The Risks of Your First Navel Piercing

Although we refer to it as navel piercing, the actual navel is not pierced, except in the case of a true navel piercing. Instead the skin on the upper rim of the navel is pierced in the procedure that we commonly refer to as a navel piercing. Navel piercing is a relatively safe procedure. However there are a few precautions that should be taken to speed recovery as well as some health risks of which to be aware.

By focusing on 3 areas following your initial piercing you will be able to reduce the chances of experiencing problems. 1) Get the piercing done by an authorized professional, 2) Get pierced with a navel ring made from appropriate material, 3) Follow basic maintenance steps until the wound heals.

Firstly, you want to get off to a good start so get an authorized piercing professional to do the job. They will have the appropriate sterilization procedures and the piercing will be performed with a minimum of trauma to the surrounding skin. Navel piercing is never done with a piercing gun. If the person doing the piercing tries to do it with a piercing gun, leave immediately.

Next, the kind of navel ring you choose as your first will have a direct effect on the length of time it will take for the piercing to heal. It will also affect the chances of whether your body will reject the navel ring. It comes down to being sensible about the material your first navel ring is made from. Here are some options that will minimize the risks somewhat.

Bioplast is acknowledged as the best material to use for initial piercings. It is a biopolymer material that is biocompatible, flexible and can be sterilized in an autoclave. All of these features make it perfect as a navel ring material. Broadly speaking, people who have been pierced with Bioplast experience less swelling and infection and their wound heals faster than other materials. Bioplast navel rings are a great option to try first up.

Titanium is another excellent option for your first navel ring. Like Bioplast, Titanium is biocompatible and will not be rejected by the body. It is also a particularly strong, yet lightweight metal that rarely produces an allergic response. Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal, so you have a light piece of jewelry that is very unlikely to break. If you prefer the look of metal over Bioplast, titanium navel rings are an outstanding choice.

Steel is also a lower-risk choice of material. The steel is treated with a hypo-allergenic alloy to reduce the risk of infection. Steel doesn’t quite have the same properties as Bioplast or titanium but does give you a low-risk material to use. Surgical steel can be autoclaved to ensure sterilization and so there should be few problems with wearing a steel navel ring.

No matter how careful you are or how diligent your daily cleaning and bathing, every person’s body is different and some people will react differently to others. All piercings attract risks to some degree or another. Complaints to be aware of include infections, allergic reactions, bleeding and nerve damage. You also leave yourself open to more serious problems such as hepatitis, HIV or tetanus, particularly if the person doing the piercing has not taken necessary sterilization precautions. You might also find that wearing tight-fitting clothing will irritate the wound and so the healing time may be prolonged as a result.

As with any change to your body that could potentially bring a health risk with it, the best advice to follow is to consult your family GP. This will ensure that you are at last properly informed about what you can expect. From then on it should be a matter of practicing a sensible care regimen to keep your piercing infection-free.
By Deegee

The Potential Risks Of A Tattoo

The majority of tattoos are applied without any problem, but there are some that result in a less than desirable outcome. For this reason, the potential risks associated with getting a tattoo cannot be overlooked. Unsanitary equipment is the main concern that most individuals face when getting a tattoo. The potential for contracting a disease is high with equipment that is not properly cleaned after each use. In addition, tattoos can often result in a skin infection if either the equipment used to create the tattoo is dirty or if the individual does not properly care for the area following a tattoo's application.

If excessive redness, swelling or pain around the area of the tattoo develops, a licensed physician will need to inspect the tattoo in order to determine whether or not it is infected. Common treatments may include medication, but an infection that has gotten extremely bad may require that the patient be hospitalized. In addition to the obvious concerns that may arise immediately, a physician may again be needed later on if the patient ever decides to have that tattoo removed. Surgery is the only way to completely remove a tattoo and, as with any type of surgery, this carries additional risks.

If an individual decides to remove his/her tattoo, the procedure may be either an out-patient process or one that requires a minimal hospital stay. The ultimate determination will be made by a physician, who will consider the patient's overall health and the likelihood of developing any type of infection. In addition, patients who experience complications during surgery or a possible allergic reaction to medication will likely be admitted to the hospital for further observation.

