Salvador Dali has a beard, Van Gogh has ears, Andy Warhol has a wig. Artists always stand out at work and in life, decorating themselves as an extended form of creative expression.
Like these artists, tattooists are advocating their own way of self-declaration to make tattoos more popular in mainstream society.
Over the years, they no longer belonged to sailors, prisons or rough motorcycle gangs. Left an indelible mark on the culture. Here, Femme lists some of the most common misconceptions about tattoos today.
The tattoo gun contains only one needle.
Myth: In reality, tattoo guns contain multiple needles, usually grouped according to how much and shade the tattoo needs to cover.
Scratching or peeling off the healed tattoo will not harm the result of the tattoo.
Myth: Scratching on the tattoo can cause the color on those areas to disappear permanently.
Applying a lot of ointment to a healed tattoo will help it heal faster.
Myth: Applying too much ointment to a tattoo can cause blistering on the surface of the skin, which can lead to healing complications. On the other hand, a tattoo that is too dry can cause the skin to crack.
A medical grade autoclave is always required to ensure disinfection and sterilization of tattoo tools.
The truth: always! Tattoos pierce the skin.
Walk into a chlorinated pool and your tattoo will fade.
Myth: Chlorine cannot penetrate under the first layer of skin like a needle, and therefore, does not cause discoloration. However, it is not a good idea to enter the pool if the tattoo is still not healed.
If you have a tattoo, you will never be able to donate blood.
According to the American Red Cross, if you get a tattoo at a tattoo parlor that uses proper sanitization and is regulated by the state, you’ll be able to donate blood immediately. Otherwise, don’t donate blood until a year after the tattoo. Currently, 32 states regulate tattoo parlors, making it easier for residents of those states to donate blood.
Drinking alcohol or taking aspirin before the tattoo will help reduce the pain.
Myth: Alcohol and aspirin are actually blood thinners that can cause more bleeding during tattooing. This, in turn, can lead to problems with healing or shades of color.
A red tattoo should not be tattooed on the body, it is more likely to fade or cause an allergic reaction.
While some people may be allergic to certain inks, tattoo inks specifically for red have been improved over the years to react better with a person’s skin. Any tattoo that is not properly cared for will fade, no matter what color it is.
Getting a tattoo is much more painful than having a baby.
Tattoos do not cause the same pain as childbirth. The pain of getting a tattoo feels more like a scratch or a bad sunburn.
Lighter shades are more painful than darker ones.
This misconception comes from the fact that when your skin has been tattooed for a few hours and starts to ache, it is usually done with a light shade or highlight before the tattoo is finished.
Having a tattoo means you won’t be able to get an MRI because the ink will react to the radiation in the machine and cause the skin to swell or break.
While tattoo inks may have contained high levels of metals in the past, today there are safer pigments that no longer contain metals such as mercury. The absence of metal in the ink means there is no response during the MRI.
Every tattoo artist has artistic talent.
Myth: Professional tattooists spend most of their time restoring or masking the artistic talents of others.
Any good artist can do any tattoo.
Myth: While most professionals are capable of tattooing multiple styles, they usually have their own unique tattoo style. For example, a tattoo artist known for intricate tribal styles might not be the right choice for that portrait of Mom and Dad. Remember to match your desired design style with the tattoo artist.
My tattoo doesn’t look good so I want to go back and have the tattoo artist fix it for me.
Misconception: It’s just a bad idea. Strangely, if the first attempt fails, the second, third, fourth will also fail.
The certificate on the wall proves that this is a good tattoo parlor.
Myth: With the exception of the APT credential which states that the artist is affiliated with a professional organization related to safe, sterile tattooing procedures, most other credentials that claim professional status are just free wallpaper.
Sketching is the best way to judge an artist’s talent.
Partially True: The best way is to see real tattoos on real skin. While drawings may reflect a tattoo artist’s taste and artistic abilities, they may be ignorant of design abilities such as tattooing on the skin.
Do not get water on the tattoo.
Partially true: just got a tattoo, don’t soak in the pool, but it must be rinsed gently, it is necessary to remove harmful bacteria as it heals.
Tattoos bleed a lot.
Partially true: it varies from person to person. Usually, most people bleed at least a little while getting a tattoo. However, depending on how long it takes, the area of the tattoo, etc., there may be little to no bleeding.
When the tattoo is very old, it turns blue.
Myth: This only applies to tattoos made 50 years ago or earlier. The inks used in tattoos have improved a lot since then.
Laser tattoo removal works by burning off the tattoo.
Myth: Older laser machines probably did, but newer lasers work differently when it comes to tattoo removal. They rupture the tattoo pigments through photothermal therapy and rely on the body’s immune system to remove them.
Fading creams work better than laser tattoo removal.
Myth: There is no data in scientific journals to support tattoo removal.
There is no way to laser remove multi-colored tattoos.
Partially true: Black tattoos are known to work better than most other colors for laser removal. Colors like yellow, pink and white are the most difficult to remove. However, the more ink pigments a multicolor tattoo contains, the more likely it is that one of the pigments will come off.
Many people contract HIV from tattoo needles.
Myth: There are no reports of tattoos causing HIV infection in the US, but there are 3 cases in the dentist’s office.