The mental decision that you want to get a tattoo is often easier than going into a tattoo shop and getting it done. For people who have never gotten a tattoo, the equipment in a tattoo shop can seem a little intimidating. You know there are inks and needles involved, and you have a vague idea what an autoclave is, but other than that may not really know much about the tattoo equipment your artist works with every day.

The first thing that you should know is that a good tattoo artist will be happy to show the tattoo equipment to you and explain how all of the things she uses help to create not only a quality tattoo, but a healthy result as well.

The first piece of tattoo equipment we will discuss is the autoclave. The autoclaves in tattoo shops are the same as the ones used at hospitals in order to sterilize surgical equipment. They use steam and pressure in order to sterilize equipment.

Autoclaves are used in tattoo shops in order to sterilize reusable equipment such as the tubes and grips of the tattoo machine and tattoo needles.

The tattoo machines are the pieces of equipment that most people are the most leery about when they get their first tattoo. For most tattoos, your artist will use two different machines, a liner and a shader. The tattoo machine powers the needle bar up and down so that the needles can penetrate your skin. The needle bar is controlled by the artist by a foot pedal. To answer a common question among people who are getting their first tattoo, the pedal is simply an on/off switch and doesn’t increase the needle’s intensity if the pedal is pushed harder.

Tattoo needles are made to be either liners or shaders. Liner needles can be one needle, for fine linework, or several needles grouped in a round configuration. Shader needles can be arranged in either a round or flat configuration of anywhere from a few to several needles.

Your tattoo artist probably has a strong preference regarding the brand of ink she uses. This is because some inks will begin to break down in the skin a lot faster than others. Before beginning your tattoo, your artist will put the required amount of ink into ink caps. The artist will dip the tattoo needle into these small ink caps while doing your tattoo. When the needle penetrates the skin, a small amount of ink is deposited, creating the tattoo. The needle deposits the ink below the top layer of the skin, into the dermis. When you see a tattoo, you are actually seeing through the top layer of the skin (the epidermis) into the dermis, where the ink has been deposited during the tattoo.

In the tattoo shop you will also see a variety of other pieces of equipment and preparations, such as sterile gloves, spray bottles, ointments and soaps. These are all used in order to provide you with a quality tattoo as well as keep your tattoo equipment sterile.



By: Danny Kevant

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The TLC reality television series LA Ink, a spin-off of its predecessor series Miami Ink, has managed to grant its cast of tattoo experts a certain degree of popularity. However, resident shop manager Pixie Acia is averse to the idea of making any grand claim to that fame. She says that while being on the show has made her more easily recognizable, she doesn’t consider it an accurate measure of how well-known she is. During an interview, the 26-year-old veteran of the body art industry recalled how the people around her kept asking her about the effects of fame, just from being on the show.

Acia said that she considered it amusing because she did not view it as being about real fame. She claimed that people didn’t recognize her because she had, in her own words, any amazing talent. Acia further went on to say that she was not an amazing tattoo artist, nor an actress of note, and that she never really aspired towards the performing arts in that respect. She also said that it felt somewhat unusual for her, and it gave her the sensation of being lost somewhere in the middle. On the other hand, the shop manager acknowledged that her prominent fellow co-worker Kat Von D had become quite well-known and successful herself.

However, Acia contended that Kat Von D did not achieve her fame simply from appearing on television in LA Ink and Miami Ink, but because she’d managed to distinguish herself in an industry traditionally dominated by their male counterparts. Acia further continued to downplay her own personal role, and said she was easily replaceable. She made the clear distinction between fame gained from being exceptionally talented, and fame gained simply from being seen on a TV show. One thing that Acia misses from life before the series, however, is her job at a diner called Swingers.

For more resources about LA Ink or for the full story of LA Ink: LA Ink Star Says She’s “Not An Amazing Tattoo Artist” please review http://www.buddytv.com



By: Groshan Fabiola

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So you’ve decided that you want a Japanese tattoo. Congratulations. You’ve chosen a style of body art that’s rich with symbolism and has links to ancient Japanese traditions. The majority of Japanese tattoos consist heavily of written symbols which can be divided into three main categories.

1) Kanji

Of the three types of Japanese tattoo symbols, Kanji is the most popular because it is so expressive and artistic. Each different Kanji symbol (of which there are reported to be more than 40,000) represents a specific idea or meaning. So by combining a number of different Kanji symbols in your tattoo design it’s possible to create a stylish and unique tattoo that expresses an unlimited number of ideas and messages.

2) Hiragana

Unlike Kanji symbols, which represent various ideas or meanings, Hiragana is a style of writing that’s used in everyday Japanese life. You’ll find it used in media such as newspapers and magazines, so it’s much more amenable to literal translation than Kanji.

In terms of design, the hiragana characters are more rounded than Kanji symbols, which is worth bearing in mind depending upon your artistic tastes. Hiragana writing is also known as cursive, so don’t get confused if you hear someone speaking about a cursive tattoo.

3) Katakana

The system of Katakana is similar to Hiragana. Together they’re known as Kana and were originally based on the Kanji symbols which existed more than one thousand years ago. Since than they’ve developed into their present form and both Hiragana and Katakana each have their own set of 46 symbols with which to form their words.

The system of Katakana symbols is used almost exclusively to represent words that are non Japanese in origin. These symbols are similar to the system of hiragana with the main difference being that words in Katakana have sharper edges and are much more angular in appearance.

And that concludes the three types of Japanese tattoo symbols that are available. However, there’s no rule that says you have to choose one style and stick to it. You could have your tattoo designed so that it includes more than one of these styles. For example, you could have a sentence written using Hiragana that includes various Kanji symbols to enrich it with greater meaning.

But whatever option you select, it’s important to take one additional safety precaution before you go anywhere near a tattoo studio with your design. As you can see from this brief explanation of different character types, the system of Japanese writing is extremely complicated and subtle.

So unless you want to walk around wearing a Japanese tattoo that looks like a bad practical joke, if you don’t speak Japanese fluently, it’s vital to get an accurate translation of your design from a Japanese language expert.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that you find a tattoo artist who has experience forming the various Japanese characters and symbols.

The best way to find your perfect Japanese tattoo is to do your research and then think long and hard about it before you make your final decision.

Use the internet to look at as many different types and styles of Japanese tattoos as possible. Do some research on the culture and learn how the language operates. After that, spent time thinking about what ideas and meanings you want to express through your tattoo design.

Ultimately, the tattoos that people are most pleased with are those that have deep personal meaning or significance.



By: Gustavo Gomez

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