tattoo nightmares

TATTOOS AND INFECTION

Getting a tattoo is common practice by many in this day and age. With an on body art form that can

be used to express yourself, it’s no wonder so many people enjoy getting tattoos. This is all good and

well but what happens when a tattoo goes wrong or becomes infected? This can be a traumatising

and depressing experience so it is important to make sure that you know exactly what you want and

that your tattooist is a reputable artist.

It is important when picking out your tattoo that you make it clear to the artist what it is you want. If

there are any details of a design you do not like, make sure that you point this out, remember it is

your body that the design is going on and so you must be the final decider. Tattoos that you should be

extra careful about are those with letters or numbers in them. The last thing you want to do is get the

spelling wrong or dates wrong, because once it’s on your body there’s no changing it.

One of the most worry things however about a tattoo is the risk of infection. The most common cause

of an infected tattoo is lack of aftercare and not down to the tattooist. They can however also become

infected due to poor hygiene in the tattoo studio such as dirty needles and equipment not being

sterilised properly.

If you have just got your first tattoo it may be difficult for you tell whether or not it is infected or just

healing. A number of symptoms that would indicate an infected tattoo are listed below.

Extreme redness or irritation
A fever
Increased, persistent or shooting pains
Swelling
A funny odour
Discharge
Red streaks or sores

A seriously infected tattoo has the potential to kill a person if it gets out of hand, it is therefore

extremely important that you take the proper care precautions after having one done. If you feel as

though your tattoo is infected and you are becoming worried about it you should firstly see your

tattooist as they should be able to inform you if it is infected or not. If you are still worried however

or have had an infection confirmed you should make an appointment to see your doctor immediately.

The treatment of an infected tattoo will generally be a course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.

Some doctors may ask you to take a blood test depending on the seriousness of the infection. It is

important that if you do have an infected tattoo to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from water.

Author Bio:

Jake is a keen writer who has a particular interest in tattoos, piercing and their aftercare. He often

writes about tattoo supplies and the aftercare of tattoos.

Arielle's Lion of a Tattoo (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I've been periodically posting some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, and wanted to share this one as well:

This incredible lion tattoo is on the left arm of Arielle, who credited the work to the artist Dee Whitcomb at Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Merrick, New York.

Arielle told me her name means "Lion of God," so she went with this design which Dee drew up and tattooed on her. It's really a beautiful tattoo that certainly captures the grace of this majestic animal.

Thanks to Arielle for sharing her lion with us here on Tattoosday!

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Johnny Shares His Angels and Demons

I met Johnny on the Coney Island boardwalk, and he allowed me to take a photo of his back to share with Tattoosday readers:

The top of the back reads "Brooklyn" and the bottom sums it up: Angels & Demons.

Johnny explained:

"It's just the passions of my life. I went through turmoil and came out of it. So, basically, I'm wearing on my skin, my griefs, my sins and my dislikes."

He couldn't be specific about who did what, but he said that the majority of the work was done by Coney Island Vinny and Michael Angelo, two staples of old-school Brooklyn tattooing.

Thanks to Johnny for sharing his back tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Taylor's Colorful Thigh (Tattoosday at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I wanted to share some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, starting with this one, on the left thigh of Taylor:

Here's another angle:

Taylor credited this colorful hummingbird to the artist Richard "Made Rich" Parker at Think Before You Ink in Long Island City. Made Rich is currently vying for the title of Ink Master on the show's third season.

Taylor said that Made Rich free-handed the drawing directly onto her skin, and that it took four sessions, because, as she put it, she was a "cry-baby."

This tattoo was one of the highlights of the convention for me, and I am happy Taylor allowed me to share it here on Tattoosday! Thanks, Taylor!

Krystal Shares a Tattoo That Speaks of Life and Death

I met Krystal at the end of June while passing by Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. I spotted a tattoo on her upper left arm and had to stop and ask about it:

Krystal credited this work to a friend of hers that tattoos freelance under the moniker Shane White Trash.

The design on top with the bird, the rose, and the girl crying blood, is based on Shane's artwork, which she really liked. Krystal added the quote, because she felt it went with the design. It reads:

life asked death,

"WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE ME,

BUT HATE YOU?"

death responded,

"BECAUSE YOU ARE A

BEAUTIFUL LIE

AND I AM A

PAINFUL TRUTH".

Krystal found the quote online, and it appears to be unattributed, one of those sayings with an unknown origin that resonates so profoundly with people.

Thanks to Krystal for sharing this, one of her eleven tattoos, with us here on Tattoosday!

Caitlin and Her Friends Ask With a Tattoo

I love textual tattoos and am more inclined to stop people who have words inscribed on their flesh.

Caitlin, for example, had these words tattooed on the backs of her legs:

Her left leg reads "nature is a language" and her right leg asks "can't you read?"

About eight years ago, Caitlin told me, she and two of her friends all got this same tattoo, which references lyrics from "Ask" by The Smiths. The work was done by an artist at Bodytech Tattooing and Piercing in Gainesville, Florida. We featured work from the same shop here back in 2008.

Here's the video from the song:

Thanks to Caitlin for sharing this lyrical tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Anna's Sea Oats Remind Her of Family and the Ocean

I spotted Anna on Seventh Avenue about a month ago, and had to stop her to ask about this incredible back tattoo:

The artist is Joel Brennan a.k.a. Suga Bear, who owns and works out of Steadfast Tattoo Parlour in Erie, PA.

Anna explained:

"He [Suga Bear] drew it and the concept is sea oats, which represents my family and my love of the ocean ... We went on vacation every summer to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and there's beautiful sea oats in the sand dunes down there."

Thanks to Anna for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.