knink.com - Tattoo communities, equipment, videos

Planning my first, advice welcome

Cherish — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:39:47 GMT

First, has anyone ever dealt with Life Itself/Kathy Body-Cooke in Barrie, ON? From what I've seen of her work in her online portfolio, it looks like she is the one who can take the dream from my head and do it justice on my body. Unfortunately, she is still on mat leave until February 14th (co-incidentally, it that would have been my nephew's 14th birthday, and the tatt is for him), so I can't just call her up and ask these questions of her.
I am an utter and complete newbie, and never thought I would actually get inked. Then my nephew died, and that all changed. Basically, I'd like some info on the process. Do I expect several sessions - one to meet with the idea, one to see her drawings, one for the act? Will I be able to see an example of it on my body before we go ahead? If I chicken out, will I just owe her for the drawing, or more? Since she owns her own shop/is independent, do I tip? Do I go armed with pictures that are examples of what I want, or just talk it through? Do artists charge more for doing a portion of it more as a portrait (I would love the faerie boy to look like him)? What should I do to prepare myself/my body for the act?
I am getting it done on my back, between spine and shoulder blade, basically directly behind my heart. How is that area in terms of pain? I'm not skinny (though not obese), will it be badly distorted if I lose weight? Is wording generally done freehand or with a stencil? What kind of price range should I be expecting for about a 4" x 4" tatt?
Sorry, so many questions... Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Help needed - there's so many tattooists, i don't know who's really good

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:34:21 GMT

I'm thinking of getting my first tattoo, and i don't know how to spot who's a good artist, if they're ripping me off, or if they're technically good - what do i look for? Are bigger studios generally better -like do all the good tattooists end up with big companies and shops? Also, can you hire people just to do the design, and then give that to the tattooist? does it cost loads? and where do i find the best designers?

I know that's a lot of questions - I'm just a bit frustrated as i see lots of people with similar tattoos, and i want something i can be really pleased with for the next 50 years, not regret in a few.

Tattoo Infections

Tom — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:07:11 GMT

Since tattoo instruments come in contact with blood and bodily fluids, diseases may be transmitted if the instruments are used on more than one person without being sterilized. However, infection from tattooing in clean and modern tattoo studios employing single-use needles is rare, as tattoo studio hygiene is a top priority amongst professional studios. In amateur tattoos, such as those applied in prisons, however, there is an elevated risk of infection. To address this problem, a program was introduced in Canada as of the summer of 2005 that provides legal tattooing in prisons, both to reduce health risks and to provide inmates with a marketable skill. Inmates were to be trained to staff and operate the tattoo parlors once six of them opened successfully.

Infections that could be transmitted via the use of unsterilized tattoo equipment include surface infections of the skin, herpes simplex virus, tetanus, staph (Infected Tattoo), fungal infections, some forms of hepatitis, and HIV. No person in the United States is reported to have contracted HIV via a commercially-applied tattooing procedure. Washington state's OSHA studies have suggested that since the needles used in tattooing are not hollow, in the case of a needle stick injury the amount of fluids transmitted may be small enough that HIV would be difficult to transmit. Tetanus risk is prevented by having an up-to-date tetanus booster prior to being tattooed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that no data exist in the United States indicating that persons with exposures to tattooing alone are at increased risk for HCV infection. In 2006, the CDC reported 3 clusters with 44 cases of methicillin-resistant staph infection traced to unlicensed tattooists.

Tattoo Equipment

Tom — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:04:09 GMT

Tattoo Machines, Autoclaves, Tattoo Needles

Terms of Service Agreement

Punkybrewster — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:22:07 GMT

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General Guidelines and Terms and Conditions

Punkybrewster — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:14:55 GMT

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Any body else here from Ireland?

JD75 — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:42:54 GMT

Hi All,

Im just wondering if anybody on here is from Ireland? I'd love to hear from you if you are but equally I'd like to hear from any1 from anywhere

Tattoo Designs

Tom — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:34:57 GMT

There are many types of tattoo designs, which can be sorted into major categories such as black and grey tattoos, biomechanical tattoos, new school tattoos, Japanese, tribal, Celtic, and many others.

