On your back, on your arm, on your thigh, on your shoulder, on your foot. Tattoos can be anywhere and it might surprise you the number of University students who have ink underneath their clothes.
Third-year College student Bayly Unger had a tattoo inked on her lower back last year. The tattoo: an outline of the symbol for the Rebel Alliance from Star Wars.
"It's really dorky," Unger said. "I've been a Star Wars geek my whole life and it's a cool symbol. It looks kind of pagan."
The length of time it takes to apply a tattoo varies depending on the size. Unger's tattoo took less than a half hour. For third-year College student Brett Harder, however, his newest tattoo -- a large design of the nine muses from Greek mythology on his leg -- took about six hours. Prices also vary according to size, with smaller pieces costing as little as $40 and larger ones as much as $1500.
The reasons for getting tattoos seem to vary almost as much as the designs.
Harder said he thinks of his tattoos as different displays of art on his body, each one representing an important moment in his life.
"There are very few things which are permanent in life," Harder said. "One of the things you will always carry with you is a tattoo. I like getting work done. I feel like once you start, you belong to a special sect of people. The caste of people who get tattoos a lot are some of the coolest people I've met in my life."
First-year College student Anna Kreyling said she also sees her tattoos as more of a timeline of important events in her life. The tattoo on her lower back is a picture drawn by her high school boyfriend. Though the two are no longer dating, Kreyling said she does not regret the decision because of the importance that relationship has played in her life.
"We affected each other," Kreyling said. "We really changed each other's lives. So it's really in memory of that."
According to Kreyling, as soon as you have one tattoo, it seems natural to think about getting more.
Tattooing is "addictive in a way," she said. "I definitely don't want to be like a tattooed lady in a circus. But I think I'll continue getting smaller ones for awhile."
Unger said she also has a number of other tattoos planned, many dealing with major events in her life and her religion, paganism. Mostly, though, Unger said she thinks tattoos are beautiful.
"I think tattoos are really gorgeous," Unger said. "Lindsey and Kelly [two of my friends] have tattoos all over their bodies, and I think it's so beautiful."
Kreyling also said one of the appeals of getting a tattoo is how beautiful they can look.
"I like skin; I think it's one of the most beautiful things about the human body," Kreyling said. "It's really interesting to look at your body with a tattoo because it's different all of a sudden, having color on your skin. I think it looks beautiful."
Sanitation experts
Tattoos may be beautiful pieces of body art, but there are risks involved in the application process.
Tattoos applied improperly can have a variety of negative affects -- from blood-born diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C to infections, according to Dr. Kristin Bell, the assistant director of general medicine at Elson Student Health Center.
A good tattoo shop takes sterilization and cleanliness very seriously, said Ben (who does not use his last name), a tattoo artist, piercer and the manager of Capital Tattoo on Ivy Rd.
"We do not play around," Ben said. "This is more than just good art, this is good health. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scene that people don't know about."
At Capital, every object that is used in the tattoo procedure goes through a rigorous cleaning process, according to Ben.
"Everything here is single-use and/or autoclave sterilized," Ben said. "It's the same as at your doctor or dentist. All needles are single-use. All the ink is single-portion. Everything we put out for you we use on you and then throw away. We use all disposable razors. All the things that come in contact with your skin are thrown away."
Greg Viar, a tattooist with Acme Tattoo on Elliewood Ave., said Acme has a similar single-use policy -- all needles, razors, gloves or anything that comes in contact with skin is thrown away. Things that have to be reused, such as the holders for needles, are covered in a disposable plastic shield and then autoclave sterilized afterward. Any good tattoo shop should have similar procedures for cleanliness and sterilization, Viar said.
The procedures "are just as much for us as for the client," Viar said. "We wear gloves all through the procedure. We all have Hepatitis B vaccinations."
But more than just an outwardly clean environment, Bell said Student Health recommended using tattoo artists who have certification of their safety training.
"It's not just the needles and scalpels, the ink itself has to be replaced," Bell said. "It's helpful to have a parlor where the tattoo artist belongs to a professional organization that insures they have training on safety and health."
According to Harder, one of the reasons he first started going to Capital was because of their rigorous sanitation procedures.
Capital has a "high quality [of] sanitation," Harder said. "That is one of the only places in the area that has its own autoclave and uses all new needles. I have never gotten an infection."
Debunking tattoo myths
The common catchphrase "no pain, no gain" does not always apply to tattoos -- some applications involve little to no pain.
When a person gets a tattoo, sometimes slight bleeding occurs, according to Viar, but not more than one might experience from a shaving cut. Because the needle does pierce the skin, however, sometimes a tattoo can be painful. The degree of pain often depends on the location of the tattoo.
Unger said her tattoo, which is located on one of the fleshier areas of the lower back, did not hurt at all.
"It was like a little bee sting," she said.
Other places, however, can be much more painful.
"My stock response is that some places hurt more than others," Harder said. "It feels different if [the tattoo] is on bone than on plain skin. It's really hard to say. Some places hurt a lot."
Harder said that from talking to other people who have tattoos, he thinks some of the most painful places are the armpit and the ribcage.
Viar said he normally tries to steer customers away from the more painful places.
"If someone is just beginning and they want someplace that's painful, I try to talk them out of it," Viar said. "Usually afterward, they say thank you."
The idea that women with tattoos on their lower backs can not have an epidural during pregnancy is also a misconception.
"That is not true," said Patricia Dowd, a nurse in the Pain Management Clinic at the University Hospital. "If you have a superficial stain on skin and need an epidural steroid, you can certainly get it."
Ben also said he has encountered that misconception but knows from experience it is not true.
"Fallacy," Ben said. "It's completely false. My ex-wife had her entire back tattooed and had one. It seems like one of those things mothers tell their daughters so they don't get a tattoo."
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