I'm not an admirer of tattoos. I'm not sure why, but it could be related to my being overcautious and a physical coward. I'm not worried about pain, but I'm not eager to have a non-medical person inject me with a sharp needle and ink. In addition, I don't like the look of a tattoo ­ whatever the size or subject.

watched a tattoo artist ply his trade. Did I enjoy it? It was interesting to see how it was done, but "enjoy" isn't how I felt. The subject winced and grimaced while stating the experience was more irritating than painful. The artist, wearing protective gloves, needled his way along the design with ink, pausing every few seconds to pat the skin with what looked like an alcohol-saturated pad.

Tattooing is a very old art and still practiced in some cultures as a rite of passage, sign of maturity, or even beauty. In Borneo, you could arrange for tribal tattoos done with a wooden "pricker" containing 14 needles dipped in dye. A wooden striker or hammer administers this excruciating pain. I won't relocate to Borneo.

Many religious groups are against defacing their God-given bodies. Just as many believe it's a requirement by their gods. People of India, Tahiti and Hawaii, Eskimos and Indian tribes, Africans and Asians, all have examples of permanent body adornments in their histories.

Perhaps it's older designs tattooed in bluish inks that give me the urge to grab a soapy washcloth and start scrubbing.

I'm sure some of my feelings go back many years, when we associated tattoos with soldiers and sailors, motorcycles riders, and characters like Popeye. It was just not an option for a well-brought up young lady to go around with a visible marking on her body.

Things, however, have changed, with or without me. In spite of how I may feel about it, tattooing has become very popular. A 1936 survey showed that 10 million Americans, or approximately six percent of the population had at least one tattoo. A more recent poll, done in 2003, nearly triples those numbers and estimates that 16 percent of Americans now have one or more tattoos.

I'm always surprised at the number of people who get tattoos and don't regret them ­ I would have thought the numbers would be higher. A majority of Americans with tattoos (83 percent) do not regret getting them, while 17 percent do feel regret. The survey found that regret for getting a tattoo was highest among tattooed Republicans (24 percent) and among those living in the South (21 percent). And, the reason cited most often for feeling regret about getting tattoos was, not surprisingly, "because of the person's name in the tattoo" (16 percent). My goodness ­ did those Republicans back the wrong candidate?

I imagine there are many people going around with the name of a sweetheart that doesn't quite match the name of his or her spouse on a bicep or some other location. You can divorce or dump a person, but a tattoo is a little more difficult.

People with tattoos have said it makes them feel intelligent, sexy, rebellious, attractive, athletic, healthy and strong. By contrast, people without tattoos said they think that people with tattoos are less attractive, less sexy, less intelligent and more rebellious.

The other day I saw a pretty young woman pushing a carriage with a pink and pudgy, sweet little baby. Her leg from knee to ankle sported what would have to be described as a mean and scary looking dragon. I wondered how on earth she could have used any of the above adjectives to describe how she felt, and if she had changed her mind about deciding to have this decoration, how expensive it would be to remove.

According to experts, tattoo removal by laser is fairly successful and quite expensive, requiring several sessions, depending on the size. I imagine young people who belong to street gangs may find their crude knuckle art a little restrictive when they are older, working in a white-collar profession. How you feel on the street at 14 may not be reflected accurately in your tattoo at 44, as you discuss brain surgery with your patient.

I read recently that Corrections Canada is planning to set up tattoo parlors in six federal prisons this year, hoping to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, including hepatitis C that affects a quarter of all federal inmates. Authorities say there's no way of knowing how many picked up the disease from tattooing, but at least 45 percent of inmates engage in it with whatever they can get their hands on "all kinds of things, metal, old metal equipment."

Critics of the program are disappointed Corrections Canada has not set up a needle exchange program as well.

Body art naturally leads to body decor, and another form of adornment that I don't find appealing: anything other than conservatively pierced ears is beyond me. When I see people with studs or rings hanging out of their eyebrows, I blink a lot. One in the nostril has me twitching my nose like Bugs Bunny, and a pierced tongue simply makes me gag. I don't think I care to go lower than the chin for descriptions. I can only envision these pierced people traveling near Magnetic Hill.

www.zwire.com

Not even on my wedding day did I get a near equal reaction as I did when I showed up at work, at home, on assignment with a henna tattoo.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on the art of henna or mehndi body art. It's a Middle Eastern and Indian form of body adornment where a person's skin is stained a reddish-brown in a delicate design, usually on the hands and/or feet.