Aztec Tribal Sun Tattoo

Within these categories, the subject matter often follows various subjects, eg. Koi with Japanese tattooing, or cards, flames, dice, and swallows in New School Tattooing. Any image can be tattooed in the 'Japanese', 'New School' 'Tribal' or any of the other overall styles, however, so images which have been previously linked to a specific style are increasingly appearing in a wide range of styles. For example, you can fuse two or more styles eg 'New School Japanese' to create a new school koi or 'Tribal biomech' to recreate both tribal and biomechanical themes.

The way a tattoo artist chooses to use single styles or fusions of styles depends on their intention with the tattoo as well as their skill, and custom tattoos can also follow a unique signature style which belongs to the artist who designed or tattooed the image.

New School Hummingbird Tattoo

Whilst fusions and custom styles are widespread, many of the traditional tattoo methods adhere to strict principles concerning a tattoo's subject matter, positioning, and all aspects of how it's applied. Traditional Japanese tattoos and tribal tattoos, for instance follow very strict guidelines, as they are designed to serve many spiritual and social purposes.

How to Contact Site Admins?

Mindslyde — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:23:40 GMT

Hi,

Never mind... issue was resolved.

Thanks Tom.

-M

Most Painful tat?

tat_angel_uk — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:16:08 GMT

Mine was on my hip, but I've heard people talk about spines, feet and hands being the worst places - there's a lot of pictures on this site of people with their entire rib section inked, and I'm think ooouuccchhh! but I'd love to get something done further up my ribs - my question is, how much does it really hurt, is it worse than other places?

what does 'new school' mean?

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:54:31 GMT

There's a lot of people talking about 'new school' designs at the moment, but they're all really different - like one girl i know's got a knuckle duster on her shoulder, and another's got a bit of graffiti and a car on fire, they're all different, so what's new school and what's just getting called new school - a lot of it looks like japanese stuff too - like carp and stuff.

History of tattoos - Mark Bailey, Golden Dragon Studios, Chester, U.K

Tom — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:58:26 GMT

Got any advice on choosing tattoo ointments?

Tom — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:04:50 GMT

Anyone know which work best?

My virgin body

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:42:41 GMT

no, not that kind of virgin!! I've got zero tattoos and zero piercings on my body. The reason I think is that while I find them attractive I feel that it is a massive commitment, almost like a conscious decision to adopt a personality aspect. That's why I have never had any works done.

Do you find body modification is such a large commitment? I want to see how lightly others take it.

Self taught and getting hate for it :(

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:00:27 GMT

I've been tattooing for 8 years, my designs have developed from my lifetime love of art, i was always drawing as a kid. I built my first machines when i was 14, started on pig skin, and learnt all i could, but there were'nt any tattooists anywhere near me, and even if there was, there's no way i could have afforded apprenticeship costs like they are now. So why are there loads of people giving me flak just because they did an apprenticeship and i didn't - some of the best artists in the world are self taught, yet i've still got idiots on other sites i've posted in giving me all this hate because i didn't do what they did - it's sad, unecessary, and detracts from the community as a whole - I'm sure there are great and bad self taught & apprenticed artists out there - what's with all the war?

Bushee And his tattoos

Bushee — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:38:33 GMT

Hello My name is Frank but everyone calls me Bushee, I am a firefighter/architect/movie director among several other things, I have two tattoo's a basic backwoods cross tattoo on my left arm and a Maltese Cross on an American flag on my Right.

The cross looks horrible but I'll post it if asked

Tattoo Machines

Tom — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:16:21 GMT

A tattoo machine is a hand-held device generally used to create a tattoo, a permanent marking of the skin with ink. Modern tattoo machines use alternating electromagnetic coils to move a needle bar up and down, driving pigment into the skin. Tattoo artists generally use the word "machine", or even "iron", to refer to their equipment, while amateurs and collectors often use the term "gun".

Basically the machine works similar to alternating current— charge causes magnets to pull downward on the bar, which disconnects the circuit and allows the upward force of the spring to pull the bar upward.

