Dangers of Unregulated Tattooing

 Believe it or not, there are still 11 states in the USA that have really no regulations regarding tattoos. Some people out there are thinking "Good!", but is it really? What's really at stake of getting a tattoo without regulations? Your health, for one!

Unregulated inks can contain contaminants, metals, carcinogens just for starters. Literally anybody can manufacture tattoo ink and sell it on the US market without having to have it go through the FDA. Anybody. What if some guy mixes up a bunch of inks in his kitchen, which may or may not be clean, bottles it up and sells it on Amazon. Then, because it's cheap ink, your tattoo artist decides to cut some corners on cost and buys that same ink and then proceeds to inject it into your body. Does that sound good to you?

What about needles? Most studios/shops use single use needle cartridges which are in a sterile package. Once that package has been opened, it is no longer sterile. Many artists open up all the needle packages they feel they will need to finish a tattoo they will be working on. What do you suppose happens to the opened needles that don't end up getting used? Do they throw them out, or do they just put them aside for the next person? While sitting out, exposed, do you think it's possible very small specks may have possible cross-contaminated those needles that will be used later on? Most definitely.

That leads to the next part. If someone uses non-sterile, previously exposed needles, there is now a risk of various blood borne pathogens, such as Hepatitis and HIV. Poor conditions can also lead to infection and disease. If the artist doesn't keep his work area clean, and cleans up meticulously between clients, he or she is putting their clients at risk.

So, why are so many in the industry freaking out about the new proposed MoCRA (Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022)? The very simple answer...money. They an no longer cut corners to improve their profit margin. That's just too damn bad.

Fortunately, Lucky Bamboo Tattoo has, and always was, up to the standards of a regulated area. All artists use EU regulated inks. All artists throw out needles that are no longer sterile. All artists fully clean, and keep clean their working areas to ensure client safety. All artist maintain a current Blood borne pathogen and CPR/First Aid certification, and re-certify often.

Choose your studio or shop wisely. It's not worth going to a cheap shop just save a relatively small amount of money.

The Different Styles of Tattoos

There are many styles of tattoos out there. Some have been around forever, some are new to the scene. Not everyone likes every style, but most people have a favorite. We all express ourselves through our tattoos, and choosing a style that best suites to show who YOU are is important to most of us. 

Here is a list of all the predominant tattoo styles available.

TRADITIONAL: Traditional style tattoos are the old school. They've been around for nearly 100 years. They're often bold dark lines with traditional coloring. Often they're of naval themes, pin-ups, hula girls, skulls, sparrows and so forth. They are unique and unmistakable. 

NEO-TRADITIONAL: Much like its namesake, they have bold dark lines with bright colors. However, the difference is the color saturation and shading is much smoother and fuller, and not of traditional subject matter. You can literally get any idea done in this style.

REALISTIC: Just as it sounds, realistic looking tattoos of anything and everything. 

ULTRA-REALISTIC: Also known as photo-realistic, this takes realism to the next level and gives you a tattoo that almost looks like a photograph. Only the most skilled tattoo artists can pull off this style.

ILLUSTRATIVE/ARTISTIC: This style looks like art from a book. It borrows elements of both traditional and realism. Often, if done well, is quite beautiful. These kind can be either in black/grey or in color.

DARK ART: Dark art often is of "dark" subject matters, but not always. It also can be that It's noticeable by the extreme contrast of the black and grey. 

PORTRAIT: Portrait tattoos, like ultra-realism, require a very skilled artist. Portrait tattoos are tattoos of a person or animal/pet and resemble the subject exactly. They are considered by many to be the most difficult style of tattoo because if you don't do it just right, it won't look anything like it was supposed to.

TRIBAL: True tribal tattoos are often attributed to Maori, Polynesian, Aborigini and even Native American. These tattoos generally have a deeper meaning in the culture, and some feel it's questionable for someone not of one of these people's to get one of their tattoos.

NORSE/CELTIC: These two are both roundly loved for their intricate knot work and overall beauty. They're often grounded on historical designs that have been around for many hundreds of years.

FINE LINE: Fine line tattoos are exactly that. Very fine, often black, lines for whatever the design might be. It can range from skulls to roses. Practically anything can be done in fine line.

MINIMALIST: A minimalist tattoo is often lacking too much detail or definition, little to no shading, but have well done, deliberate lines. The range in very small to large. 

WATERCOLOR: A watercolor tattoo is done by a skilled artist, who uses many shades of the same colors, blending them exact to replicate a watercolor painting. 

PATCHWORK: Patchwork tattoos are a collection of a bunch of smaller tattoos, and quite often, don't go along with any particular theme. You could have a skull next to a toaster, next to a shoe. There literally are no rules.

JAPANESE: Traditional Japanese styles tell a story through symbolism. They're often very brightly colored and bold lines. They can be applied either by machine or Tebori (manual tapping).

SKETCH: Sketch tattoos look just like a sketch from a book, with intentional stray lines to resemble the drawing. They can be either black/grey or color.

MICRO: These tiny and beautiful tattoos are generally highly detailed despite their size. You'll often see them in color, but they can be in just black/grey. Subject matter ranges from bugs to airplanes. Anything, really.

TRASH POLKA: Started in Germany, these distinct black and red tattoos blend a chaotic version of realism with blackwork, and often tell a story through the differing images that blend together.