It's a temporary thing that lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Mine barely lasted one week and depicted a vine growing from my left index finger up to my wrist.

Upon showing up in the newsroom, comments varied, but most went something like this:

"What the heck is that?"

"Were you bored this weekend?"

"Wow, is that real?"

"What did your husband say?"

"Where can I get it? I want to freak my husband out!"

I told them I was doing research for my article. A woman from Lincoln did a few demonstrations at the local libraries, and I thought it would be an interesting bit of culture for our readers (I've heard a few good things about the article, so someone somewhere learned something).

But at the bottom of it all, I'm just another one of those people who have always wanted a real tattoo, but never had the guts to get one.

"I'd never know what to get" or "I don't know where I'd put it" have always been my excuses. Along with the safety aspects, I've just never gone for that brand of permanency.

But, really, what's the deal with putting things on our bodies? From piercings to tattoos (fake or permanent) to rings and shoes, people love to draw attention to themselves.

While it may have cultural meaning, many people look for the fun in it, for drawing the attention or maybe for shocking the more reserved members of our communities.

I can't tell you how many people asked me where I got the henna done and how much it cost. They wanted to do it, and as fast as they could, to shock their significant others.

A comment I heard a lot was, "My husband/wife would just die if I did that."

Jacqueline Barnhardt, the henna artist who did my tattoo, says that people can't get enough of drawing attention to themselves. Body adornment says, "Hey! I'm standing here and you should notice me." But it also says, "This is me, and I can be different and beautiful."

And teens don't shy away from it either. How many parents out there beg, bribe, or mandate their teens stay at least 100 feet from a tattoo parlor or piercing palace? It's common. It's a trend. But with henna, at least it's temporary.

Even though it is merely a temporary fix for the age-old fascination, people yearn for that instant gratification and even pleasure.

Am I advocating the use of the desert plant? Not really. Am I doing free PR for artists? I don't think so.

But there's something in this body adornment thing that has me puzzled. I guess I just don't quite get the fascination.

Maybe it whetted my own tattoo fixation for a while. Or maybe it was just the thrill of seeing my boss's eyes bug out of his head when he noticed I had a tattoo on my hand. Either way, it was fun while it lasted, and it attracted the attention I evidently desired.

www.papilliontimes.com

When Lawrence Chaplin and his younger brother Clarry had a henna tattoo done while on holiday, they had no idea they would end up with painful blisters. Their mother fears they may be scarred for life. She's urging other holiday makers to avoid street vendors who often use a black henna paste known for causing allergic reactions. Rajiv Popat reports.

Two weeks ago, Lawrence and Clarry Chaplin were in agony. They'd just returned from a holiday to the Greek island of Zante where they had a henna tattoo on their arm by a street vendor. A few days later they were in agony.

Lawrence says: "I felt quite shocked and that's what it looked like now. And it kept bubbling up and pussing."
Clarry says: "It was very painful and everytime I scratched it when it was itching, it was burning."

Their mother Skye, believes they suffered an allergic reaction to the black paste which is different from the brown henna paste used for temporary tattoos in the UK; "Don't even risk it. If your child wants to pretty themselves up then just get the transfers that you wet on. Don't even attempt it, it's not worth the risk."

The tattoos cost £21 each. The family from Countesthorpe in Leicestershire say that's a high price to pay for a fashion statement that could leave the youngsters scarred for life.

www2.itv.com

Britney Spears' mother Lynne has ruined the singer's plans to have a pre-wedding tattoo session with fiancee Kevin Federline before their marriage ceremony.

The Toxic star and dancer Federline have already had a set of matching tattoos together earlier this year - Britney had a pair of pink dice on her left inner wrist, while Federline opted for a larger image of blue dice on his right forearm.

The pop star and her husband-to-be were planning to get another set of body artwork on their wedding morning in November to bless their marriage, and have been pouring over designs for weeks.

A friend says, "They want to get something symbolic that will mean something for them in years to come".

The couple had planned to go under the needle hours before the ceremony, but Lynne has halted the plans.

The 22-year-old star is furious at her mom's decision, but Lynne is insisting that the marriage should be traditional - and that means the bride not seeing the groom in the morning.

www.teenmusic.com

Holidaymakers were today warned to avoid black henna tattoos after three more boys said they may be scarred for life.

