Tattoo Research Papers

1 Tattoos, once a badge of rebellion, now make a common fashion statement. A generation ago, a tattoo suggested prison inmates, biker gangs, and strange, perhaps unstable, people. Today, according to a recent Harris Poll, 36 percent of adults between the ages of 25 and 29 have at least one tattoo. Like wearing the most recent clothing or hairstyle, a tattoo is the cat’s meow for the fashion conscious. However, a tatoo is a permanent statement that doesn’t wash away when a new fad bursts onto the scene. Unlike a fashion design or a hairstyle, each tattoo design is unique to its owner because not only is the canvas or skin different from individual to individual, but each tattoo artist leaves his or her own stamp on each design. These designs are as different as the people who wear them. they may represent significant life events, special relationships, or simply a favorite flower or literary character. Whatever the design, today’s tattoos give individuals a sense of self-expression and style.

Essentially, the method for creating tattoos has not changed since the 1800s, when Samuel O”Reilly invented a machine used to puncture and inject ink under the skin. His design was based on the autographic printer (intended to engrave hard surfaces) invented by Thomas Edison. The four basic components of the machine including: a sterilized needle, a tube system to deliver the ink, an electric motor, and a foot pedal similar to that of a sewing machine. The machine’s needle punctures the skin 50 to 3,000 times per minute. Each puncture leaves a drop of insoluble ink in the skin and is more stable than the outer layer or epidermis. As a result, the ink will remain in place for a person’s