DoCtOr GeIsT's BiZaRrO wOrLd Of MoNsTeR fLeSh, CoMe InSiDe....

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

That was some old pic of him, check him out now.

[CreepysFan]

 Doc, that Brain pan tatoo is by far the coolest I've ever seen.  That is freakin' AWESOME man.  Personally I would have left off the fly, but the Brain itself is fantastic.  That image just made my morning.

[Toy Ranch]

You guys like horror stories, so here is one related to an article I read a couple of days ago off a link on Yahoo's home page. It concerns the escalating spread of Hepatitis C (a potentially fatal liver disease) in the USA, courtesy of your local tattoo parlor. It is rather alarming.

Here is an article that gives the facts without being too sensationalistic.

http://www.av1611.org/tattoos/health.html

The article I read also explained that H-C can lay dormant for years, the effects showing up many years later, and judging from the escalating nimbers, it is feared alot of people have it and don't even know it. With the surprising number of people I know (like almost half) that have recently gotten or added more 'tats and piercings to their body (including my 50-year-old boss lady), I guess the warning is very timely. I know Pam Anderson has been diagnosed with hepititis C, courtesy of her tattoo parlor and Tommy Lee. Scary scary stuff.

Yep, I know about 12 people who have it and are in various stages of the race down the slippery slope to death.  Some of them with no tattoos and not former IV drug users.  I always look at young people with tattoos and think "that's going to look pretty bad in the old folks home on their sagging, wrinkled flesh", but maybe a lot of them won't make it that far.

[ChattyLMS]

Most are awesome worls of art but I still worry e.g. for the guy with the actual skull-face.... he'll possibly be eighty one day .... call me an old fart but I just .... worry .... for him. Lots of cool ideas eventually face the light of day, metaphorically speaking ....

I wonder about that tattoo too.  I think that one is repulsive.  Why get a tattoo like that if no one wants to look at you?  Suppose he gets a pimple on his cheek and he picks at it?  That'll ruin the thing.  And those little wrinkles and crows feet?  And see if he can a get a girlfriend.  Go to a bank and they'll call the cops.  Can you imagine him going out to mow the lawn or paint his house?  What kind of job would he get?  What if he loses all his teeth and he can't afford dentures?  Well I have to admit that if he cut himself shaving it would make it look more interesting.  How about going to a conference at his kid's school?

Maybe I'm thinking too hard for the morning!

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

ya dont need dentures to eat
He might have a job, for some reason, I thought that he is part of a Carnival Sideshow.

[Wicked Lester]

Yep, I know about 12 people who have it and are in various stages of the race down the slippery slope to death.  Some of them with no tattoos and not former IV drug users.  I always look at young people with tattoos and think "that's going to look pretty bad in the old folks home on their sagging, wrinkled flesh", but maybe a lot of them won't make it that far.

I guess I got lucky. The first couple tats I got back in early 79'. Those were the days when they would finish one person,swirl the needle and part of the gun in alcohol and say "Next!"
It has been common practice for many years now to sterilize the gun the same way they do surgical instruments. Open the new needles in front of you. Use fresh ink and use and antibacterial spray on your skin and the chair you are sitting in. Also use disposal latex gloves. You go to an artist that won't do all this it's best to go elsewhere.

[BlackLagoon]

I guess I got lucky. The first couple tats I got back in early 79'. Those were the days when they would finish one person,swirl the needle and part of the gun in alcohol and say "Next!"
It has been common practice for many years now to sterilize the gun the same way they do surgical instruments. Open the new needles in front of you. Use fresh ink and use and antibacterial spray on your skin and the chair you are sitting in. Also use disposal latex gloves. You go to an artist that won't do all this it's best to go elsewhere.

Agreed. I wouldnt call it luck for either of us, I think its like anything else, shop around, take care of your body and use your brain and you too can be one of the many people with a tattoo that isnt facing death or illness because of it!

[Fester]

Until a couple of years ago, there were no comprehensive standards on tattoo inks.  And I am pretty sure the FDA has not yet complied a list of approved chemicals for tattoo inks.

Part of the problem locally with tattoos is some of the parlors did use sterile needles and autoclaved equipment,and then squirt ink from squeeze bottles into little plastic cups.  The open containers and reused cups were the source of contamination.

The risk of Hep-C is one of the reasons the FDA requires all of us in the blood plasma industry to screen donors for piercings and tattoos.  According to FDA regs, you must not donate blood or plasma within a year of a tattoo or piercing.  The risk of killing a patient (with already compromised immunity --90-95% of them) with Hepatitis or HIV contaminated medicine is much too great.

[Sean]

Agreed. I wouldnt call it luck for either of us, I think its like anything else, shop around, take care of your body and use your brain and you too can be one of the many people with a tattoo that isnt facing death or illness because of it!
>>>>>

     I've got one tat and that's likely all I'll get.  It has too deep a meaning to me for me to get another one (a new one, no matter how cool---would have zero meaning attached to it, and would automatically be *stupid* to me).  I have a Phoenix  on my left tricep, with the flames running down the muscle.  It symbolizes my rising from the ashes of a fire of my own making---a reckless lifestyle that had me 'up against it' health-wise.  I can't just go out and get that 'Baby Devil in a diaper' thing on the OTHER arm, can I? 
 

[BlackLagoon]

LOL, you can get whatever you want!  Generally I'm not a big fan of art for the sake of art on me anyway. Though I do have a Jack O Lantern on my leg, which symbolizes....a drunken night out that ended at 7 A.M. in a tattoo parlor. I have some words "Overcome" and it says "Strength Beyond Strength" over my heart...and 2 other things of that nature on me.

I there a few things I would like to fix, and now might not have gotten them at this point in my life. But it isnt anything offensive, theyre pretty hidden and if they look like crap when Im all wrinkled...hopefully the memory of a great time of my youth will be rememberd by bleeding ink.

[I am the Female Dracula]

I have mixed feelings. I'm terrified of diseases and also about the wrinkled skin, but I do think it would look cool. Then again, I'd either have none or go overboard and have like 10. I think I'd confine it to one area, maybe my left arm or my back. But I've still got another 5 or so years to decide.

[monsterphile]

I have mixed feelings. I'm terrified of diseases and also about the wrinkled skin, but I do think it would look cool. Then again, I'd either have none or go overboard and have like 10. I think I'd confine it to one area, maybe my left arm or my back. But I've still got another 5 or so years to decide.

Take all the time in the world to decide.  It's not a decision to be made on the spur of the moment. 

[marsattacks666]

Those are some really amazing tattoos.....the skeleton person is my favorite.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

I will probally catch some flak on this..but..I think Tats on a guy is alright,but on a woman..I find it, Trashy..
Now a butterfly or a rose, or something small is okay on a woman,but sleeves or whatever just seems trashy imo.

And you probally dont want to hear what I think of multiple piercings 

[marsattacks666]

I will probally catch some flak on this..but..I think Tats on a guy is alright,but on a woman..I find it, Trashy..
Now a butterfly or a rose, or something small is okay on a woman,but sleeves or whatever just seems trashy imo.

And you probally dont want to hear what I think of multiple piercings  

Finally!!!!! Someone has the intestinal fortitude to say that. So many VEGAS women have way
too many tattoos on their bodies, tattoos just diminish their beauty......and multiple piercings went way
with the 90's and Spawn action figures. LoL!!!