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By Bob Reha
January 3, 2001
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RealAudio |
As one person put it: It's easier to get a divorce than to remove a tattoo. Once the marks of rebels and outcasts, tattoos and piercings have crossed into the realm of fashion accessories. Now, one Minnesota college is trying to educate students and others about the risks of body art. The aim of the Peer Education Program at Minnesota State University-Moorhead is not to discourage individuals from acquiring body art, but to make sure it's done safely.
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"We aren't anti-tattoos or anti-body piercings in any way. But if this is a choice that you're going to make, there are some things you might want to consider," says Peterson.
Things such as: How experienced is the tattooist? How did he or she learn the trade? Since there is little or no regulation of the industry, customers are on their own when it comes to their safety.
"For example, you need to find out if they have an autoclave. An autoclave is a sterilizer. You need to make sure the conditions of the studio are very sterile. You need to see them open the packages of the needles that'll be used. They need to be disposable needles," Peterson says.
Peterson says getting a tattoo or being pierced requires a lot of thought - not just for health reasons, but for what your future might hold. There are endless stories of people who get tattooed on a lark, only to regret it later in life. Peterson says there are important questions to ask: Will the tattoo of a favorite band name still look cool 30 years from now? What might future employers think?
Tatoo removal is an option, but it's expensive. The most common and least painful removal method is by laser, and that often requires up to a dozen treatments which cost $200 each. Other removal methods are painful and can leave permanent scars.
There are other considerations. If you have your tongue pierced, you need to know whether you grind your teeth while sleeping, because a metal stud can damage your teeth. Singer Britney Spears' pierced navel may look good on TV, but doctors say such piercings are highly prone to infection.
Anita Brubeck Gould owns the Golden Needle in Moorhead. Gould, who is also a fine arts painter, has been a tattooist for 18 years.
She is tattooing a ring of thorns around a young man's bicep. Her studio, located in her home, shatters the tattoo parlor stereotype. In her studio, there's a fish tank and soft music playing. The idea is to have people feel safe and relaxed, because getting a tattoo can be quite painful.
"Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying through their teeth. For the vast majority of people, it's irritating and annoying. But some people say it hurts," Gould says.
Gould is one of three local tattooists participating in the education program.
"I use the exact same procedures they use if you go into surgery at a hospital. I want to make sure everything is clean, not only for my customers but for my sake. I can't take the risk of getting myself exposed to something they may have," says Gould.
If you're planning to get a tattoo, Gould says the studio should be clean and well lit. She also suggests looking at samples of the tattooist's work.
The body art education program is currently available only on the Minnesota State University-Moorhead campus. But officials there say some high schools and colleges in the region have expressed interest in having it presented on their campuses, as well.
Bob Reha covers northwestern Minnesota for Minnesota Public Radio's Mainstreet Radio unit. Reach him via e-mail at breha@mpr.org
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