2008 Woodie Awards
The history and evolution of tattoos
Piedmont students share their experiences of getting inked
by Rebekah Scruggs
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Connections
The art of tattooing has been around since the beginning of time. Many cultures around the world have used some sort of sharp tool to carve a permanent image onto their skin. It has only been a few centuries since a machine was created to make a tattoo.
The tattoo machine hasn't changed much since Samuel O'Reilly invented one in the late 1800s. According to howstuffworks.com, O'Reilly modeled the machine after Thomas Edison's autograph printer. The printer was a machine that engraved hard surfaces. O'Reilly modified his printer by changing the tube system in it. He also changed its rotary-driven electromagnetic oscillating unit to enable the tattoo machine to drive a needle.
A modern tattoo machine is made up of four basic components; a sterilized needle, a tube system to draw the ink to the needle, an electric motor and a foot pedal to control the vertical movement of the needle.
When you look at a tattoo, you're looking at the first layer of skin called the epidermis. What you don't know is that the tattoo isn't even there. It's in the second layer of the person's skin, called the dermis. Tattoos are in the second layer of skin because the cells are far more stable than the first layer. This way, the tattoo's ink will stay in place with minor fading, and can remain there forever.
A tattoo is a process of injecting ink into holes in your body; therefore, it's considered a wound. Sometimes the pain of getting a tattoo can be unbearable, but it depends on where you get it. Many students at Piedmont have had experience with the pain of getting a tattoo.
"My tattoo didn't really hurt," says Luke Story P. "I got mine on my forearm, so the worst part was the bleeding."
Infection and disease transmission are risks when getting a tattoo. Before the artists create a person's tattoo, they must take precautions. Artists always use sterilization, disposable materials, and hand sanitation to protect themselves and their clients.
The tattoo machine hasn't changed much since Samuel O'Reilly invented one in the late 1800s. According to howstuffworks.com, O'Reilly modeled the machine after Thomas Edison's autograph printer. The printer was a machine that engraved hard surfaces. O'Reilly modified his printer by changing the tube system in it. He also changed its rotary-driven electromagnetic oscillating unit to enable the tattoo machine to drive a needle.
A modern tattoo machine is made up of four basic components; a sterilized needle, a tube system to draw the ink to the needle, an electric motor and a foot pedal to control the vertical movement of the needle.
When you look at a tattoo, you're looking at the first layer of skin called the epidermis. What you don't know is that the tattoo isn't even there. It's in the second layer of the person's skin, called the dermis. Tattoos are in the second layer of skin because the cells are far more stable than the first layer. This way, the tattoo's ink will stay in place with minor fading, and can remain there forever.
A tattoo is a process of injecting ink into holes in your body; therefore, it's considered a wound. Sometimes the pain of getting a tattoo can be unbearable, but it depends on where you get it. Many students at Piedmont have had experience with the pain of getting a tattoo.
"My tattoo didn't really hurt," says Luke Story P. "I got mine on my forearm, so the worst part was the bleeding."
Infection and disease transmission are risks when getting a tattoo. Before the artists create a person's tattoo, they must take precautions. Artists always use sterilization, disposable materials, and hand sanitation to protect themselves and their clients.
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