Parents of the boys - two brothers aged 12 and 10, and another boy aged nine - say the black henna caused the weeping blisters to appear on their arms.

An infection in one of the boy's arms has moved to his lymph node and caused his right armpit, a nipple and neck to swell up.

Last week the Leicester Mercury reported how 11-year-old Matteo James, from Glen Parva, suffered severe blistering from a temporary dragon tattoo he had drawn on his arm on the Greek island of Zante.

Pure brown henna paste, commonly used for temporary tattoos in the UK, rarely causes allergies.

However, black henna tattoos abroad, where controls are less strict, can have the chemical phenylenediamine added which can cause an allergic reaction.

Lawrence Chaplin, 12, from Countesthorpe, is going through agony after getting a ?21 henna tattoo from a street vendor on Zante two weeks ago.

He said: "I wish I had never had it done. If anyone has one on holiday, don't get a black henna one."

His mum, Skye, 30, said: "Lawrence had a dragon and the day he came home he started blistering.

"It got worse and the doctor gave him steroid cream but by last Saturday there was yellow pus coming out.

"It's totally burned the skin.

"It's infected his lymph node and his neck and nipple and armpit have swollen up."

Lawrence's 10-year-old brother, Clarry, had a lesser reaction to the black henna. His mum said that two more people had said their children had an allergic reaction, and relatives saw two girls in Cyprus with blisters.

Aaron Kennedy, nine, from Thurmaston, also suffered blistering after a street vendor tattooed a Celtic band and a shark on his arm in Gran Canaria two weeks ago.

His mum, Annette, 30, said: "He's tried to be brave, but they were very painful. The doctor said only time will tell, but he could be scarred for life.

"We just want families to be aware because there are loads and loads of kids having them done."

Both parents fear there may be rogue batches of henna being distributed abroad.

Muriel Simmons, spokeswoman for Allergy UK, said: "We are seeing more and more people reacting to henna tattoos. The problem is that you are really not going to know if you are allergic to it until you have it done, and then you're in trouble."

A Foreign Office spokesman said today they had no specific advice for families thinking of getting henna tattoos abroad.

He said: "If it becomes an issue we would offer travel advice but we are unaware of any problems people are facing at the moment."

Mendhi artists in Leicester have said black henna is best avoided and natural red-brown henna is not harmful to the skin.

www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk

It's embarrassing. A different design would look better. Your last three girlfriends have dumped you because "Nikki" is still emblazoned on your bicep. For whatever reason, you've decided you've had enough of your tattoo. Here's what you need to know to banish it into history.

Beware of older techniques.

Of all possible removal techniques, laser removal is considered the safest and least painful. While other methods may take out the tattoo, they also take out layers of skin. Lasers target the pigment, leaving the surrounding skin pretty much intact, if irritated. Different types and wavelengths target different colors, breaking up the pigment and leaving the body's natural healing mechanisms to flush out the ink.

 Consult a doctor.

Before committing, schedule a consultation and view before and after photos of the doctor's work. Ross VanAntwerp of the Center for Laser Surgery in Washington also suggests asking whether the doctor owns or rents his lasers. Renters, VanAntwerp says, "may not have the same depth of experience."

 Expect to spend time.

It typically takes at least six to eight treatments to remove a professionally done tattoo (homemade ones usually come out quicker, in two to four visits). And certain colors may require more. Black and dark blue are the easiest colors to remove, while brown, white, pink, light blue and some greens can be stubborn.

  . . . And money.

At $100 to $400 per treatment, it costs a lot more to get a tattoo removed than it did to get it put on in the first place. And this isn't the sort of procedure where you want to go for the bargain-basement option.

 Prepare for some risk -- and pain.

Even when you're under the best care, laser treatments can result in scarring, skin texture changes or incomplete removal. And it's probably going to hurt about as much as getting the tattoo did.

Topical creams can help ease the discomfort, and in a few cases, localized injections may be used to numb the area.

www.chron.com

Choose time, place wisely when looking to get inked

Looking to get inked? Use these hints and you're on your way to obtaining a great tattoo.

 Choose an artist.

