So, I had a conversation with a buddy of mine over the weekend regarding his opinion of tattoo culture and trends.  The one thing we came to agreement on was this trend of people falling love with star tats. Stars seem to be the most prominent and common type of tat out there. Stars of all sorts from Nautical stars to cosmic shooting stars. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s what mega-producer Pharrell Williams wrote on his blog when BBI discovered that he is in fact, going through a tattoo removal. It’s a well known fact that removing a tattoo via laser treatment is 10x more painful than actually getting inked. Pharrell’s reason for removing his sleeve is he’s that he is no longer enamored with his ink and wants all his body art removed. According to AllHipHop.com, Pharrell previously talked about going through the surgery, in which he explained that he was going to attempt to cultivate new skin cells and graft the new tissue over his tattoos.

“It’s going to be pricey, but f*** it, it’s worth it. I got fire on my arms! I’m a grown man,” he said in early 2008. “There’s an institute called the Wake Forest Institute in North Carolina for Regenerative Skin Treatment. It’s basically like getting a skin graft, but you’re not taking skin from your ass or your legs. These guys actually grow the skin for you.”

Even 50cent is going through laser removal to further pursure his acting career although, 50 is opting to leave his signature 50 piece on his back done by Mr. Cartoon himself.

“It cuts down on the amount of time I have to spend in makeup covering them up,” 50 Cent says about his decision, which he calls “an ongoing process.” Still, don’t expect him to rid himself of all the ink. His arms may be tattoo free, but 50’s vowed to keep a tattoo on his back. (People)

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When getting inked, you have some pretty significant decisions to make. Some people make their decisions based on a few factors such as: impulse, emotion, meaning, history, alcohol and believe it or not, some people actually do their research about the artwork they’re about to imprint on themselves. What a concept. Here are a few things to consider prior to getting your tattoo.

1. First ask yourself - “Is this tattoo a fad? Will it be out of style in a few years?”. This is rather important because just like fashion, many styles that are “hot” today will be dated and laughed at tomorrow. If everyone you know is getting the same style of tattoo, chances are it could be a fad. Try to find something unique and original that represents you versus getting the same style design that everyone else has for instance the generic #5  selection on the studio wall. You never want to be caught wearing the same shirt you bought at Target just to realize that the same person who just stepped into the same bar/club as you is rocking the same exact one. Awkward.

2. Don’t rush and sleep on your choices. What this means is that as soon as you find some good artwork for tattoo choices, relax and set them aside, forget about them for about a week or so. Revisit  them and see how you feel. You’d be surprised that some designs won’t feel as “awe-inspiring” as the day you discovered them. This is a great technique to use in order to determine if you really are finding a good, solid, tattoo design that will remain powerful to you over time.

3. Research, research..RESEARCH. They’re are plenty of resources online. You can find the latest styles as well as old school designs. People who choose do their due diligence to find their artwork, rarely have regrets over their decision.

Choose wisely and enjoy your new art.

This girl either has a demon that needs exorcising or just simply can’t tolerate the pain associated with getting inked. This is an oldie, but a goodie that would have even the likes of Linda Blair giving her props for this performance . For you viewers that are thinking of getting some work done but aren’t sure, this might just sway your decision ;)

Have you always wanted a tattoo but were afraid of the stigma it entails or what your boss at work would say?  With UV ink tattoos you can cover yourself in body art and no one would have a clue (unless you go cosmic bowling or raving with them).

UV tattoos or blacklight tattoos are tattoos made with a special ink that is visible under an ultraviolet light (blacklight). Depending upon the ink, they can be nearly invisible in non-UV environments, thus enabling you to maintain your Clark Kent appearance.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m a sports fan just like the next guy. I haven’t quite worked myself up to rocking a Laker flag on my truck quite yet, but I do love the team, been to a handful of games and even own a few jerseys and tees. This guy though, takes loyalty and being a fanatic to a whole new level. Kind of how in the movie “Taken” Liam Neeson’s character makes every dad in the world seem whimpy.

Enjoy the pics!

My favorite piece personally was the goatee

I have oftentimes thought of the word “loyalty” and it’s meaning. By definition, the word Loyalty, is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. Now we all can pretty much agree that athlete tattoos are not the most striking and awe-inspiring. See Kobe Bryant’s tat for example. I came across this story on TMZ and nearly shat myself because not only was it a attention-getting tattoo on a world famous athlete, but it’s one of the biggest contradictions in general. Lebron James whom is the self-anointed and proclaimed “King or Chosen One” has this wonderful vertical tattoo on his ribcage that reads…LOYALTY. Now, if you any of you have not heard or just don’t have any interest in the sports world, click here for the explanation of why this is somewhat amusing to me.

Lebron, note to you while you’re sunbathing in South Beach. That tat, is permanent.