The next risk associated with tattoos is not so much one of health, but of appearance. If a tattoo is done by an amateur or simply not done well, it's appearance may be ruined. At the same time, if a tattoo is every removed, there is a great possibility that a visible scar will remain. While it is true that most scars become less noticeable in time, they never completely go away and will forever be a reminder of the tattoo that was once there.

Just as with every decision in life, there are pluses and minuses to every ordeal. If you are considering a tattoo, take a moment to carefully think about why you want the tattoo, how you will feel about it 10 years from now and whether or not the tattoo is for you or for someone else. When making a permanent marking on your body, you should do so only because you want to and not because anyone else wants or expects you to.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Before deciding on getting a tattoo or having one removed, the patient must consult a licensed medical doctor for medical advice and/or to determine the best course of action for his/her individual health care needs.
By Cristi

Tips to Choose the Right Tattoo for You

Tattoos are a very popular way to express individuality and creativity now-a-days. It is also a very permanent and serious event, so you are going to want to choose something that you will like for the rest of your life. But here comes the big question.. How do you choose what tattoo to get?

To start, you should pick a tattoo that is unique to you, expresses your individuality, and has a special meaning in your life. By doing this, it will have a greater significance, and it won't be a hasty decision that you are going to regret in the end. Pick something that you are going to be proud of for many years to come. Many people just pick a tattoo and wing it. This is NOT the way to go. It takes a lot of time and searching to find something that is the perfect image for you.

I suggest that you should look through tattoo databases such as Chopper Tattoo, Tattoo Me Now, Target Tattoos, and Infinite Tattoos. They will show you a great variety of tattoos so you can choose a good one for you. All you have to do is select one, take it to your tattoo artist, and of course, get inked.

You could also design your own tattoo, or expand on tattoos that can be found in the above databases. This gives you a chance to perfect, craft, and use your imagination to conjure up your own creation, or expand on one, and watch it evolve it into an amazing masterpiece that no one else in the world will have. This therefore, makes it unique to you. Which in the end, makes it the right tattoo for you.

Choose something that you are very passionate about. Whether it be a hobby, a loved one, a tattoo in memory of a loved one, a gift or talent that you may possess, or something that has always just caught your eye. For instance, it may be a flower you have always liked.. a tribal or celtic design.. a religious symbol.. just about anything really. There are so many things to choose from, it's truly is quite hard to pick.

Now where should you get this fabulous tattoo? Well, I would say just about anywhere. If you work in a very professional environment, I suggest having it somewhere where it is well hidden. Many workplaces have strict guidelines against visible tattoos, and if you are looking for a job and your future employers are seeing your tattoos more than they see you, this can be a very big problem, and could result in you not getting hired for the job. So I would choose a place quite inconspicuous. Unless you are in a rock band of some sort.. Then I don't think it really matters. But on a more serious note, I do suggest placing your tattoo somewhere tasteful.

Next, you must decide whether or not it is going to be in color, all black, or gray. Color tattoos are relatively more expensive than black or gray. Also depending on the size, and place where you are getting your tattoo, it could become a lot more costly than you would think. You should bring your tattoo design to an artist and get a quote for how much that it is going to cost so that you don't get any unpleasant surprises when you go to pay for your tattoo. Keep in mind that certain colors fade faster than others and you will want to ask your artist about this before you get the work done.

Now you need to decide which artist is going to do your tattoo! Be sure to check out a portfolio of their works to see how skilled they are, and in what area. Some artists specialize in certain types of tattoo art, such as naturalistic/realistic tattoos(portraits, etc), abstract (tribal, celtic, etc), dedications (hearts, names, etc), cartoons, and many more. Some may do many, or all of these things. So be sure to look into your artist before getting your tattoo.