The tattoo machine parts

Power is conducted by wires in two different directions: Through the coils to the adjustable contact screw, and through the frame to the contact spring, via the armature spring.
Current, flowing between the contact screw and the contact spring, completes the circuit, causing:
The electromagnetic coils to pull down on the armature bar, which causes:
The needle bar to move down with it, the needles at the end of the needle bar penetrate the skin.
With the circuit broken, the armature spring is free to exert its upward force again, causing the circuit to close with the contact made again.

The basic machine was invented by Thomas Edison and patented in the United States in 1876 U.S. Patent 196,747 , Stencil-Pens. It was originally intended to be used as an engraving device, but in 1891, Samuel O'Reilly discovered that Edison's machine could be modified and used to introduce ink into the skin, and later patented a tube and needle system to provide an ink reservoir.

History

U.S Government patent for tattoo machine 1876

The technology used to make modern tattoo machines has come a long way since Samuel O'Reilly's inovations. While O'Reilly's machine was based on the rotary technology of Edison's engraving device, modern tattoo machines use electromagnets. The first machine based on this technology was a single coil machine patented by Thomas Riley of London, just twenty days after O'Reilly filed the patent for his rotary machine. For his machine, Riley placed a modified door bell assembly in a brass box. The modern two coil configuration was patented by Alfred Charles South, also of London. Because it was so heavy, a spring was often attached to the top of the machine and the ceiling to take most of the weight off the operator's hand.

Most modern tattoo machines can control needle depth, speed, and force of application, which has allowed tattooing to become a very precise art form. Such advancements in precision have also produced a style of facial tattooing that has attained mainstream popularity in America called dermapigmentation, or "permanent cosmetics".

Tattoo Needles

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:22:48 GMT

There are two sets of tattoo needles - those used for lining, and those used for shading. Some tattooists will use the different types of needles with

Shading Tattoo Needles

machines specifically designed for them, eg, lining and shading machines, however many tattooists will use both lining and shading needles with the same tattoo machine.

The needles are mounted (soldered in place) on a bar which is attached to the tattoo machine, and the number of needles can vary. The needles are attached to the the tattoo machine's needle arm which is what makes the movement happen, and the needles are surrounded by a sanitary tube which can be taken off so that it can be sterilised in an autoclave. The sanitary tubes are designed especially for the combination of needles, so there's a seperate tube for each different number of needles in a needle bar assembly.

Liner needles come in combinations of 1,3,4,5 & 7 (there can be any number, but they're most often found in these combinations) needles per bar, are made

Liner Tattoo Needles in blister pack- used for lines and small detail

of stainless steel, and are usually arranged on the round bar in a circular pattern.

Shader needles most commonly come in groups of 4,6,7 & 9 needles, and are usually arranged in a straght line on a flat bar, much like the teeth of a comb.

Tattoo needles in professional studios are single-use to stop infection of any kind, and often come in blister packs.

tattoo machine showing needles, grip, and sanitary tube

Tattoo Studios

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:34:06 GMT

As the place where most people will go to get their tattoos done, to ask questions, and find designs, tattoo studios range in quality and character, and finding one that's right for you is important. It may be that there aren't any studios locally, or you feel you're limited to the artists who live and work near you, but there are a few things you can definately tell about a tattoo studio just by keeping your eyes open and looking for a few basic things.

Studio hygiene is an important factor, and the procedures for avoiding infection are well known among professional tattooists. Simple techniques such as the use of autoclaves and other sterilisation techniques, the use of single-use needles, a basic understanding of blood-borne pathogens, the tattooists personal hygiene safeguards, and the artist's knowledge of aftercare and the way skin works will give the most possible protection for problems. If in any doubt of how hygienic a tattoo studio is, ask, or think about trying somewhere where you feel hygiene is taken seriously. Tattooing is a professional artform, and whilst there are suspicious studios out there, the majority of tattooists take great pride and care in the hygiene their studios offer.

