Tattoo performed by The Who at the Charlton Athletic Stadium on may 18th 1974

Tattoos are a very popular way to express individuality and creativity now-a-days. It is also a very permanent and serious event, so you are going to want to choose something that you will like for the rest of your life. But here comes the big question.. How do you choose what tattoo to get?

To start, you should pick a tattoo that is unique to you, expresses your individuality, and has a special meaning in your life. By doing this, it will have a greater significance, and it won’t be a hasty decision that you are going to regret in the end. Pick something that you are going to be proud of for many years to come. Many people just pick a tattoo and wing it. This is NOT the way to go. It takes a lot of time and searching to find something that is the perfect image for you.

I suggest that you should look through tattoo databases such as Chopper Tattoo, Tattoo Me Now, Target Tattoos, and Infinite Tattoos. They will show you a great variety of tattoos so you can choose a good one for you. All you have to do is select one, take it to your tattoo artist, and of course, get inked.

You could also design your own tattoo, or expand on tattoos that can be found in the above databases. This gives you a chance to perfect, craft, and use your imagination to conjure up your own creation, or expand on one, and watch it evolve it into an amazing masterpiece that no one else in the world will have. This therefore, makes it unique to you. Which in the end, makes it the right tattoo for you.

Choose something that you are very passionate about. Whether it be a hobby, a loved one, a tattoo in memory of a loved one, a gift or talent that you may possess, or something that has always just caught your eye. For instance, it may be a flower you have always liked.. a tribal or celtic design.. a religious symbol.. just about anything really. There are so many things to choose from, it’s truly is quite hard to pick.

Now where should you get this fabulous tattoo? Well, I would say just about anywhere. If you work in a very professional environment, I suggest having it somewhere where it is well hidden. Many workplaces have strict guidelines against visible tattoos, and if you are looking for a job and your future employers are seeing your tattoos more than they see you, this can be a very big problem, and could result in you not getting hired for the job. So I would choose a place quite inconspicuous. Unless you are in a rock band of some sort.. Then I don’t think it really matters. But on a more serious note, I do suggest placing your tattoo somewhere tasteful.

Next, you must decide whether or not it is going to be in color, all black, or gray. Color tattoos are relatively more expensive than black or gray. Also depending on the size, and place where you are getting your tattoo, it could become a lot more costly than you would think. You should bring your tattoo design to an artist and get a quote for how much that it is going to cost so that you don’t get any unpleasant surprises when you go to pay for your tattoo. Keep in mind that certain colors fade faster than others and you will want to ask your artist about this before you get the work done.

Now you need to decide which artist is going to do your tattoo! Be sure to check out a portfolio of their works to see how skilled they are, and in what area. Some artists specialize in certain types of tattoo art, such as naturalistic/realistic tattoos(portraits, etc), abstract (tribal, celtic, etc), dedications (hearts, names, etc), cartoons, and many more. Some may do many, or all of these things. So be sure to look into your artist before getting your tattoo.

So all in all, this is how you should go about finding the right tattoo for you. Just remember to pick something that is special and unique to you by choosing a design from online databases, magazines, or by creating your own design. Find a tasteful and appropriate place to position your tattoo so that it won’t interfere with work, or applying for a job position. Choose whether you want your tattoo black, gray, or coloured, and be sure to pick colors that won’t fade. Pick a good tattoo artist that specializes in the type of tattoo that you want. And that’s it! Good luck on your tattoo experience, I hope I was of great help to you.

Go to http://chosetherighttattooforyou.blogspot.com/ for a list of online tattoo databases that can help you pick out a great tattoo!

Earlier tattoo removal techniques included methods such as dermabrasion; this is where the skin is sanded so that it removes both the surface layer and the middle layer of skin, the doctor then removes the tattoo with a scalpel and stitches the wound closed, this method usually results in excessive scarring to the skin.

With the increasing popularity of various cosmetic surgery procedures, including tattoo removal, it is imperative that the prospective patient research and understand different issues like what the procedure can and cannot treat inherent risks, costs, and other considerations. Keep in mind, cosmetic surgery is just that – a surgical procedure whose results cannot simply be erased.

Generally, experts emphasize that to date there is no form of tattoo removal that can guarantee your skin will look like it did before the tattoo. Experts point out that the process can leave some scarring or skin discoloration. Depending on the tattoo itself and the skin of the patient, results vary.

You might have seen a tattoo removal in which the skin was scarred in roughly the shape of the original tattoo. Pigment in the removal area might be slightly lighter or darker than surrounding skin. If a small tattoo is removed from an ankle, it isn’t very noticeable. However, a large tattoo removed from a bicep is quite noticeable. Though methods are always improving, possible scarring must be weighed against how much one wants to rid oneself of the tattoo.