So all in all, this is how you should go about finding the right tattoo for you. Just remember to pick something that is special and unique to you by choosing a design from online databases, magazines, or by creating your own design. Find a tasteful and appropriate place to position your tattoo so that it won't interfere with work, or applying for a job position. Choose whether you want your tattoo black, gray, or coloured, and be sure to pick colors that won't fade. Pick a good tattoo artist that specializes in the type of tattoo that you want. And that's it! Good luck on your tattoo experience, I hope I was of great help to you.
By Kristen

Tips to Remove A Tattoo Effectively

In this article we’ll examine how different tattoo removal
options are used to help people at all ages to remove tattoos from their bodies they no longer appreciate. One of the many reasons for people to remove tattoos is to get rid of something they don’t want to remember, for example a person’s name when the love is over.

What is a tattoo? Tattoo is made on the body by burying color pigments inside the skin’s surface. Since it is embedded inside the dermal layers, tattoo can’t be easily destroyed even though with severe burn. Tattoos are built to last forever. Removing them is very difficult and expansive. So, how to remove a tattoo and what are the available tattoo removal options?

Here are a few common methods on how to remove a tattoo:

1. Remove tattoo with micro dermabrasion: Micro skin dermabrasion method is a sand blasting process that sprays fine abrasive oxide across tattoo areas in order to remove the outer and middle skin layers that hold the tattoo pigments. The body will replace the injured skin surface with new and healthy cells. Some dermabrasion instruments are in the form of polishing wheels to "sand off" the tattoo skin layers. The pain during this procedure is within bearable limits.

2. Remove tattoo through freezing (cryosurgery) method: A localized frostbite is created at tattoo areas through freezing of the skin surface with liquid nitrogen spray. The frostbite with tattoo pigmentation will peel off in the next 3 to 4 weeks after the treatment. Scars may develop with this method.

3. Remove tattoo with chemical peels: Chemical solution and sometimes acid is used to etch away the outer skin layers gradually until the dermal layer with tattoo pigmentation is reached.

4. Remove tattoo with excision: Excision surgery is only suitable for small tattoos. For large tattoos, several treatments are usually required together with a skin graft to cover up the skin. Excision involves a local anesthetic to numb the tattoo areas, and dermal layers with tattoo pigments are cut out of the skin. This method leaves a scar behind.

5. Laser tattoo removal: Laser surgery is the most effective tattoo removal options and has least damage to the skin. The laser beam can be selectively set up to remove tattoo pigmentation without harming the surrounding skin. The healing duration is much shorter with laser surgery except the treatment cost is very high.
By Steve

Risks of Tattoos During Pregnancy

It is very unlikely that you will find a tattooist who will be willing to perform a tattoo for you if you are pregnant. I contacted a number of tattooists while researching this subject, and all of them said they would not perform a tattoo if the client was pregnant. They gave a variety of reasons for this.

It is not unusual for people having a tattoo to faint or pass out. The tattooists felt that they were not prepared to take the risk of a pregnant woman fainting.

Several tattooists commented that they believed the action of having a tattoo may prove so shocking that it may lead the woman to go into labour! There is some evidence that stressful events in pregnancy may result in premature labour but having a tattoo has not been identified as one of these significantly stressful life events in any literature available to midwives. Interestingly there were comments about the ink that was used during the tattooing process. The tattooists felt that there wasn't enough known about any possible effects the ink, which may be partly absorbed into the body, may possibly have on the baby.

It therefore seems sensible to err on the side of caution and wait to have a tattoo until after the baby is born, rather than take any unnecessary risks during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the way a woman feels about her body and her body image is altered. Something you may feel you would like to have during pregnancy may be something you regret after the baby is born. This may be another good reason for waiting until after the birth.

If you have a tattoo during pregnancy on skin that has been stretched, or you have put on a considerable amount of weight, bear in mind that the appearance of the tattoo may change after the baby is born. This is another reason for waiting.

If you are determined to have a tattoo in pregnancy despite the advice above, make sure that you choose a practitioner who uses disposable needles and whose equipment is scrupulously clean and has been sterilised properly. If unclean equipment is used, there is a real possibility of catching a serious infection, including Hepatitis B, which could have significant effects on you and your baby.
By Karen Bates