Around the studio, you'll see designs - if they're not up on the walls, then ask, and the studio will be able to provide samples of their previous work. An artist's portfolio is the surest way to gauge whether you like their style and quality of work. Don't be afraid to shop around! Different artists often prefer certain types of designs, and they'll have developed particularly well at certain styles. Most tattooists can work with most styles - it's the trade, but if you're looking for something specific, then be aware that artists often are just more naturally passionate and gifted around certain types of designs. Another type of design you might be shown, or want to look at are the catalogues of ready-made designs known as 'tattoo flash', or 'flash' for short - you can browse through these to see if there's anything you like, and a good artist will be able to adapt these designs to give you something a bit more unique. Some studios won't offer flash as they only work on custom pieces, however, the vast majority will have flash of some sort.

Chinese characters

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:21:57 GMT

Chinese characters have long been used in traditional Chinese tattooing, but their use in Western tattooing has become much more widespread.

A Chinese character, Han character or Hanzi (simplified Chinese: 汉字; traditional Chinese: 漢字; pinyin: Hànzì) is a logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi), Japanese characters ( kanji ), rarely Korean (hanja), and formerly Vietnamese (hán tự).

The number of Chinese characters contained in the Kangxi dictionary is approximately 47,035, although a large number of these are rarely used variants accumulated throughout history. Studies carried out in China have shown that full literacy requires a knowledge of between three and four thousand characters.

In the Chinese writing system, each character corresponds to a single spoken syllable. A majority of words in all modern varieties of Chinese are poly-syllabic and thus require two or more characters to write. Cognates in the various Chinese languages/dialects which have the same or similar meaning but different pronunciations can be written with the same character. In addition, many Chinese characters were adopted according to their meaning by the Japanese and Korean languages to represent native words, disregarding pronunciation altogether.

Chinese characters are also known as sinographs, and the Chinese writing system as sinography. Non-Chinese languages which have adopted sinography — and, with the orthography, a large number of loanwords from the Chinese language — are known as Sinoxenic languages, whether or not they still use the characters. The term does not imply any genetic affiliation with Chinese. The major Sinoxenic languages are Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Chinese calligraphy

Chinese calligraphy of mixed styles written by Song Dynasty (1051–1108 AD) poet Mifu. For centuries, the Chinese literati were expected to master the art of calligraphy.

The art of writing Chinese characters is called Chinese calligraphy. It is usually done with ink brushes. In ancient China, Chinese calligraphy is one of the Four Arts of the Chinese Scholars. There is a minimalist set of rules of Chinese calligraphy. Every character from the Chinese scripts is built into a uniform shape by means of assigning it a geometric area in which the character must occur. Each character has a set number of brushstrokes, none must be added or taken away from the character to enhance it visually, lest the meaning be lost. Finally, strict regularity is not required, meaning the strokes may be accentuated for dramatic effect of individual style. Calligraphy was the means by which scholars could mark their thoughts and teachings for immortality, and as such, represent some of the more precious treasures that can be found from ancient China.

Some Common Characters
Traditional Chinese Script - Sun

Traditional Chinese Script - Moon

Traditional Chinese Script - Mountain

Traditional Chinese Script - Water

Traditional Chinese Script - Rain

Traditional Chinese Script - Wood

Traditional Chinese Script - Millet

Traditional Chinese Script - Human

Traditional Chinese Script - Woman

Traditional Chinese Script - Mother

Traditional Chinese Script - Eye

Traditional Chinese Script - Ox

Traditional Chinese Script - Sheep

Traditional Chinese Script - Horse

Traditional Chinese Script - Bird

Traditional Chinese Script - Tortoise

Traditional Chinese Script - Dragon

Traditional Chinese Script - Phoenix

Tattoo History

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:20:59 GMT

Tattooing has been a Eurasian practice at least since Neolithic times. Ötzi the Iceman, dating from the fourth to fifth millennium BCE, was found in the Ötz valley in the Alps and had approximately 57 carbon tattoos consisting of simple dots and lines on his lower spine, behind his left knee, and on his right ankle. Other mummies bearing tattoos and dating from the end of the second millennium BCE have been discovered at Pazyryk on the Ukok Plateau. Japanese tattoos are thought to go back to the Paleolithic era, some ten thousand years ago. Various other cultures have had their own tattoo traditions, ranging from rubbing cuts and other wounds with ashes, to hand-pricking the skin to insert dyes.

