Tattoo

From ArticleWorld

A tattoo is the creation of an artistic form or marking made by the insertion of pigment that is injected in tiny punctures under the skin. The vast majority of tattoos are intentional; however, natural tattoos can work in some industries in which people work with coal or other pigmented substance.

History

Tattoos have been found in mummified bodies as old as 3300 BCE. It appears in historical remains in Eurasia, the Middle East and in many other cultures. In the US, the use of tattoos dates from the late 1700s when Captain Cook and his sailors ventured to cultures in Tahiti and other areas of the South Pacific where tattoos were common. Currently, nearly every culture in the world uses some form of tattooing.

Prevalence

In the U.S., at least 16% of all adults have at least one tattoo. It is more common in the gay, lesbian and bisexual population, where the incidence is 31%. Young people aged 25 to 29 years have a 36% chance of having at least one tattoo. Of those aged 30 to 39 years, the incidence of tattoos is 28 percent.

Procedure

The tattooist is generally an artist who is capable of creating art onto the skin. A tattoo machine is used to micro-inject different colors of pigment. The pigments are made of multiple substances that are approved for cosmetic use; however allergies to certain dyes (especially red and green dye) can always happen. The tattooist forms the design one pigment at a time after tracing the design on the individual.

After the tattoo is done, the tattoo is covered to keep dye from leaking out onto the clothing. The tattooist will recommend something like Neosporin ointment or other moisturizing protective ointment to be applied at least twice daily for up to a week after the tattoo is received. Some scabbing of skin is normal and will eventually fall off within a week or so.