Tattoo you - the skinny on the fine art of body painting

By Rich DeMuro
Staff Writer

Pamela and Tommy did it. Kate and Johnny did it. Roseanne and Tom did it. And thousands of college students are doing it, too.
Tattooing has become a trend almost as popular as body piercing, and while many are wincing in pain every day, they may not be aware of the long-term drawbacks of being etched.
Lisa, a tattoo artist at Sunset Tattoo who did not want to release her last name, explained some of the reasons why people are opting for tattoos. "There are many reasons to get one; some are personal, others aren't. Some do it just for the hell of it, and others just have nothing else to do," she said.
Tattoos are not just for bikers anymore. "I've seen professionals, doctors, mothers, grandmothers, students and everyone in between get them. There's no rhyme or reason to why or who gets one," Lisa said.
Probably more Trojans than one may think are graced with mystical pictures of dragons or their lover's name in a heart. One reason for the trend is that getting a tattoo is not as difficult or painful as most think. The average tattoo takes just twenty minutes to complete, and larger ones take several two to three hour sittings, depending on the complexity of the design. "I've seen the pain vary. It depends on a couple of things, including the part of the body where the tattoo is being put and the tolerance of the customer," Lisa said.
The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to choosing a design. Sunset Tattoo offers over 20,000 designs, and a creative customer can even come up with his or her own or just tell the artist to go crazy. The potential of a mistake is a common anxiety that adds to the apprehension of many, but artists claim mistakes are very rare.
"We don't make mistakes," Lisa said. "It's usually the customer who messes up the tattoo, not the artist. If the client sits still and doesn't jump out of the chair, they'll be fine."
Although the law in California states one must be 18 in order to get a tattoo, it doesn't state anything about who can give a tattoo.
"There's no license or certification required to set up shop--but most of us have a background in art," Lisa said. In a time where AIDS and other blood-transmitted diseases are a valid concern, this can scare some. Remember that tattoos are etched with needles.
It also happens to be the reason why Sarah Brite, a senior majoring in American literature, doesn't have one. "It's a personal choice," she said. "I haven't gotten one because you can't donate blood for six months afterwards, and if the Red Cross feels this way, you have to wonder. It can probably be unhealthy or unclean to get one."
Dr. Peter N. R. Heseltine, professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the USC School of Medicine, shares Brite's concerns.
"There is a lot of danger in getting a tattoo. Everything that is blood-born has a chance of being exchanged during the procedure. This includes Hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV," Heseltine said.
Heseltine has seen many infections and diseases associated with tattoos, and he cautions against them. "Doctors won't advise (people) to get them done, but then again, they only see the cases in which things go wrong, and not the (others) that work out," he said.
There are no laws governing the set-up of tattoo parlors, so there are no established standards. The problems he has seen with tattoos range from local infections, irritations and even diseases.
"It's at least as dangerous as piercing, but even more so," he said. "With piercing, a physical object is left behind, usually made from gold or silver. When one gets a tattoo, a dye a left behind. We have no idea the source of this dye or whether or not it's contaminated."
But all this worrying won't keep fearless college students, who dread a term paper more than a tongue pierce, from getting tattooed.
Melinda Orman, a freshman majoring in creative writing, just got her tattoo last week. "The pain felt like an itch, and it didn't last long. I have no idea why I got one, but I love it.
"I think it's the greatest thing to get and recommend it to anyone as long as you know what you want--forever," she said. Orman still hasn't told her parents about hers, and hopes they won't find out anytime soon.
Even some students who got theirs under less-than-sober conditions don't regret having it done. Robyn Ward, a senior majoring in business, got hers on her 18th birthday in Las Vegas. "I was drunk, a freshman and a loser," she said. "My roommate and I got matching tattoos, and they're pretty odd. It's a heart in flames with barbed wire. I don't regret it; but for anyone else thinking of getting one, get one that means something to you," she said.
Why doesn't everyone have one? Mike Hendershot, a senior majoring in bio-medical engineering, just hasn't had time to get one yet
"I have wanted one for awhile because I think they're kind of neat. I know it's going to be on my ankle, but I haven't decided on a design."
While getting a tattoo or two may seem like a cool thing to do today, there are some reasons why sticking to the semi-permanent types may be in the best interest of some.
Anything permanent has its drawbacks.