Tattooing has been practiced worldwide. The Ainu people, the indigenous people of Japan, wore facial tattoos, as do some Maori of New Zealand to this day. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples and among certain tribal groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand, Samoa and China.

African tattoo history

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:16:47 GMT

The history of tattooing in Africa dates back thousands of years. Until the recent discovery of Ötzi the Iceman, the oldest known tattoos belonged to the mummy of Amunet, a priestess of the goddess Hathor somewhere between 2160 BC -1994 BC. With her simple parallel lines on her arms, legs, and an elliptical pattern below her navel, Amunet was the oldest glimpse we know had into tattooing in Africa, and the world. The designs found on her mummy, were believed to be symbols of fertility and rejuvenation. No male mummies in Egypt have been found with tattoos, but this does not mean they didn't exist, as male mummies have been found in Libya with tattoos of images relating to sun worship. In the tomb of Seti the first, dating back to around 1300 BC tattoos symbolizing Neith, a fierce goddess who led warriors into battle were also found on men. Very early tattoos portraying Bes, the god of sex and overseer of orgies have also been found on Nubian female mummies dating back to 400 BC.

Henna and Mehndi were popular in ancient India and ancient Egypt and still remain popular today in the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and North Africa.

Tattoo Meanings

The great variety of tribes and peoples of Africa mean that it's hard to state all the reasons for tattoos, however, tribal hierarchy, geographical location (as in the case of the Makonde tribal tattoos from Mozambique), spiritual protection, and rites of passage feature highly as reasons for tattooing throughout Africa's past.

Designs

All manner of animals, plants, ancestry and spirits are denoted in African Tattoo history, achieved not only through tattooing, but also through body-painting, cicatrisation and Scarification.

The Adinkra symbols, created by the Akan people of Ghana, and the Gyaman of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa have become popular in some parts of the West.

The African Adinkra Symbols are becoming more commonly used in the West for tattoos source

Henna Tattoos

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:13:47 GMT

Henna or Hina is a flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia in the family Lythraceae. It has been used in body art, as well as textile dying and other arts for thousands of years, and is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australasia in semi-arid zones. Henna is a tall shrub or small tree, 2–6 m high.

The Henna Plant

Preparation and application of paste

Henna body art is made by applying henna paste to the skin: the lawsone in the paste migrates into the outermost layer of the skin and makes a red-brown stain.

Whole, unbroken henna leaves will not stain the skin. Henna will not stain skin until the lawsone molecules are made available (released) from the henna leaf. Fresh henna leaves will stain the skin if they are smashed with a mildly acidic liquid. This will stain skin within moments, but it is difficult to form intricate patterns from coarse crushed leaves. Dried ground, sifted henna leaves are easily worked into a paste that can be used to make intricate body art. Commercially available henna powder is made by drying the henna leaves and milling them to powder, then the powder is sifted. This powder is mixed with lemon juice, strong tea, or other mildly acidic liquids. Essential oils with high levels of "terps", monoterpene alcohols such as tea tree, eucalyptus, cajeput, or lavender will improve skin stain characteristics. The henna mix must rest for 6 to 12 hours so the leaf cellulose is dissolved, making the lawsone available to stain the skin. This is mixed to a toothpaste consistency and applied with a one of many traditional tools, including resist techniques, shading techniques, and thicker paste techniques, or the modern cellowrap cone.

Once applied to the skin, lawsone molecules gradually migrate from the henna paste into the outer layer of the skin. Though henna's lawsone will stain the skin within minutes, the longer the paste is left on the skin, the more lawsone will migrate. Henna paste will yield as much dye as the skin can easily absorb in less than eight hours. Henna tends to crack and fall off the skin during these hours, so it is often sealed down by dabbing a sugar/lemon mix over the dried paste, or simply adding some form of sugar to the paste. This also adds to the colour of the end result, increasing the intensity of the shade.

