OCR Text |
Show 2 Signpost May 10, 1993 Tattoos: the decorative alternative By MARK FORSBERG Signpost news editor Cartoon elm meters, roses, skeletons, (.lemons, women, names and poetry. . . where can you go to find all these things? Tattooing has made it possible for some to answer "right here." Closer inspection may reveal a netherworld of designs ranging from wizards and dragons to favorite musical artists, all printed a fraction of an inch beneath the skin. The ink is placed therethrough the oftentimes painful process of tattooing. The process involves a needle attached to a small motor vibrating rapidly up-and-down. The needle is first dipped in ink then touched to the skin. The result is a series of tiny punctures (a little less than an eighth of an inch deep) containing ink. When the punctures heal the ink remains beneath the skin. If everything went right, that ink should form a design you'll want to wear the rest of your life. It takes about an hour to tattoo a couple square inches, depending on the intricacy of the design. As far as cost goes, Dave Adams, Ogden's only professional tattoo artist, said, "A person who comes in worrying about price probably won't get what they want. If you come in looking for a $20 tattoo you'll get $20 worth of tattoo." "If someone comes in looking for a $20 tattoo I won't even serve them." He said most tattoos cost about $50 to $70. Tattoos are coming out of the closet, said Adams. Professionals t Ss-'- "' ,11, ? 1 I I V -.MO-".:. 'AH-w -rfsmr'. -li, SC--J, DAVE ADAMS, an Ogden tattoo artist, alters the body of a young man. r V V, TATTOOS can be almost anything, provided the customer has the imagination. are getting tattoos now that the stigma of owning one has worn off. He said he's tattooed people from every walk of life. Adams said he won't tattoo drunks or people under 18. Drunks, he said, areself-explanatory. As for children, "I'm a parent and I know I wouldn't be too happy if my kid came home one day with a tattoo," he said. Adams said the bulk of his work is split between cosmetic and artistic tattoos, although his shop also performs body piercing.Artistic tattoos can represent just about anything the customer wants and can be worn anywhere on the body, from the bottom of the foot to insideof thelip. Adams said he refuses to tattoo faces and hands because they're so visible, although he'll tattoo anywhere else. Cosmetic tattoos are usually used to cover scars, birthmarks or tattoos the customer no longer wants, like ex-boyfriend's or girlfriend's names. Most of them are done freehand, without anything but a rudimentary design, and depend on the feature being altered. "A lot of people come in with iron crosses and other things they have grown out of," he said. Cosmetic tattoos can also be used to permanently inscribe make-up like eye-liner and lip color, although Adams said he won't work around eyes because of the danger involved. Adams said he can sometimes remove extremely light tattoos by injecting them with bleaching chemicals. Lasers and skin grafting also remove tattoos, although all methods he knows of leave a scar. There is some danger in the very nature of the art. Since tattooing involves piercing the skin, there is always a chance for the spread of diseases like AIDS and hepatitis. Professionals always wear rubber gloves to protect themselves and sterilize needles in chemical solutions known to kill viruses. "There's almost no chance of a customer catching AIDS," said Adams, because his equipment is routinely sterilized. "But if I'm working on somebody with AIDS and prick myself, then I've got it. There's more danger to the artist himself than the person being tattooed."Adams warned against "back alley" tattoo artists that often work out of their houses. Their equipment is oftentimes boiled or dipped inalcohol forsterilization. This does not kill hepatitis or AIDS. He added many of their tattoos are not high-quality, because the artists don't have professional equipment. It costs $2,500 to $3,000 for enough equipment to open a professional tattoo shop. Most artists undergo a 2-year apprenticeship. "There's a lot more to it than just putting tattoos on skin," he said. A tattoo artist needs to know how to stretch the skin while he's applying the tattoo without distorting it. There is also a lot of technique involved in operating the needle. Adams warned against coming in a getting a tattoo on the spur of the moment. "I'd tell people to put a lotof thought in it and not to worry about cost" Medical Insurance Open Enrollment Meetings For WSU Faculty & Staff Please join us at one of the "Open Enrollment" insurance meetings to be held on the following dates: Wednesday, May 5, at 3p.m. Thursday, May 6, at 2p.m. Tuesday, May 11, at 1p.m. Thursday, May 13, at 2p.m. Wednesday, Mayl9, at 2p.m. Thursday, May 20, at 2p.m. Thursday, May 27, at 2p.m. Little Theatre, UB Wattis Building., Rm. 206 Union Building, Rm. 417 Wattis Building, Rm. 206 Little Theatre, UB Wattis Building, Rm. 206 Wattis Building, Rm. 206 Please call the Human Resource Department if you have any questions about your health insurance coverage. 626-6035 News Briefs Angela J. Smith wins mail-in drawing Angela J. Smith won the drawing from the mnil-in-registr.ilion payments. Mclindn Roylance, student body president drew the winning ballot. Smith will receive a $500 gift certificate from the bookstore. Nadine Sfrossen to speak at Convocations Nadine Strossen, president of I he American Civil Liberties Union, will address human rights a I Con vocal ions I his Thursday at 10:30 in the Auslad Auditorium. Currently, the AO .U has about 6,(XX) cases pending in almost all 50 states and claims to be the largest law practice in the United States. Strossen is the first woman and youngest person to hold to be ACLU president. She was 40 when elected in 1991 . Strossen was also one of the first three women to receive the US. Jaycees' 'Ten Outstanding Young Americans Award." ASWSU sponsors multicultural festivities ASWSU will be sponsoring a week-long recognition of cultural diversity May 17-20. There will be daily events, live entertainment, international food and workshops. The celebration is an attempt to classify WSU's place in the world society by recognizing minority and foreign students. WE NEED YOUR HELP! THERE IS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF PLASMA EARN $120 AND HELP SAVE LIVES. DO YOU KNOW? From Plasma , Cutler Biological produces .'Thousands o( infant deaths have been the only treatment lor emphysema caused prevented by the using RHo(D) immune by genetic deficiency. 20,000 hemophiliacs in the United States rely on Plasma produced Anthemophic Factor concentarate. Globulin prepared from Plasma. 120,000 burn victims, 200,000 heart surgery patients and shock victims annually rely on (he use of Plasma-produced Albumin for fluid and protein replacement. 'Based on 8 Donations for the month of May Ogden Plasma Center 2262 Washington Blvd. Ogden, UT 393-8606 HGGSSlUEGlGE ! tfWlDeMrfllinn.i I MLr uBBtatte darts. hastines We're Entertainment! The Family Center at Five Points in Ogden 411 W. 1500 M on Hill Field Rd in Layton The Wal-Mart Center at 1050 W. Riverdale Road in Riverdale |