"Read, research, get a referral," counsels independent tattoo artist Paul Roe, who has thousands of tattoos to his credit. (The Web sites Tattooz.net and Tattoodles.com are good places to start looking.) Find someone "whose tattoo you love -- not like, but love -- and ask them who did it," he says. Then, visit several studios.

"Look at photos of the artist's work," adds tattooist Eric Bartholomaus, owner of Keepsake Tattoo in Arlington, Va. "The lines should be consistent, the colors should be solid and the shading should be smooth."

Check level of detail and style, and be sure you're looking at healed tattoos. Fresh ones (watch for redness or a wet appearance) almost always look gorgeous, but the healed pics are what they'll look like forever.

 Ask lots of questions.

The more information your artist provides, the better. She should answer all your concerns easily and willingly. If you're just not satisfied with her answers -- go elsewhere.

 Do a safety check.

Allergic reactions to tattoos are rare, but anyone with sensitivity to a particular metal (such as nickel) should mention it. Risk of transmitting disease through tattooing is also very low, as long as safety procedures are followed. Ask to see the autoclave -- the machine that sterilizes equipment. If it looks as if it hasn't been used in 10 years, it probably hasn't. Also make sure the tattooist employs single-use, disposable needles; the sterile bags that hold these should be opened in front of you.


 Pick your moment.

Before getting tattooed, be sure your tetanus shot is up-to-date, get a good night's sleep and, to avoid fainting, don't get inked on an empty stomach. Go when the artist is least busy -- you don't want him rushing it, and if he's on his 10th hour straight, he might not be at the top of his game.

 Brace yourself.

It will hurt: Greg Dietrich of Reston, Va., who has more than 10 tattoos, likens the experience to "a deep, long, painful brush burn." To minimize discomfort, Roe tells his clients "the three rules of getting tattooed: relax; breathe consistent, regular breaths; don't move." Don't drink alcohol or take aspirin -- both thin the blood -- in the 24 hours before or after getting a tattoo.

 Don't forget the aftercare.

Ointments, lotions, top-secret formulas -- there are almost as many regimens as there are artists. The best advice? Do what your tattooist recommends. Keep the bandage on for at least two to three hours, then use your hand to wash the area gently with soap and water. Exposure to sun fades any tattoo, new or old, so keep yours covered with sunblock of SPF 30 or stronger.

www.chron.com

Katelyn Walsh spends her workdays sticking needles through customers' ears, eyebrows, nipples and navels. Walsh, a professional piercer, tells her customers to relax, warns them when they'll feel pain and teaches them how to care for their new piercings.

Walsh has worked in the piercing industry since 1998. At 22, she wants the same things a lot of other Americans want: job security and health insurance.

The typical piercing parlor has changed little since the beginning of the American piercing trend in the mid-1970s. Most parlors are independent storefront operations where patrons can both buy body jewelry and get pierced.

But some parts of the industry are going corporate, with stores setting up health plans for their employees and moving to more professional business models. Store owners hope doing so will guarantee the future of both their stores and the industry.

That means that piercers like Walsh can find job security in an industry in which workers are notoriously nomadic and shops often open and close quickly. Though industry veterans say most stores are still small, amateurish operations, those that are better organized have a good chance of staying in business.

"It's nice to be in this industry and have a job and work for a company that you can build a future on," said Walsh, who works for HTC Precision Piercing in Tempe and Phoenix. HTC's parent company, High Priestess Piercing, is currently enrolling HTC's four piercers in a health, dental and vision plan. In a few weeks, unlike 44 million other Americans, Walsh will have health care.

So will her 24-year-old fiance, Jon Staton, who is also an HTC piercer. The couple wanted to work at HTC because of its good reputation and its 13-year history. Now, "it's nice to see something more solidified," Staton said.

Staton and Walsh look like many piercing professionals, with multiple facial piercings and colorful tattoos on their arms. Their eyes light up when they talk about internally threaded jewelry and different piercing techniques. New tools of the trade interest Walsh as much as planning her wedding.

But Walsh and Staton are a practical couple. They will spend less than $2,000 on their October wedding so that they can save money for a down payment on a house. Walsh talks about later investing in real estate.

After moving here from Reno last year, they pursued jobs at HTC because they wanted "a little bit more consistent employment. We wanted a home base," Staton said.

