It is said that “every body has its story”; these tattooed ones certainly do! By means of tattoos one can express not only this proverbial “wild streak” that, hopefully, is present in all of us but also many other emotions, also these far from being “wild”.

Chick Ink, a collection of 40 stories of tattoos and women who (proudly) wear them, takes us not only for an exciting journey through body art and personal stories behind the tattoos but also various backgrounds and perspectives of the women who decided to share their stories.

Those who have anything to do with such websites as BME and got used to the format of mod experiences shared both here and on other websites of this type will not find in this collection any detailed descriptions of the procedure of tattooing; pain factor is mentioned only briefly when a given author finds it appropriate to comment on; no information on the healing process and aftercare whatsoever. These are (even though very crucial!) mundane details; what really matters here is emotions and feelings behind all the stories.

They are told by women of various ages, from a freshman in college to a middle-aged woman to a grandma thinking “why not?”, and from various cultural and racial backgrounds. These are stories of liberation, self-acceptance and expressing the authors’ love for others; these are stories about the loss and about the gain; finally, these are stories of how both society and its members change over time.

By means of the stories collected in the book a reader can see that tattoos are (or should be) no longer associated with burly bikers with seemingly no feelings whatsoever. And even though the stereotypes are apparently still alive (they are repeated over and over again in the newspapers, people’s conversations, online comments), the fact is that these days tattoos serve to express much more than a clear signal “beware, I’m tough and dangerous”. In Chick Ink one can see how many feelings a simple picture in the skin can express – feeling of the loss and sorrow after a child who died way too early; feeling of the joy, commitment and courage to live with a loved person from now on; feeling of victory after losing excessive weight and finally accepting herself; feeling of sorrow and respect towards a relative who meant and did so much.

Even though all of us are fully aware of living in the 21st century, old habits and ways of thinking die hard, so no wonder that also in this book such old ways of thinking are mentioned and shown from the authors’ perspective. Many of the women who contributed their stories to the book had to deal with lack of acceptance for their decisions from their families; many of them had to hear harsh words regarding their decisions and face the anger of their significant others.

On the bright side, many of them also experienced the wonder of others “coming out” with their own tattoos and sharing their own stories. Apparently the status of tattoos is still ambiguous and on the verge of being “underground” – so many of us want to get them done, go for it and then prefer to keep them just for ourselves in fear of being unaccepted by others around us.

I have my own way of looking at books and usually divide them in “books to read only once” and “books good for multiple reads”. This one certainly belongs to the latter category. Some of these stories made me almost cry (for example, My Angel, a touching story of the loss of a child and coming to terms with it), some of them made me laugh out loud (Grandma Led The Way, a story about an octogenarian who shows that it is never too late to get some fun and approach life with humor); others made me think on how times change and yet how much depends on us to actually change them (Armaggedon and Elvis’ Hips). Finally, some of the stories are told from the perspective of a female tattoo artist, so a reader can get a hands-on perspective on the industry and see what is going on at the back of many tattoo shops.

As points of trivia, every few pages of the book one can read short notes about women important or influential in the tattoo world, a.o. Amy Brown whose fairies serve as inspiration for many tattoos, Lady Viola who worked side shows in the first decades of the 20th century or famous female tattoo artists.

Even though tattoos are a very visual form of art, there are no pictures of tattoos here. The focus is on the feelings and stories of the authors and maybe this is why our attention was drawn to this aspect of a tattoo experience only.

Chick Ink is certainly addressed to those of us who have some interest in body art, especially in tattoos but it also can be read and enjoyed by those who perceive tattoos as something exotic and definitely not for them. Since it contains stories of so many, so different women, it can also help overcome the bad stereotypes still associated with tattoos and maybe convince a reluctant parent that a new tattoo on their daughter’s body is not the end of the world yet.

Chick Ink, ed. by Karen L. Hudson, Adams Media Corporation 2007.

The practice of tattooing dates back to pre historic times as a form of permanent body adornment for individual expression, identity, rites of pas sage and, more recently, as a form of permanent cosmetic makeup for women.

