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Once you have decided that you are going to get a body tattoo, you need to make sure that all you get is the tattoo. Whilst most tattoo artists are incredibly careful about health and hygiene the ultimate responsibility is yours. Just by adopting a few simple precautions you can make sure that getting inked is an experience you won’t regret and you will be proud of your tattoo for many years. Don’t be tempted to skimp on these steps - it is your body and you will be the one who suffers if it isn’t right.

Check out the Tattoo Artist and the shop before you go. First and foremost - ask around, check with friends where they go and what they think. If you see someone with a design you like and that is well done, ask them where they had it done

Talk to the Artist - and talk to more than one. Go and visit a couple of studios and get a feel for the place and the artist. Do they think the way you do? Are they interpreting what you want properly? Will they customize a design for you or only do ‘off the shelf’ designs. Any reputable artist will take the time to talk to you, and will be happy to demonstrate their drawing skills as well. When you speak to the Artist, ask about tattoo after care. They ought to give you detailed instructions and you should follow these to the letter. Also ask about ‘touch ups’ should they be required.

Most good Studios display evidence of training in sterilization and hygiene procedures. It they aren’t obvious, ask about them and ask to see the certificates if you are not happy with their answers. No good artist will mind - in fact they will welcome the fact that you are prepared to take the time to make sure their work will be cared for properly.

Ask about training, particularly if the shop is new to the area. Most artists serve a fairly lengthy apprenticeship and are proud of the fact that they are well qualified. Certificates are usually displayed prominently. You should also check that insurance documents are up to date - again they are generally on public display.

The Tattoo Studio itself should be clean, tidy and well organized - it’s not going to be like a hospital but you should feel confident that floors and walls are regularly washed and cleaned, as should the windows. Any soft furnishings should be cleaned frequently and there should be no soiled rubbish around.

When you have chosen your studio, and you go for your tattoo you should find that all the equipment is well kept and cared for. The Artist will wear disposable gloves - make sure to tell them if you have a latex allergy so that the right ones are used. The guns should be covered in a clean plastic film and the needles will be in a sealed packet which will be opened in front of you. If that doesn’t happen - don’t have the tattoo!

If it doesn’t look or feel right to you - go somewhere else. If you are not comfortable that everything is just right then you won’t relax and that means your tattoo will hurt a great deal more than it would otherwise. A body tattoo is an investment for life and you should take just as much care in choosing where it is done and who does it as if you were investing in a piece of art for your home.

It is a fact of life that Tattoos fade but with good care you can keep them looking good. I came across Tattoo Boost following a recommendation from a friend, and I have to say the tattoos were looking good Designed originally for the Biker community, it has crossed over to the mainstream user who wants to keep their colours bright and the skin in good condition. The worst thing for any body art is for the skin to dry out, it makes your ink look old, tired and unappealing which is not what any of us want.

They liken it to keeping your bike in good condition - not sure about the analogy but I am impressed with the product - to quote:-

• Makes your old tattoo look brand new
• Brings back luster & color to faded tattoo ink
• Helps preserve color on new tattoos
• Saves money by eliminating the need to be re-inked
• Developed in an FDA-approved lab
• Invisible barrier helps keep ink fresh looking
• Protects skin when used with our
• Lightweight, fast-acting, non-greasy formula
• Won’t clog pores

They do issue a warning notice which made me smile…. “Tattoo Boost works so well that applying it to a cover-up tattoo may bring out parts of the older tattoo”

If you are going to get a foot tattoo this is probably the best time of year to do it. Foot tattoos need as much air as possible to help them heal well so summer is definitely the best time. It is important to keep them clean as well so make sure that you wash them carefully and apply plenty of cream to keep out the dust and dirt during that all important early tattoo after care.

Choosing a foot tattoo design is something to give plenty of thought to - you want something that will look good when viewed from above when on a heavily curved surface so the perspectives need to be carefully considered. Flowing designs lend themselves to this very well, as do designs with a natural movement. Stars are very popular but you do need to be careful with these as the hard geometric shape can be badly distorted if they are too large. If you really want stars perhaps a sprinkling of small ones is the best way to go. My personal preference is for something natural such as flowers - which can wind across the foot and ankle and even up onto your leg if you want something fairly large. My favorite has to be Butterflies - large or small. They look really good when placed well - across the top of the foot for a larger one, or just two or three little ones floating up the side of your foot and ankle if you want something a little more discrete.

A good artist will be able to give you a Butterfly foot tattoo that looks as if the wings are gently fluttering in the breeze, and the wings will be almost iridescent in the sunlight - so cool and cute!

One of the hotly debated topics in Tattoo After Care is whether you should use an antibacterial cream or just a light moisturising cream.  The argument rages around the effect of the different creams on the skin.

A newly done tattoo is an open wound and should be treated with great care - the care you give your tattoo at this point will have an effect on how it looks for the rest of your life.  The last thing you want to do get an infection.  Most tattoo artists have extremely high standards of hygiene and with the coming of more regulations and health and hygiene inspections are happening more often.  Never be afraid to ask your Tattoo Artist what procedures they follow - they will always be only too glad to tell you.  They will also give you guidance on good tattoo after care.

If you keep your tattoo clean and follow the instructions you should be OK but what if you feel you want more - should you use an antibacterial cream or not?  The danger is an allergic reaction.  The fewer unsuitable substances that go near your open wound, the better.  You need to care for that Tattoo and keep the skin supple so  moisturisers are necessary and in the early days you also need to put something on it to prevent water damage whilst it heals.

Do a skin test before you have your tattoo done and just check out if you have any reaction - better safe than sorry!

I browse the net - a lot. I find all kinds of things, some good, some bad. Some things I’m interested in, some I’m not. I was looking around the other day to see what kind of things people said about Tattoos that were personal to them, about what they mean and why they have them. I came across something I want to share with you. This site Gil’s Tattoos, is a page on Squidoo by their development engineer, and is about his view on Tattoos - he is a self-professed fanatic. More interesting though are his views on why he has Tattoos and the meaning behind his choices.

What struck me was the deeply personal nature of both the page and his tattoos. The Raft is a testament and tribute to the thought that he gives to each piece of body art - go visit, it will only take a moment - and it’s worth it!

Ever since Tattoos were done with sharp sticks and a mixture of soot and god knows what, they have been used as a symbol of unity and belonging - a mark of identity to show who and what you are. In the dawn of time they were used for many reasons, now the term ‘Tribal Tattoo’ tends to refer to one or two colour designs that are very stylised, going back to the time when they were used to represent events or to symbolise deities or even bring good fortune.

A Bronze Age man, who died over 5,000 years ago was found in a glacier in Northern Italy, his body was covered in a series of complex and intricate designs that probably represented his beliefs and how he viewed himself. We still use tattoos in the same way - as an expression of who and what we are to the world at large. Tribal tattoos today come from many cultures, Maori, African, Polynesian, Celtic, Asian, Native American and more but their use is not limited to people of that ‘tribe’.

Typically there are done in black ink, with occasional shading in another colour, usually grey. If colour is used, it is just a touch here and there to highlight an element or a shape. Of all the styles of tattoo these are often thought of as the most sculptural, particularly on a well defined body.

More often than not, tribal designs are done on the back or arms though there is a growing trend to have them on legs, especially now that they can be shown off out of work when wearing cut offs or shorts, and covered in the workplace if necessary.

Tribal designs are widely available and can be combined with many other styles to give a unique effect. Any good tattoo artist will be able to help you meld one or more designs into something that will look good on your body. They can also be used to link tattoos that have been done at different times to produce a piece of work that is absolutely unique and a true expression of your personality.