Four months ago, HTC almost went out of business while its owner struggled with his finances. At the last minute, about three months ago, the parlor was purchased by George Birns. Birns is a veteran piercing-parlor owner who established High Priestess as a co-op in Eugene, Ore., in 1996. By 1998, Birns was running the company on his own. His piercers in both Oregon and Arizona qualify for benefits.

Birns also guarantees his employees a job for three years and teaches them the trade, from ordering jewelry to doing piercings.

"I have a very, very low turnover rate here in Oregon," he said by telephone from Eugene. "My employees do see potential." Birns said he might eventually set up a 401(k) or profit-sharing plan for employees.

In an industry rife with "independent contractors" and tax evasion, talk of retirement plans, uniforms and insurance is a dramatic change.

It's a sign that the industry and its workforce are maturing, according to Glen, who uses only his first name and co-owns Halo Precision Piercing LLC, which has three Arizona locations.

"I think it hits a point when the owners get older (and they say), 'Hey, I need insurance.' I think you start to grow up," he said.

Glen opened Halo in 1998 and set up an insurance plan for his employees about six months ago. And while he doesn't think offering insurance will help him retain employees, the benefits help his nine employees feel appreciated.

Tam Sherman is a manager and piercer at Cold Steel, a San Francisco piercing company that offers benefits for full-time employees.

"I like where I work. . . . I've had jobs where I don't have benefits, and you do worry," Sherman said. "What if I get sick, or God forbid, you get hit by a car? You're stuck with these medical bills."

Offering benefits is something any small business owner should do, said Cold Steel General Manager Paul King. "Ethically, I sleep at night," King said. "It's expensive, but with this country and how this health care system is set up, it's the only conscionable thing that I can be doing."

Store owners and workers say parlors offering benefits is unusual in an industry known for cash-only storefronts and "independent contractors" who don't always report all of their earnings to the IRS.

Out of the estimated 5,000 piercing parlors in the United States, only a few offer health care packages.

But it's something that may continue to grow in popularity, King said.

"I think you can do a smaller store and have it be successful," King said. "It just comes down to integrity."

While customers seeking a new piercing won't necessarily know if a piercer has health insurance, it seems to be a sign of well-managed shops.

Owners of Arizona's HTC and Halo require their piercers to be certified by the Association of Professional Piercers. The association's requirements for training, cleanliness and professionalism are tougher than most states' requirements, according to those in the industry.

"It's gotten more competitive, and the (parlors) that are better organized are the ones that are surviving," King said. "If you're good to your employees and you value them, it only makes sense that you're going to be one of the ones that sticks around."

www.azcentral.com

Fashion trends change as often as the weather, but there are some trends that are not that easy to dispense with.



Buy in haste that pair of shoes, they looked so good on the catwalk, and in the shop display, but when you get them home and try to wear them, no! no! no, so they are condemned to the back of the wardrobe for a suitably respectable time before promptly dispatched to the charity shop.

What about the more permanent blunders, the trend for tattoo’s has diminished some what and many aficionados are having second thoughts, but it is not that easy to send that unwanted ink decoration to the charity shop?

The demand for permanent body art was fuelled by stars like David Beckham and Britney Spears with no self respecting fashion follower wanting to be seen without the body art once the signature of seamen and prostitutes. Now many of these stars are seeing their popularity wane and desperate to revive their flagging careers are demanding a new image no place now for last years “bling”.
So now the stars that made the tattoo a fashion must have are queuing up to have them removed and with only laser removal the only permanent method the new fashion is laser treatment.

This is another instance of the fashion industry creating a demand and then dropping it as soon as has peaked in popularity, how many young people swept up in the craze and now as their icon decry the fashion are unable to afford the cost of removal, how many times have parents had arguments with their kids; saying that it was just a fad.

Laser therapy is the most effective form of tattoo removal the process breaks down the tattoo ink pigments, resulting in a gradual fading of the tattoo. It is a very painful procedure which usually requires anything up to 12 treatments, depending on the size and colours, each costing approximately £100. Black, blue and red are relatively easy to remove but green, and it variants are the most difficult, often green cannot be fully removed. Then there is the horror stories of permanent scarring because unable to afford to attend a reputable clinic people go to the so called back street clinics.

The celebrity icons who can readily afford several thousand pounds having an unwanted tattoo removed need consider the effects their comments and actionshave on their many thousands of fans that hang on to every word that is uttered.

www.femalefirst.co.uk