Tattooing permanently the pigments into the skin to a depth of 1-2 mm, which will creates an imprint of a design. The design is either drawn free hand by the artist or more commonly follows a stenciled design that has been copied onto the skin prior to tattooing. Cosmetic tattooing may be used for eye lids and nipples.

The contemporary electric powered tattoo ma chine vibrates a cluster of fine needles several hundred times a minute creating a series of skin punctures. The solid needles impregnate pigment into the skin. Tattoo needles are soldered onto a long, move able shaft called the needle bar, which is placed into a stain less steel tube that serves as the “grip”. During tattooing, the needle bar (with mounted needles) protrudes from the end of the tube, driven by the needle bar post.

The number of needles on the needle bar varies depending on the effect desired: a single needle for fine out lining, three to four needles for thicker lines, and up to 14 needles for shading or dense deposits. The protruding needles are dipped into tattoo pigment that is poured into individual caps or cups for each client. The picture above shows a replica of the ancient tattoo needles.

Pigments used during tattooing may be purchased in liquid form, or the practitioner may prepare the product using chemically pure, non-toxic and non-sensitizing pigment powder and other ingredients according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Dyes and pigments containing mercury, e.g. cinnabar/vermilion/red mercuric oxide, are not permitted to be used in most countries. Pigments should be prepared in a hygienic manner.

The needles penetrate the outermost layer of skin (the epidermis) and reach the next layer (the dermis). During tattooing, excess pigment and blood is wiped away with tissue or paper towels. Tattooed skin heals in about two weeks. Immediately after tattooing, the skin swells slightly and a small amount of bloody to color less body fluid comes to the surface. The swelling lasts for a few hours, and then the skin is in flamed much like a sun burn.

Tattoos are permanent, although over many years colors fade and borders become less distinct. Tattoos may only be removed by special tattoo removal medical procedures, e.g. lasers, which are expensive and not always effective.

The tattooist uses a gun that’s about the same size as the drill a dentist would use. The number of needles it holds at one time depends on how much ink needs to be deposited to achieve the desired affect. Your skin has two layers: the dermis and the epidermis.

The epidermis is the surface layer, and the dermis is underneath. The ink is deposited about a millimeter under the skin in the dermis. Your tattooist will bandage his newest work of art before you leave his shop. Leave it wrapped up for at least 10 to 12 hours.

This protects it while the skin is its most vulnerable, and gives it time to properly scab over. Once the bandage is off, don’t cover your tattoo up again. Rebandaging can trap foreign particles such as dirt and lint under the gauze, irritating your skin increasing your chances for tattoo infection.

There are as many recommendations for tattoo lubrication as there are tattoo shops, but a few facts hold true. Petroleum-based products used to be the aftercare of choice, since it was inexpensive and could be found just about anywhere. It has since been discovered that they can take color out of your tattoo, and does nothing whatsoever to promote healing and stave off infection.

For a while, Neosporin was the favored alterative. It has antibiotic properties and preserved the color beautifully. However, some people developed small, red bumps on their new tattoos. The bumps generally healed without much problem, but they took some color with them when they went. Hoards of Neosporin users are walking around with spotted tats. Bacitracin is the big thing in tattoo aftercare right now.

It’s good for fighting infection and keeps the tattoo moist to keep the healing skin healthy. It’s not perfect; some people still have allergic reactions. There’s no one thing that will work perfectly for everyone. A&D Ointment or Micotracin are good alternatives. A&D is a great choice for people who don’t do well with antibiotic ointments. While it doesn’t have infection-fighting proprieties, it does have vitamins that promote healing.

Unless you’re prone to infection, keeping your tat clean should be enough. If your immune system is compromised for any reason, you don’t need to get a tattoo anyway. Wait until your back up to speed. Whatever your choice of ointment, use it frequently.

Don’t ever let your fresh tattoo dry out. Keeping the tat moist will keep your scabs from falling off too early. Eventually, the tattoo will develop a layer of dry skin over the top. Resist the urge to peel or scrub it off. That’s just another way to get it infected. Let it fall off naturally.