When the paste has fallen off the skin or been removed by scraping, the stain will be orange, but should darken over the following three days to a reddish brown. Soles and palms have the thickest layer of skin and so take up the most lawsone, and take it to the greatest depth, so that hands and feet will have the darkest and most long-lasting stains. Steaming or warming the henna pattern will darken the stain, either during the time the paste is still on the skin, or after the paste has been removed. Chlorinated water and soaps may spoil the darkening process: alkaline may hasten the darkening process. After the stain reaches its peak color it will appear to fade. The henna stain is not actually fading, the skin is exfoliating: the lower, less stained cells, rise to the surface, until all stained cells are shed.

Henna Powder

Traditions of henna as body art

The different words for henna in ancient languages imply that henna had more than one point of discovery and origin, and different pathways of daily and ceremonial use.

Henna has been used to adorn young women’s bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations

Mehndi Hand Henna Designs source

since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. The earliest text mentioning henna in the context of marriage and fertility celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath, which has
references to women marking themselves with henna in preparation to meet their husbands, and Anath adorning herself with henna to celebrate a victory over the enemies of Baal. Wall paintings excavated at Akrotiri (dating prior to the eruption of Thera in 1680 BCE) show women with markings consistent with henna on their nails, palms and soles, in a tableau consistent with the henna bridal description from Ugarit. Many statuettes of young women dating between 1500 and 500 BCE along the Mediterranean coastline have raised hands with markings consistent with henna. This early connection between young, fertile women and henna seems to be the origin of the Night of the Henna, which is now celebrated world-wide.
The Night of the Henna was celebrated by most groups in the areas where henna grew naturally: Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians, among others, all celebrated marriages by adorning the bride, and often the groom, with henna.

Across the henna-growing region, Purim , Eid, Diwali, Karva Chauth, Passover, Nawruwz, Mawlid, and most saints’ days were celebrated with some henna. Favorite horses, donkeys, and salukis had their hooves, paws, and tails hennaed. Battle victories, births, circumcision, birthdays, Zar, as well as weddings, usually included some henna as part of the celebration. When there was joy, there was henna, as long as henna was available.

mehndi foot designs source

Henna was regarded as having “Barakah”, blessings, and was applied for luck as well as joy and beauty. Brides typically had the most henna, and the most complex patterns, to support their greatest joy, and wishes for luck. Some bridal traditions were very complex, such as those in Yemen, where the Jewish bridal henna process took four or five days to complete, with multiple applications and resist work.

The fashion of "Bridal Mehndi" in Northern Libya and in North Indian diasporas is currently growing in complexity and elaboration, with new innovations in glitter, gilding, and fine-line work. Recent technological innovations in grinding, sifting, temperature control, and packaging henna, as well as government encouragement for henna cultivation, have improved dye content and artistic potential for henna.

Mehandi Body Art with Henna

Though traditional henna artists were Nai caste in India, and barbering castes in other countries (lower social classes), talented contemporary henna artists can command high fees for their work. Women in countries where women are discouraged from working outside the home can find socially acceptable, lucrative work doing henna. Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, as well as India and many other countries have thriving women’s henna businesses. These businesses are often open all night for Eids, Diwali and Karva Chauth, and many women may work as a team for a large wedding where hundreds of guests will be hennaed as well as the bride and groom

Health effects in modern-day henna

Though user accounts cite few, if any, negative effects of natural henna paste, pre-mixed henna body art pastes may have ingredients added to darken stain, or to alter stain color. The health risks involved in pre-mixed paste can be signficant, as some pastes have been found to include: silver nitrate, carmine, pyrogallol, disperse orange dye, and chromium. These have been found to cause allergic reactions, chronic inflammatory reactions, or late-onset allergic reactions to hairdressing products and textile dyes.

Black henna

“Black Henna” is a misnomer arising from imports of plant-based hair dyes into the West in the late 19th century. Partly fermented, dried indigo was called “black henna” because it could be used in combination with henna to dye hair black. This gave rise to the belief that there was such a thing as “black henna” which could dye skin black. Indigo will not dye skin black. Pictures of indigenous people with black body art (either alkalized henna or from some other source) also fed the belief that there was such a thing as “black henna.”