Tattoo Removal Methods:

The basic types of tattoo removal are laser surgery, including Intense Pulsed Light therapy (IPL), excision, and dermabrasion. All effective tattoo removal methods involve some pain, and the most effective methods can be quite expensive.

Excision

Another popular method of tattoo removal especially when the dyed area is small is by excision. The advantage of this method is that the entire tattoo can be removed. With larger tattoos, however, it may be necessary to excise in stages, removing the center of it initially and the sides at a later date.

Dermabrasion

Another method of tattoo removal is called dermabrasion in which a small portion of the tattoo is sprayed with a solution that freezes the area. The tattoo is then “sanded” with a rotary abrasive instrument causing the skin to peel. Because some bleeding is likely to occur, a dressing is immediately applied to the area.

Laser

The surgeon can control the width of the laser beam as well as the wavelength (or color) of the light. Different wavelengths are used to destroy different colors of ink. Precise focusing makes it possible to eliminate the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin.

Two to six treatments are usually needed, depending on the size of the tattoo. The treatment is relatively painless. Patients have described the sensation like a lightly stretched rubber band snapped against the skin. Afterwards, the treated area may feel somewhat like mild sunburn. The tattoo fades as the area heals, usually disappearing completely within a month or two. Not all tattoos, however, can be removed completely and leave just a shadow.

Another option to tattoo removal is to have the tattoo redone and improved by a professional tattoo artist. This can solve the problem if the tattoo is simply blurred or amateurish. There are also tattoo artists who specialize in tattooing over old tattoos with a new, completely different design. This solution is also less expensive than tattoo removal.

Polynesia is a general term which meant many islands with its present day geographical territory at the triangular corners of Hawaii, New Zealand and the Eastern Island. It has a clear division among itself and comprises of east and west Polynesia with Cook Island and the Tahiti being the primary ones. The cultural aspect which dominated the Polynesian people was body art or decoration.

This practice of body art among the Polynesian people slowly spread among the European sailors before creating a major impact on the western society in the form of tattoo. Tattoo is a permanent ink marking into the skin layers which changes the pigmentation and it’s done mostly for decorative reasons. Although tattooing has faced much taboo but it still continues to be a globally acclaimed popular art. Tattoos have served several purposes like status symbol or rank of an individual, symbols of spiritual and religious devotion, talismans or as a mark of an outcast, slaves or convicts. Nowadays tattoos are mostly used for cosmetic reasons or for showing some kind of emotional or remembrance gesture. The dyes and pigments used for tattooing are materials like titanium di oxide and iron oxide or for that matter even carbon black, azo dyes, acridine or even quinoline.

Tattoos are often grouped by the theme, the most prevalent among them being alien, ambigram, anchor, extreme, Maori, tribal or flash tattoos. However there are others like Aztec, kanji, eye and gargoyle. Using a paper or cardboard for imprinting or drawing a design is the sole theme of tattoo flash and it may be regarded as a species of industrial design. Tattoo parlours often sport them on the walls or on the entrance gateway giving the prospective customers a vivid idea of the tattoos. Mostly found on an 11*14 inch print, it may or may not come with an outline. Some common flash symbols are anchor, Bettie page which is a symbol of beauty, barbed wire, heart, dragon or the carp fish which appears in traditional Chinese or Japanese legends and stories. Maoris are the original inhabitants of New Zealand and with them comes the word Maori tattoo which has withstood not only time but also colonization by the Europeans. These Maori tattoos or tatuaggi maori were a symbol of genealogy, tribal history and often marks of beauty or ferocity. Sometimes called Ta Moko it was mostly a facial form of tattoo though the global surge in the tattoo industry and the urge to be fashionable has made people wear them on all parts of the body. It wasn’t merely worn by the person in the ink form but predominantly the skin was chiseled for this purpose. Old tribes like the Celtic, Haida and the tribe of Borneo practiced this form of tribal tattoo or tatuaggi tribali. New tribalism is the remnants of the glorious past which has been traced back to the Bronze Age. They mainly demonstrate pieces of art form from native and indigenous tribe with an inclination towards personal or religious convictions. For its unique look tribal tattoo has become one of the most popular designs with celebrities like Mike Tyson, Sandra Bullock and Dwayne Johnson donning them.

This once dying art of the Polynesians have now become a fashion statement and many style icons are hugely acknowledged due to the bold and beautiful tattoo they wear on them differentiating them from the rest.