Tattoo

:For the unrelated Military music tattoo, a parade, see Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Procedure

Some tribal cultures still create tattoos by cutting designs into the skin and rubbing the resulting wound with ink, ashes or other agents. This may be an adjunct to scarification. Some cultures create tattooed marks by "tapping" the ink into the skin using sharpened sticks or animal bones. Traditional Japanese tattoos (irezumi) are still "hand-poked," that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made and hand held tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel.

Related Topics:
Scarification - Irezumi

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The most common method of tattooing in modern times is with an electric tattoo machine. In this procedure, ink is inserted into the skin via a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar, which is attached to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 50 to 3,000 times a minute.

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Permanent Cosmetics

See main article at permanent makeup

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Permanent cosmetics are tattoos that enhance eyebrows, lips (liner or lipstick), eyes (shadow, mascara), and even moles, usually with natural colors as the designs are intended to resemble makeup. The prices of cosmetic procedures are higher than design tattoos because most states require permanent makeup artists to be licensed aestheticians.

Related Topics:
Cosmetic - Eyebrow - Mole

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"Natural" tattoos

According to George Orwell, workers in coal mines would wind up with characteristic tattoos owing to coal dust getting into wounds. This can also occur with substances like gunpowder. Similarly, a traumatic tattoo occurs when a substance such as asphalt is rubbed into a wound as the result of some kind of accident or trauma. These are particularly difficult to remove as they tend to be spread across several different layers of skin, and scarring or permanent discoloration is almost unavoidable depending on the location.

Related Topics:
George Orwell - Coal mine - Coal dust - Wound - Gunpowder

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Temporary tattoos and Mehndi

Temporary tattoos are a type of body sticker, like a decal. They are generally applied to the skin using water to transfer the design to the surface of the skin. Temporary tattoos are easily removed with soap and water or oil-based creams, and are intended to last a few days.

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The art known as Mehndi, common in Middle Eastern, North African and Asian countries (but particularly associated with India), is the application of intricate patterns and designs on the hands and feet. The designs are usually hand drawn with henna: powdered henna is mixed with coffee or tea, lemon juice (to release the dye) and sugar (for consistency) into a paste which is then applied. The length of time the design will last depends on how long the paste is left on the skin. Most designs last up to two weeks, fading from a dark brown to a light orange before disappearing. So-called 'black henna', which is made by adding p-phenylenediamine (PPD) to natural henna, in order to achieve a black color, may cause allergic reactions. PPD is very unhealthy and has been known to cause burnshttp://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html.

Related Topics:
Mehndi - Middle East - North Africa - Asia - India - Hand - Feet - Henna - Coffee - Tea - Lemon - Sugar - P-phenylenediamine - Black

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Mehndi is traditionally applied onto the hands and feet of brides, but there exist traditions in Bangladesh, Kashmir and Sudan where bridegrooms also have Mehndi applied before wedding ceremonies. Mehndi has also become popular, particularly in the West, as a form of temporary body decoration with no symbolic meaning.

Related Topics:
Bride - Bangladesh - Kashmir - Sudan - Bridegroom

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