What Exactly Is a Tattoo?

[imranjewel]

It seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to Celtic designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos. Maybe you've thought about getting one. But before you head down to the nearest tattoo shop and roll up your sleeve, there are a few things you need to know.

So What Exactly Is a Tattoo?
A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that's filled with ink. It's made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area, usually creating some sort of design. What makes tattoos so long-lasting is they're so deep — the ink isn't injected into the epidermis (the top layer of skin that you continue to produce and shed throughout your lifetime). Instead, the ink is injected into the dermis, which is the second, deeper layer of skin. Dermis cells are very stable, so the tattoo is practically permanent.

Tattoos used to be done manually — that is, the tattoo artist would puncture the skin with a needle and inject the ink by hand. Though this process is still used in some parts of the world, most tattoo shops use a tattoo machine these days. A tattoo machine is a handheld electric instrument that uses a tube and needle system. On one end is a sterilized needle, which is attached to tubes that contain ink. A foot switch is used to turn on the machine, which moves the needle in and out while driving the ink about 1/8 inch (about 3 millimeters) into your skin.

Most tattoo artists know how deep to drive the needle into your skin, but not going deep enough will produce a ragged tattoo, and going too deep can cause bleeding and intense pain. Getting a tattoo can take several hours, depending on the size and design chosen.

[Pam]

I've seen a lot of really bad tattoo's lately.  On a lot of them, the ink didn't get deep enough and they are faint and horrible looking.

[prabax]

yes i do agree! when the usage of unsterilized needle cause anything to our skin?

[pikapika]

Tattoo has been used in different ways. It has been used as a body art, an expression of one self. Others have tattoos if they become a member of an organization to differentiate them from the rest. Some have tattoos because they simply find it cool. When getting a tattoo always request for new needles to avoid contacting health issues as tattooing involves needles pierced into the skin, a very easy way of transfusion and contaminating the blood.

[pondokgede35]

I see tattoo as a form of emotional expression...I have the initials of all my enemies' name on my fist. 

[Sunny Leon]

Great Information man..... Before that I don't know about the exact definition of Tattoo?

[Nicole Phoena]

Thanks for this nice and interesting review!

[DaveTattoo]

Thanks for the definition and the technichal aspect of tattoo.

I have seen a tattoo witch was done right, but because the person could not cover it the first few days of work (he was in the army) it turn out to be almost unrecognizable.

[Tattoo Gallery]

A tattoo for me is a like fashion.  When my tattoo is no longer in fashion I cover it up, sorry to say.

[back in the 60s]

Tattoos are great.. I just feel that some people over do it, and then suffer the consequences of bad body art or keloids after they have their lousily done/designed tats removed.  Be wise when choosing something permanent!

[Jel]

A tattoo is a design on the skin that can be either permanent or non-permanent. Non-permanents are called temporary tattoos. The tattoo piece is pressed on dry skin while a piece of wet cloth is applied to the paper backing to remove it and later, the tattoo can be washed off.

[hawkeye]

The American Academy of Dermatology  distinguishes 5 types of tattoos:
Traumatic tattoos, also called "natural tattoos", that result from injuries, especially asphalt from road injuries or pencil lead;
Amateur tattoos;
Professional tattoos, both via traditional methods and modern tattoo machines;
Medical tattoos;
Cosmetic tattoos, also known as "permanent makeup".

[sohnclaire]

they are color pigments inserted into the upper layers of the skin...ha ha.. yai...it expresses what you feel....i feel..

It seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to Celtic designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos. Maybe you've thought about getting one. But before you head down to the nearest tattoo shop and roll up your sleeve, there are a few things you need to know.

So What Exactly Is a Tattoo?
A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that's filled with ink. It's made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area, usually creating some sort of design. What makes tattoos so long-lasting is they're so deep — the ink isn't injected into the epidermis (the top layer of skin that you continue to produce and shed throughout your lifetime). Instead, the ink is injected into the dermis, which is the second, deeper layer of skin. Dermis cells are very stable, so the tattoo is practically permanent.

Tattoos used to be done manually — that is, the tattoo artist would puncture the skin with a needle and inject the ink by hand. Though this process is still used in some parts of the world, most tattoo shops use a tattoo machine these days. A tattoo machine is a handheld electric instrument that uses a tube and needle system. On one end is a sterilized needle, which is attached to tubes that contain ink. A foot switch is used to turn on the machine, which moves the needle in and out while driving the ink about 1/8 inch (about 3 millimeters) into your skin.

Most tattoo artists know how deep to drive the needle into your skin, but not going deep enough will produce a ragged tattoo, and going too deep can cause bleeding and intense pain. Getting a tattoo can take several hours, depending on the size and design chosen.