Proper aftercare is crucial for healing tattoos and belly button rings without complications like keloids. Learn how to drain piercing bumps, understand ear gauging rules, and identify the signs of a rejected body piercing.
Most professional tattoo shops use dual coil tattoo machines because they are readily available and relatively inexpensive. They also provide smooth lines and shading. Although dual coil machines may be the standard, some tattoo artists prefer to use rotary tattoo machines instead.
Read more →
India ink is a black pigment generally made from fine soot with a binding agent. The upside of India ink is its use in the art world to create drawings, comics and calligraphy. The downside of this form of ink is its use for homemade tattoos.
Read more →
Metal allergies can be evident in pierced ears or wherever skin comes into contact with metals, such as with watches, necklaces or other jewelry. This form of allergic reaction is called contact dermatitis, and is due to your body's reacting to impurities in metal products.
Read more →
Piercings in general, and navel piercings in particular, are gaining popularity in Western societies. A pierced navel, particularly popular with young women, can be a visually pleasing way to show off a flat stomach or to commemorate a special life event or experience.
Read more →
<b>Overview</b> Tattooing has been around since ancient times. Today, the Mayo Clinic reports that as many as 20 million Americans are tattooed.
Read more →
Nostril piercings are one of the most common facial piercings available, possibly second only to the earlobe in terms of popularity. Healing is relatively easy, if sometimes slow--about three to four months on average. But all piercings, even well-cared-for piercings, can develop complications as they heal.
Read more →
Ear gauging is a popular body modification practice in which gauges of varying, graduated sizes are placed in an ear piercing to slowly stretch out the hole for a larger spacing. Ear gauging can be painful and have lasting effects that may one day need surgery to repair.
Read more →
After getting a tattoo on one of your body parts, such as your chest, that requires you to remove thick hair to make the tattoo visible, you may consider using a hair removal cream. Also called depilatories, these creams are safe to use on your tattoos, if you follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Read more →
Navel piercings, often referred to as belly button piercings, take six months to a year to heal. Parents considering allowing their teenager to receive this piercing need to assess that maturity level of the individual.
Read more →
If you develop a bump at the site of a body piercing, draining it should never be a "do-it-yourself" endeavor. A bump, especially if the site turns red, swollen or painful, or drains pus, could indicate a staphylococcus infection or other bacteria.
Read more →
Nose rings, which have symbolic meaning in Indian, African and some Muslim cultures, are gaining popularity in other areas of the world as well. In fact, in the United States, nose piercing may be seen as an act of rebellion against conservative values.
Read more →
While currently gaining popularity, tongue piercing is not a new practice. The Aztecs pierced their tongues and other body parts as a potentially dangerous form of ritual sacrifice.
Read more →
Keloids are a type of scar that form a growth of fleshy tissue that protrudes from the skin. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, they form when connective tissues called fibroblasts and skin cells over-multiply, creating extra tissue.
Read more →
After years of thought, you finally figured out what tattoo you want. You found a tattoo artist you felt comfortable with, set the big day and endured thousands of needle sticks. When the tattoo artist was finished, you got one long look at your new tattoo in the mirror.
Read more →
Earlobes and other piercings can be gradually stretched to accommodate thicker jewelry. The word "gauge" refers to the thickness of the jewelry, measured by diameter. The smaller the number is, the larger the gauge is; for example, an 18 gauge is smaller than a 2 gauge.
Read more →
Navel piercings may be the most commonly performed body piercing below the neck -- in fact, they're possibly only second to earlobe piercings in popularity. As it happens, they are also one of the trickiest to place and hardest to heal.
Read more →
Eyebrow tattoos are a common body alteration procedure, especially for people who have either over-plucked their eyebrows or lost them due to health problems. Commonly referred to as "permanent makeup," these tattoos are applied to achieve a look similar to real eyebrows.
Read more →
A tattoo artist creates a stencil of the tattoo design before he takes a needle to the skin. The artist draws the stencil with a special ink that transfers to the skin. This provides an outline of the tattoo design, which allows the artist to work quickly and accurately.
Read more →