Tattoos have already come a long way since the first time they were being used. They used to be made with a needle and thread, or by carving the design into the skin and then rubbing the ink in the wound (“A Brief History of Tattoos”, n.d). Either way, getting a tattoo was a painful way to express oneself, so what can the future hold in store for this art form?
The main issues surrounding tattoos are: their permanence and that they are painful. These are the two things that would probably change most drastically in the upcoming years. These are also the two most difficult things to change.
How does one penetrate the skin deep enough to make sure something stays there permanently, but does not cause pain? Getting a scratch on the surface of one’s skin can hurt, so what about the first seven layers? At the moment, a needle rapidly going up and down and depositing a drop of ink in the skin each time the needle enters is what makes tattoos. Because the needle is moving so quickly, it creates a vibrating feeling that eventually numbs the skin. There are still certain parts of one’s body where it will hurt to have the needle go over, but the pain is considerably less than sewing ink soaked thread through one’s skin. In the future, the needle will be able to be so quick that all one will feel is the vibration and possibly only feel the needle and those sensitive parts of the skin.
Today’s tattoo machine would still be in use. There are many people who like to get tattoos because of what they symbolize; strength. This will never change. There will always be people out there who like to get tattoos so that they can seem tough. The tattoo machine will still be around for those people, and will probably tattoo differently than the new machine just so that one can point out who had it done the “tough way” and who got a tattoo the “painless” way.
Another issue surrounding tattoos are their permanence. The fact that a tattoo lasts forever and cannot easily be removed is a big draw back for some people. In order to get a tattoo removed, one must go through painful laser treatment several times. It is also very expensive to get a tattoo removed. There is always the option of getting the tattoo covered up, but with another tattoo that would most likely have to be larger and darker. The future of tattoos is a naturally fading, semi-permanent, bio-degradable ink that would last anywhere from six months to two years (Kells, 2008). Now would more people be willing to get a tattoo?
The new semi-permanent ink would be much easier to remove than traditional tattoo ink. A laser would still be needed, but the process would take a smaller amount of time, and would also be more painless. In the future, all laser treatment would be less painless and quicker as well, but the semi-permanent ink laser removal would be the stepping stone needed in order to modify the laser’s painlessness from one type of ink to the other.
Although the idea of semi-permanent ink is very attractive and will definitely convince more people to get tattoos, the permanence of a tattoo gave a lot of meaning to what was being drawn and showed commitment and a strong sense of character in the person. With the invention on semi-permanent ink, one would not need to think deeply and seriously about what was getting done and practically anyone would be able to have a tattoo. Some people may even tattoo their babies! This would push tattoos even further into society and most likely make them even more mainstream and common than they already are.
The current tattoo machine is very heavy and can get tiring to hold so tattoo artists must practice holding it for hours and hours and be able to draw just as nicely ten minutes into a tattoo then he would an hour and a half into a tattoo. This can also be modified so that the machine will be lighter. The metal that it is currently made of could be combined with some other substance or some how have air pockets throughout the machine so that it is not one big piece of metal. Another advancement that would happen would be that the tattoo machine would be reduced to a pen-like machine. The needle would be at the tip, and the ink would be held in a chamber similar to that of pens today. It would conveniently be called the tattoo pen.
The first tattoo machine was very big and heavy and was later made more hand held by making the motor similar to that of a sewing machine (“Tattoo machine”, n.d). The tattoo machine will become even more hand held when it is similar to a pen. The motor would still be operated by a pedal (like a sewing machine) so that the tattoo artist can still control when and how fast the needle goes.
Another advancement that would be made to tattoos is that they would serve a double-purpose. Not only would one get a “pretty” picture permanently on their skin, but at the same time they would be able to get vaccinated against diseases and maybe even cancer! Scientists have currently proven that injecting a vaccine in several places (like a tattoo) is far more effective than injecting it in a single place like a traditional syringe needle would (“Tattoos: Vaccinations of the Future?”, 2008). Can you imagine getting a new design on your skin for every shot you needed? When the cure for cancer is found, it would also be able to be introduced into one’s body through a tattoo.
Another tattoo machine would be invented. This one would not use any ink, but would have the vaccine in the ink chamber. This machine would be used only to inject a vaccine into one’s skin and would be invisible (because there is not ink). This machine would only be used in hospitals and other treatment centers where patients do not want art drawn on their body, but would like the most efficient way of getting the vaccine throughout their body and working properly.
There is still a lot of room for advancement in the tattoo industry, and it will be here before you know it. Tattoos will be everywhere and a part of every household, are you ready for it?

