Part I: Tattoo Methods
In the tattoo world, there are various ways to get ink embedded in your skin. The Bay Area is home to many tattoo artists who use tattoo machines, a singular needle and ink, and perhaps even tools they created themselves. For some people, a tattoo starts in a shop. Or it begins in the comfort of someone's home.
"Having a new piece on your body, it just makes you feel, like I don't know, it's like a nice feeling to know that that's with you as long as you're with yourself."
The Number of Tattoos that People Have
Regardless of the method of tattooing they chose, here are the percentages of individuals with specific numbers of tattoos. A majority of people (60%) at least have one to three tattoos.
Tattoos have been on a rising trend of popularity, as people have been more inclined to continue to receive tattoos.
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Skin-Deep: More Than Just An Ink Culture.
Phenomenal Artisanal Tattoos
Tattoos are more than just an art form, for some its symbolic, to others ITS about expressing their individuality. culture tattooing such as mambabatok focuses both ancestral and spiritual practices.
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Tattoo Artists Average Wage Gap
Salary and Statistics
FINE ARTS-TATTOOING
According to the Bureau Labor Statistics report in 2008, California average mean for fine arts was
$66, 270.
GENDER
In the United States men dominate Tattoo industry. Pay scale rated tattoo artists by gender. At least 43 percent females practice tattooing , comparing to males, who racked at 57 percent.
BIG CITIES PAY
According Salary Experts, San Francisco Tattoo artists earn an average of $ 38, 930 a year. Pay scale reported Los Angeles Tattoo artists wage averaged at $36, 625.
Tattoo Shops in SF Bay Area
San Francisco's diverse tattoo community celebrates its unique passion for ink and body art, a sort of passion you only see in a select few major cities. Tattoo shops here are famous among tattoo enthusiasts and many Bay Area residents. Their popularity can be seen anywhere from their widely celebrated, artsy Instagram accounts to their custom ink designs adorning a large swath of Bay Area natives. Check out this map of SF tattoo shops to find your favorite.
Act Three: Tattoo's Black Sheep
While San Francisco's tattoo community is largely inclusive and welcoming, there lies a stigma around hand poked tattoos and those who do them.
Reports of Tattoo Infections + Diseases
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), there were 363 reports of adverse effects involving tattoos between 2004-2016.
A 2016 study by Deutsches Ärzteblatt International found that between 0.5 to 6 percent of adults who have a tattoo had infectious complications.
Types + Causes
Medical News Today reported that viral and bacterial infections associated with tattoo complications -- such as Staphylococcus aureus and Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) -- occur when the skin's barrier has been broken, allowing bacteria from contaminated ink or equipment to enter the body.
Treatment and Prevention
If you suspect you've developed an infection from a tattoo, the FDA recommends to contact your health care professional then notify your tattoo artist.
Medical News Today stated minor skin infections (more common than serious conditions) are often treated through routine antibiotics. The best way to prevent a tattoo-related infection is to "choose a licensed, reputable, tattoo artist and salon."
Produced and edited by
Cristabell Fierros, Megan Jimenez and Maci Martell