with them some stigma and concerns. It is only by addressing these concerns that a person can really feel comfortable having a tattoo inked to their body. Feel comfortable when addressing these concerns, then please, enjoy your tattoo and tip your artist well.

Arizona Event’s Not to Miss: Hell City Tattoo Festival

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Being the enigmatic lover of all things that are related to body art, tattoos and getting inked, there are just some events that rarely come to Phoenix, Arizona that are ones not to be missed. Especially if you love tattoos and the related subculture that is directly associated with them! For all of you neophytes for getting tatted who happen to live in Arizona, or who are willing to make the trek out and endure the humid monsoon heats and drizzles of late August, there is one event that you should most certainly add to your calendar: The Hell City Tattoo Festival!

This tattoo festival is entitled: “HELL CITY HEADS WEST!” This will be the Hell City 10 “Let It Burn” festival, which is taking place from August 27-29, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. The fest is to be held at the prestigious Arizona Biltmore, located at: 2400 E. Missouri Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85016. You can find out more information about this one-of-a-kind event by visiting the website for it, located online at: http://www.hellcity.com.

To better apprise you of all the wondrous spectacles that will be taking place during this awesome event, I find it best to directly cite from their event website, as they really have a lot of great info to offer. If you love tats, and all things related to them, and oh so much more, don’t miss this awesome tattoo festival in Arizona folks!

The Scoop, according to Hellcity.com…

“Rain or Shine, Hell City is “One Hell Of A Good Time”! The Hell City Tattoo Festival is a tattoo convention put on by tattoo artists, featuring world class artists and collectors from around the world! Hell City brings you not only some of the world’s best tattoo masters, but also showcases many of today’s young, up and coming tattoo artists! It is much more than your typical tattoo convention though, Hell City is a one of a kind because we include many other activities that you won’t see at any other tattoo conventions.

If you have ever been to Hell City before, you have seen the massive crowds. The line that gathers before the gates even open looks more like the line to get into a sold out rock concert. Once inside, all that is Hell City will amaze your eyes, ears and skin. With everything from live entertainment on the main stage, to music, to free seminars, The Art Fusion Experiment, tattoo competitions every day, and the lovely Suicide Girls giving out the one of a kind trophies, you will want to stay the entire weekend at the Beautiful Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa! This is our new website with many new features to make your Hell City Experience that much more enjoyable! We encourage feedback from artists and members, your input will help shape the future of this social tattoo network!”

See you all there, fellow body art protagonists!

What to Expect When Getting a Tattoo

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Being the neophyte and protagonist that I am for amazing body art, like the full sleeve tattoos that I enjoy brandishing on both of my arms, I always get asked many questions about my tattoos by numerous people that approach me who have never gotten one. This has prompted me, after quite literally being asked hundreds of questions regarding the subject matter, to write an article about tattoos and just what you can expect when you are getting one. Some things to keep in mind here—stuff that you more than likely already know—are that tattoos are not only art, they are a permanent fixture upon your body. So having a great tattoo and knowing what to expect and where to get one is pivotal to you being satisfied with your ink, and knowing that you are getting tatted in a safe, clean and legal environment. Perhaps these few tips can greatly aid you if you decide to get under the ink gun and add a crazy-cool tattoo to your body!

1. It usually is going to be painful. There are some places of your body that you will never feel any pain, and there are others that will seem like a hot knife is scraping across your body; like the inside of the arm, or the ditch of the arm. So to easily answer this question: be prepared for pain. But no pain means no gain! That’s the price you pay for a great tattoo!
2. Look around at tattoo parlors before you get inked. I am unable to emphasize or stress this point enough. Take your time when you are selecting a tattoo parlor, and the artist for that matter. Look around the shop: is it clean and nice, or grungy and scary? Check out their portfolio of tattoos as well; do they really appeal to you, or do you think you could find better work?
3. You get what you pay for. Some places may charge less for tattoos than others, but in the end you get what you pay for. The key is in finding an artist and tattoo parlor that you like, that charges a decently fair price, and that offers first rate work. This way you can keep going back there once you get hooked on the body inking process!