References:

A brief history of tatoos (n.d). Retrieved from DesignBoom Website on April
2nd, 2009 from http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.html

Kells, T. (October, 2008). The future of tattooing. Retrieved on from
Suite101 Website on April 1st, 2009 from
http://tattoosbodyart.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_future_of_tattooing

Tattoo machine. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28th, 2009, from Wikipedia
website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_machine

Tattoos: Vaccinations of the future? (February, 2008). Retrieved from
RedOrbit Website on April 4th, 2009 from
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1245900/tattoos_vaccinations_
of_the_future/

My NowPublic site!

Tattoos have been around for a very long time. The instruments that they have been made with however, have changed immensely, especially within the different cultures and groups of people that have tattoos. Our society has just begun to accept tattoos as an art form and not frown upon people who have them, but that doesn’t mean that tattoos haven’t been a part of other society’s cultures.

Tattoos have been a part of many parts of society. They have been part of religion, ethnography and anthropology as found in pre-historical records. These records show that tattooing has been practiced since as early as 10,000 BC in almost every part of world. Every religion has tattooed themselves for some reason. Whether it served as a talisman, an enhancer of magic, for protection, for beauty, status or to show punishment and condemnation, tattoos have existed everywhere, especially in the aboriginal cultures of every country (The Primeval / Pre-Historic Records of Tattooing, n.d).

Although it in unclear exactly how early tattoo artists made tattoos, instruments specifically made for tattooing have been found in Egyptian pyramids as well as Moche, Chiribaya, Chimu and Tiwanaku burial sites in Peru. It has also been discovered that natives in the arctic would tattoo themselves using a thread and needle. At first the needle was made out of slivers of bone and kept in a piece of seal intestine for safekeeping. The ink was made out of a mixture of soot from seal oil lamps and urine from one of the town’s female elders. The thread was made out reindeer. Then they would tattoo themselves by inserting the needle into the skin 1/32 of an inch deep until they had created the desired design. This form of tattooing gradually started changing. A steel needle then replaced the bone needle and the soot-urine ink mix was replaced with a mixture of soot and graphite. It has been said that women were the main tattoo artists in most aboriginal cultures. They were also the ones that got tattooed the most (Krutak, 2008).

As people began to explore new places and got exposed to new things, tattoos also began to spread among non-third world countries. At first only sailors, pirates and convicts had tattoos. This did not make them very desirable among the middle class and upper class citizens. There were many ways to get a tattoo depending on who and where you were. One way to get a tattoo was to first carve out the design you wanted and then rub some ink in it and then repeat this process until you thought the ink and the scars were deep enough. Another way to get a tattoo was to dip the needle in ink and then pierce the skin. However, this method took much longer, but the risk of getting an infection was less (of course this could change depending on how clean the needle, the environment and the tattoo artist was).

When the Industrial Revolution began to happen, more and more people decided they wanted to get tattoos. Now it wasn’t just freaks in freak shows, exiles and military getting tattoos. Women wanted to get tattoos, teenagers and even some wealthy businessmen. These people wanted to go somewhere more sanitary and have their art done with something more reliable and possibly less painful. This is when the tattoo machine first appeared. It was originally supposed to be an engraving machine designed by Thomas Edison, but was later modified by Sean Cassey so that it would be able to introduce ink into the skin through a needle (Wikipedia, 2009).The new tattoo machine, along with single-use needles helped make tattoos more accepted in society and more hygienic.

Even though tattoos were still not greatly accepted in society, more and more people began to have them. Only recently have tattoos begun to change their image, but there are still some people who regard them as a disgusting from of self-mutilation. In recent years, tattoos have begun to change their image and are becoming more desirable especially among teenagers and middle-aged women. Unlike primeval societies, men are most commonly the tattoo artist and the recipient of the tattoo. Also, unlike the tattoo machine invented during the industrial revolution, today’s machine has two coils instead of one and automatically dispenses ink. Other than that, both machines are practically the same. Today’s machine is a little lighter than its precedent, but it still requires one to practice with it a lot in order for the tattoo artist to become accustomed to its weight, it’s a lot heavier than a pencil! Imagine having to hold the tattoo machine for hours while you are drawing something that will be permanently stuck on someone’s body. The tattoo machine has revolutionized tattooing in that now you can get practically anything and anywhere tattooed. The machine can regulate how deep the needle goes, so you can get even the most sensitive parts of your body tattooed. Tattoo ink has also changed so now you can get any colour or shade you want. There are also two types of places to go get a tattoo done. One of them is the tattoo parlor, which still glorifies the “rebellious” and outlaw-ish nature of the tattoo. The second type of place is the tattoo art studio. This place looks just like a hair salon and gives tattoos an extravagant aura (Levins, 1997). The latter is what is helping to change the social image tattoos have.