In the 1990s, henna artists in Africa, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the West began to experiment with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) based black hair dye, applying it as a thick paste as they would apply henna, in an effort to find something that would quickly make jet black temporary body art. PPD can cause severe allergic reactions, with blistering, intense itching, permanent scarring, and permanent chemical sensitivities^.Estimates of allergic reactions range between 3% and 15%. Henna does not cause these injuries. Henna boosted with PPD can cause lifelong health damage.

Para-phenylenediamine is illegal for use on skin in western countries, though enforcement is lax. When used in hair dye, the PPD amount must be below 6%, and application instructions warn that the dye not touch the scalp and the dye must be quickly rinsed away. “Black henna” pastes have PPD percentages from 10% to 60%, and are left on the skin for half an hour.

Para-phenylenediamine “black henna” use is widespread, particularly in tourist areas. Because the blistering reaction appears 3 to 12 days after the application, most tourists have left and do not return to show how much damage the artist has done. This permits the artists to continue injuring others, unaware they are causing severe injuries. The high profit margins of ‘black henna” and the demand for body art that emulates “tribal tattoos” further encourage artists to ignore the dangers. It is not difficult to recognize and avoid para-phenylenediamine “black henna”:

if a paste stains torso skin black in less than ½ hour, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.
if the paste is mixed with peroxide, or if peroxide is wiped over the design to bring out the color, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.

Anyone who has an itching and blistering reaction to a black body stain should go to a doctor, and report that they have had an application of para-phenylenediamine to their skin.

PPD sensitivity is lifelong, and once sensitized, the use of synthetic hair dye can be life-threatening. These injuries are not caused by henna, and a person can use henna as hair dye.

Samoan Tattoos

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:15:55 GMT

When the Samoan Islands were first seen by Europeans in 1722 three Dutch ships commanded by Jacob Roggewein visited the eastern island known as Manua. A crew member of one of the ships described the natives in these words, “They are friendly in their speech and courteous in their behavior, with no apparent trace of wildness or savagery. They do not paint themselves, as do the natives of some other islands, but on the lower part of the body they wear artfully woven silk tights or knee breeches. They are altogether the most charming and polite natives we have seen in all of the South Seas…"

The ships lay at anchor off the islands for several days, but the crews did not venture ashore and didn’t even get close enough to the natives to realize that they were not wearing silk leggings, but their legs were completely covered in tattoos.

In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed little. The skill is often passed from father to son, each tattoo artist, or tufuga, learning the craft over many years of serving as his father's apprentice. A young artist-in-training often spent hours, and sometimes days, tapping designs into sand or tree bark using a special tattooing comb, or au. Honoring their tradition, Samoan tattoo artists made this tool from sharpened boar's teeth fastened together with a portion of the turtle shell and to a wooden handle.

Traditional Samoan Tattooing Techniques

Traditional Samoan tattooing of the “pe'a”, body tattoo, is an ordeal that is not lightly undergone. It takes many weeks to complete. The process is very painful and used to be a necessary prerequisite to receiving a matai title; this however is no longer the case. Tattooing was also a very costly procedure.

It was not uncommon for half a dozen boys to be tattooed at the same time, requiring the services of four or more artists. It was not just the men who received tattoos, but the women too; their designs are of a much lighter nature rather than having the large areas of solid dye which are frequently seen in men’s tattoos. The tattooing of women was not nearly as ritualized like men’s were.

Samoan society has long been defined by rank and title, with chiefs (ali'i) and their assistants, known as talking chiefs (tulafale). The tattooing ceremonies for young chiefs, typically conducted at the time of puberty, were part of their ascendance to a leadership role. The permanent marks left by the tattoo artists would forever celebrate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions. The pain was extreme and the risk of death by infection was a concern; to back down from tattooing was to risk being labeled a “pala'ai” or coward. Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, would be forced to wear their mark of shame throughout their life. This would forever bring shame upon their family so it was avoided at all cost.