IGNORANT: Probably the newest kid on the block, ignorant style tattoos are intentionally poorly drawn, often don't make too much sense but are oddly appealing and well done. They are the new rebellious tattoo, as other tattoos have become more mainstream and accepted.

PATCH/STICKER: These two styles literally look just like a real life sewn patch or a sticker. If well done, it's incredibly hard to tell if they're real or a tattoo. Some more talented artists have even recreated the holographic style of sticker as a tattoo, and they are quite impressive.

3-D: 3D tattoos are done in a way to trick the eye into making the tattoo look 3 dimensional. This is also done in red and blue offset image inks, so that when wearing 3D glasses, the tattoo appears to float over the skin.

Whatever your personal taste is, hopefully we've given you some ideas for your next tattoo!

Famous Folks and Their Tattoos

Getting ink is an experience many of us enjoy. Celebrities are no exception. Actors used to avoid visible tattoos out of fear of losing the chance at a part in a film or performance. That has changed. The stigma of tattoos is fading, and fast. Having a tattoo is no longer the act of rebellion (or the perception of it) and they've become quite mainstream. In fact, so mainstream that a fairly new style of tattoo, called "Ignorant", has taken the place of the classic quality tattoo. "Ignorant" style is almost a mockery and intentionally "bad", but they still have a certain charm about them. Some of the more celebrity tattoos that are a stand out include:

• The Rock's bull tattoo based after his old nickname.
• Rihanna's underboob Isis tattoo for her mom.
• Johnny Depp's sparrow (Jack) to commemorate Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Justin Bieber's Jesus leg tattoo.
• Harry Style's huge chest butterfly.
• Miley Cyrus's array of small pet and food tattoos.
• Paris Jackson's 9 tattoos dedicated to her father, Michael.
• Adam Levine's huge mermaid back piece. 
• Angelina Jolie's upper arm piece with geographical coordinates to family members birth places.
• David Beckham's angel back piece.
• Eve's dog's paw prints on her chest.
• Drake's Lil Wayne portrait on his upper arm.
• Christina Aguilera's "Xtina" tattoo on the back of her neck, her nickname.
• Zac Efron's "Yolo" tattoo on the side of his hand.
• Lady Gaga's ribcage portrait of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
• Mike Tyson's tribal face tattoo.
• Ryan Gosling's self-given tattoo (poorly) of what was supposed to be a severed monster hand dropping a bloody heart. It looks like a bizarre cactus.
• Katy Perry's tiny Hello Kitty finger tattoo.
• Ed Sheeran's huge lion chest tattoo.
• Ben Affleck's huge phoenix back piece.

It's not just entertainer's that are on this list, other public figures, some you may have never guessed, have or had ink. Some of these are:

• Teddy Roosevelt had his family crest tattooed on his chest.
• Justin Trudeau has a raven on his left forearm.
• King George V had a red and blue dragon on his arm.
• President James Polk had the Chinese character for "eager".
• President Andrew Jackson had a large tomahawk on his inner thigh.
• Jesse Jackson Jr has a Bruce Lee portrait.
• Winston Churchill had an anchor on his forearm.

The further you dig, the more you find out how mainstream tattoos have become (or maybe always secretly were?)

Floral Tattoos and Their Meaning

Floral tattoos have been a continuously popular design for many years, as early as the days of sailors on their travels. They're popular with both men and women. The rose tattoo, in its many variations, has been a tattoo staple since the beginning. However, not many people know the meaning of the particular flower they have a tattoo of. Here's a breakdown of some of the more popular floral tattoos and their symbolism.

ROSE:

• RED ROSE: The red rose has long been linked to love, romance and passion. However, it can also represent loss and sacrifice.
• PINK ROSE: The pink rose is often associated with femininity, joy and gentleness. 
• YELLOW ROSE: The yellow rose is generally meant for friendship, happiness and matured love. In the past, it was associated with jealousy.
• WHITE ROSE: The white rose is associated with purity, honor and innocence. 
• BLACK ROSE: The black rose can mean rebellious love, secret passion, grief, mourning, death and pain.
• BURNING ROSE: The "burning" rose is often connected to intense passion, strength and rebirth.

LILLIES:

• WHITE LILY: Purity
• PINK LILY: Prosperity
• RED LILY: Passion
• ORANGE LILY: Pride
• YELLOW LILY: Determination

CHRYSANTHEMUM:

• In general, the chrysanthemum historically has been used to ward off evil spirits and danger.
• RED & PINK CHRYSANTHEMUM: Similar to the rose, it usually means love and passion.
• YELLOW CHRYSANTHEMUM: Unrequited love.
• WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM: Truth and Pain.

LOTUS:

• WHITE LOTUS: Enlightenment, perfection and purity.
• BLUE LOTUS: Wisdom, intelligence and knowledge.
• RED LOTUS: Kindness, passion and love.
• PURPLE LOTUS: Mysticism and spirituality. 
• PINK LOTUS: Enlightenment. 
• BLACK LOTUS: Darkness, death and rebellion.

PEONY:

• WHITE PEONY: Beauty and shame.
• RED PEONY: Good luck.
• PINK PEONY: Love and passion.

POPPY:

• The poppy, in general, represents dreams, remembrance, love, sleep, imagination and sacrifice.

SUNFLOWER:

• The Sunflower, first and foremost, represents happiness, but it can also represent loyalty and adoration.

This list could just keep going, as there are so many more flowers to cover. 

We hope that this short list gives you a little insight on just how intricate the world is on the meanings behind the various flower tattoos.