As I mentioned above, tattoos were mainly seen on mercenaries, gang members, prisoners and other “low life” people (in the “modern world”, excluding aboriginals). This image has begun to change mainly due to the fact that so may people are getting tattoos. Many celebrities and rock stars have tattoos and even though we hate to admit it, we are greatly influenced by the media. Many teenagers are getting tattoos because they think it is “cool” and want to be like their idols on television and magazines. Teenage girls get them because they are “sexy” in certain parts of the body. Men get tattoos so that they seem tough and manly. Surprisingly the most popular age group that is getting tattooed is middle-aged women. I suppose they are getting tattoos as a way to relive their younger fantasies and do something “rebellious” before they think it’s “too late” (Levins, 1997).

Older people still relate tattoos to gangs, but slowly they are becoming more accepted among today’s society. Soon, the majority of a certain generation will be tattooed, and then it will become an “accepted” art form.

Levins, Hoag (1997). The changing cultural status of the tattoo arts in America. Retrieved March 16th, 2009 from the Tattoo Arts in America website:

http://www.tattooartist.com/history.html

Krutak, Lars (2008). Many stitches for life: The antiquity of thread and needle tattooing. Retrieved March 16th, 2009 from http://www.larskrutak.com

/articles/Thread_Needle/ Modern tattoo culture:

Industrial revolution. (n.d) Retrieved March 17th, 2009 from http://tattoo.tc.node/92

Tattoo Machine. (March 8th, 2009). Wikipedia. Retrieved on March 15th, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_machine

Tattooed mummies in Peru. (n.d) Retrieved March 15th, 2009, from http://www.tattoo.tc.node/13

Tattooing in ancient Egypt. (n.d) Retrieved March 14th, 2009, from http://www.tattoo.tc/node/12

The primeval/ pre-Historic records of tattooing. (n.d) Retrieved March 16th, 2009 from http://www.tattoo.tc/node/10

The Nobel Prize in Physics. (n.d) Retrieved March 9th, 2009, from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/marconi-bio.html

Wikipedia; Guglielmo Marconi. (n.d) Retrieved March 8th, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi

For my TechPost Technology I chose to do the tattoo machine. I’m sure it’s pretty obvious what it does; it is the machine that the tattoo artist uses to make the tattoo. It’s handheld, but I’m not sure I would consider it a personal device, as you need someone else to operate it for you. Some people give themselves tattoos, but it is very rare that you would do that to yourself, even if you were a professional tattoo artist. It is usually called a tattoo machine or “iron” and it holds the needle (or needles) as well as the ink needed for the tattoo. This machine controls the needle, making it go up and down and penetrate the skin anywhere between 80 to 150 times per second. Each time it penetrates the skin, it leaves behind a drop of ink. The tattoo machine can also control how deep and how fast the needle penetrates the skin. This is important because how deep the needle goes depends on what part of the body you are tattooing. Now we can tattoo our faces, hands, feet and even our eyes just because we can control the depth of the needle. Before we would never even dream of tattooing our faces or mouths or gums, but now we can. The tattoo machine is relatively simple and it’s very similar to a sewing machine and an autographic printer with some modifications. Samuel O’Reilly created the very first machine in the late 1800’s. Presently, tattoo machines use electromagnets and have two coils. They also have an electric motor and a foot pedal that controls the movement of the needle. A tattoo machine must always have a sterilized needle, which is most commonly a one-time use needle. The machine also has a tube system that draws the ink through the machine and into the needle and eventually into the skin.
The article I chose to write about was from the Spartan Daily newspaper from March 1st 2004. This article talked about how tattoos used to be looked down upon and it was assumed that only prisoners, gang members and sailors got them. They were the mark of a rebel and it was not accepted in society. The article then started talking about how tattoos have become socially acceptable and gives a few examples of the many different kinds of people who have one. One example given in the article was that “Years ago, no one [in the NBA and NFL] had any tattoos except for Dennis Rodman. Now you can’t play unless you have a tattoo. It’s a rite of passage thing now.”
I feel this effect is something positive. Tattoos are a way of expressing yourself and showing people what you believe in. This form of expression shouldn’t be constrained only to prisoners and gang members, everyone should be able to express the way that they feel in any way that they like. It is a good thing that tattoos are becoming more acceptable in society because now you won’t get looked down upon if you do have a tattoo or you are thinking of getting one. If you really wanted a tattoo, no one would be able to stop you even if it was socially unacceptable, but it is always nice not to be glared at when you walk down the street.
I do see some negatives effects of tattoos becoming so mainstream though. I read another article that talked about hardcore rebels and what they would have to do to themselves in order to be seen as rebellious. Would they have to tattoo their faces? Would tattoos become so socially acceptable that even parents will tattoo their children? Will people just start to randomly get tattoos without thinking about it? Would they regret it later?
I don’t think tattoos will ever be so socially acceptable as to let a child get a tattoo, but it does make me wonder about how far people will go to show off their tattoos. People are already getting everything you can think of tattooed (yes even eyes!), so what will the next generation of extreme tattooists get tattooed? We would also have to invent or re-invent a way to either get rid of or cover up tattoos. Some exist now, but the only colour that covers up every colour is black and not many people want a big black blob to cover up an older tattoo. There is also laser removal, but that is very painful, expensive and requires several visits. Will we be able to come up with something else?