The Samoan tattooing process used a number of tools which remained almost unchanged since their first use. “Autapulu” is a wide tattooing comb used to fill in the large dark areas of the tattoo. “Ausogi'aso tele” is a comb used for making thick lines. “Ausogi'aso laititi” is a comb used for making thin lines. “Aumogo” small comb is used for making small marks. “Sausau” is the mallet is used for striking the combs. It is almost two feet in length and made from the central rib of a coconut palm leaf. “Tuluma” is the pot used for holding the tattooing combs. Ipulama is the cup used for holding the dye. The dye is made from the soot collected from burnt lama nuts. “Tu'I” used to grind up the dye. These tools were primarily made out of animal bones to ensure sharpness.

The tattooing process itself would be 5 sessions, in theory. These 5 sessions would be spread out over 10 days in order for the inflammation to subside. The steps are as follows.

I. O le Taga Tapulu (back and small of the back) In the first session the height to which the tattoo will rise is decided (Ano le Tua), this is always such that the top of the design will show above the lavalava. Then the va'a, pula tama and pula tele are outlined and the design filled in.

II. O le Taga Fai'aso (the posterior) The aso fa'aifo are completed around to the abdomen and the 'asolaititi are finished. Next to be added are the saemutu, which vary in number depending upon social status. A matai will have four an orator three and anyone else would have two. Where it meets the 'ivimutu at the anus it is called tafaufile, where it covers the perineum it is called tasele, where it covers the scrotum it is called tafumiti and the area over the penis is called tafito. Needless to say this is very painful.

III. Taga Tapau The lausae, an area of solid tattooing, is added to the thighs beneath the aso e lua.

IV. Taga o Fusi ma Ulumanu The fourth session is the tattooing of the ulumanu, from the center of the thigh up to the inner groin.

V. 'Umaga (the end) The final sessions involves the tattooing of the abdomen, the area that covers the navel being called the pute, and is apparently the most painful part of the whole process.

Christian missionaries from the west attempted to purge tattooing among the Samoans, thinking it barbaric and inhumane. Many young Samoans resisted mission schools since they forbade them to wear tattoos. But over time attitudes relaxed toward this cultural tradition and tattooing began to reemerge in Samoan culture.

A Traditional Samoan Tatau design

Modern example of traditional Samoan design

Tribal Tattoos

Tom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:59:48 GMT

The history of tattooing belongs to a great many peoples, and as the art travelled across the globe, the styles, methods and meanings were adapted to the various tribes which used the practise of tattooing within their culture.

Presently, the art of the Maori, Polynesian, Samoans and mesoamerican peoples such as the Aztec are popular and are referred to as 'tribal' in the West, but the practise of tattooing extends to many other tribes, such as the Iban of Borneo, the tribes of the Philippines, and the people of the Mentawai islands, whose art is less well known. What's currently known as tribal scarification has long been common practise amongst the tribes of Africa, where tribes such as the Makonde of Mozambique have changed their practises very little throughout the ages. It's from West Africa that the Adinkra symbols emerged and spread across the globe. Practices such as Yantra Tattooing, as found in Cambodia, also have their roots in spiritual teachings, and their designs and traditional methods are closely related to much of tribal tattooing history.

Traditional Methods

Although tribal design tattoos are now fairly common across the globe, and can be obtained from most tattoo studios, the tribes themselves often observed strict rites and ceremonies surrounding the practise of tattooing. These range from periods of abstinence from food, water, or sexual behaviour, to rites of passage such as dangerous journeys to prove worthiness of a tattoo. Whilst modern day tribal is tattooed using a machine, the tribes often hand-tapped the designs into the skin, or cut the skin and rubbed the ink in. Inks were made of a variety of natural substances local to the tribe ranging from animal bile to ash, and the tattooists themselves were often spiritual leaders of the tribe.

Traditional Tribal Purposes

Tribal tattoos served a range of functions - from magical protection to denoting social status or accomplishments. Wearers often sought to reaffirm their lineage and ancestors, or do honour to their Gods. The location and type of tattoo carried great significance, and was taken very seriously before the actual tattooing was carried out.