Abeloos, Diego (March 2004). Tattoos embraced by many. Retrieved
February 9, 2009, from Spartan Daily website:
http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/
news/2004/03/01/Ae/Tattoos.Embraced.By.Many-1498283.shtml

Tattoo. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2009, from Wikipedia website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo

Tattoos are increasing in popularity. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2009,
from Tattoo Removal Reality website:
http://www.tattooremovalreality.com/index.php/people-and-
tattoos/58-tattoos-in-the-workplace/50-tattoos-extreme-to-mainstream-

Tattoo machine. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2009, from Wikipedia
website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_machine

So I was really bored one day and decided to type my name into google. My facebook page popped up and also the RGA website (the gym I work for). I wasn’t expecting anything else to pop up that referred to ME, but I was surprised to find that several other pages came up. If someone mentioned me on their facebook page, that popped up, as well as a blog that I had when I was 13 years old. Maybe I was even 12. I had completely forgot that I had a blog when I was that age and I was glad that I had forgotten. I’ve re-read some of the diaries I had and I sound so completely stupid that I knew the blog was going to sound the same. I clicked on it anyway and read some of my old entries. I was right. They were stupid. I tried to log in (hoping that I still remembered the password) and luckily I was able to log in and delete my profile. Good thing I did it before anyone else decided to read it. That would have been embarrassing. Anyway. My point is that google finds EVERYTHING. No matter how unimportant you think it is or how badly you wish you could forget it and erase it from history, google still finds it. This experience also got me thinking about security on the internet. I was 12 or 13 when I made that blog. I wasn’t thinking about security so obviously I didn’t put any lock on it (my mother’s greatest fear) and stupid little me had put my WHOLE life story on this page, not to mention practically my address, my full name and everything you would need to know to come to my house and kill me. I’m very glad I found it so that I could delete it and it also go back to my facebook and make sure security is set to maximum. You should do the same!

Hello everyone,

My name is Francesca Garfias. I am a first year student at SFU Surrey and so far I’m really liking it. I have two dogs; a border collie and a yorkie-poo. I also have two younger brothers, one of which is a gymnast and that is how I got started coaching gymnastics. I coach kids between 2 and 16 years old and I love it. Last year, I learned how to snowboard and that together with gymnastics and dance are my favorite “sports” to play. I also like to rollerblade, but I haven’t been able to do that for awhile.

I feel travelling and learning languages are the best things that you can do to improve your education. I can fluently speak Spanish, Italian and English. I can also speak beginner’s French and Hungarian. I would like to finish learning French and Hungarian and learn a couple more languages, but I’m not sure which ones yet.

I was born in Torin, Italy, but my parents are both from Lima, Peru. My mom is 3/4 Chinese, but her whole family has lived in Peru for a long time.

My favorite invention even though I don’t know if it counts as technology or not (probably not) are contact lenses. They enable me to do a lot of things that glasses would make it uncomfortable to do (certain sports) and they hurt my nose a lot less than glasses do. Contact lenses also don’t get foggy or get raindrops on them when it rains.

If contact lenses don’t count as my favorite technology, then I choose the GPS. I have a very bad sense of direction and get lost easily and frequently. I also don’t have a very good memory when it comes to remembering how to get to places. My GPS has helped me a lot for the past year and I am very grateful that was invented.