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A Shocking Expose of the 12 Biggest Scams,

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Diet, Supplement and Weight Loss Industries!

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Lifetime-Natural Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer, Nutritionist and Success Coach From New Jersey Teaches You How to Turbo-Charge Your Metabolism, Gain Muscle, Burn Off Body Fat and Develop Unstoppable Motivation ... Guaranteed! Discover How He's Taught Thousands of People to Get Leaner Faster Than They Ever Thought Possible!

Even if You Have Less-than Average Genetics... Even If You've Never Succeeded at Losing Weight Before... Even If You Have Stubborn Fat Deposits That Don't Seem To Budge... Right Here on This Web Page You've Found The Fat Loss Success System You've Been Looking For!

Dear Friend,

You're about to discover what might be the most powerful fat loss system ever developed. It's the same diet program fitness models and bodybuilders use to reach single digit body fat levels and achieve rock-hard muscle definition that makes them look like walking anatomy charts.

My name is Tom Venuto and over the past 14 years, through a long and painstaking process of trial, error and experimentation, I've developed a sure-fire, 100% guaranteed system for losing body fat based on the little-known nutrition secrets of competitive natural bodybuilders and fitness models.

If you would like to learn how to lose body fat permanently... even in your mushiest spots... without drugs, without supplements and without screwing up your metabolism, then this will be the most important web page you will ever read. I guarantee it and I've got the results to prove it!

When I started Tom's Burn The Fat diet program in January, I weighed 317 pounds. As of Dec. 1st, I weigh 226 lbs. 91 pounds of fat gone forever is a pretty cool thing! And by the way... I turned 40 this year, so if anyone out there is thinking that you are "too old" - think again.

Chris Brooke,

Marietta, GA

When I started the program in September, I was 248 pounds with 24% bodyfat. With Tom's information, I have been able to lose 43 pounds - all of it fat. My Body fat is now 12%. I also no longer spend $400 a month on supplements.

Jerry McBride,

Philadelphia, PA

I bought Burn The Fat last October and I'm now so low in body fat you can see the striations. I've often been lean in the past, but never like this. This is Brad Pitt in Fight Club low! I have a hip-bone skinfold pinch of 2.0 mm, which on the accumeasure chart = 4.5% body fat. I couldn't be more pleased.

David Samuel

London, UK

I started the program at 254 lbs and 36% body fat. I am now down to 214 lbs and 22% bodyfat, so I have lost 44 lbs of fat and gained 5 lbs of lean body mass. "

Dave Mullen,

Gibsonia, PA

Thank God for your program because I've only been on it for just over a week and I'm already seeing results. I'm fitting into pants that I couldn't get into a 7 days ago. It's a wonderful thing to finally find something that works. "

Tracy Heptin,

USA

Burn The Fat Feed the Muscle (BFFM) has changed my life. I have lost 3 dress sizes in 4 months and feel better than ever before. I now have my husband on the program. If we can do it with 4 kids and full time jobs -- anyone can.

Lynn Ramirez,

California, USA

I like the nutrition program because I can customize it to my liking. I never get bored.

Joanna Crowe,

B.C., Canada

What Makes This Fat Burning Breakthrough So Exciting is

That it Gives You The Power To...

Lose fat permanently. It's a fact - 95% of the people who go on conventional diets gain all the weight back and sometimes they end up fatter than when they started. Now you can learn how to be in the successful 5% group that keeps it off forever.

Lose body fat without wrecking your metabolism. If you've ever started a diet, then smashed into the dreaded "plateau," it's probably because you cannibalized your own muscle and slowed down your metabolism. Not only will this system teach you the only way to prevent your metabolism from crashing, you will also learn more than a dozen ways to fire up your "metabolic engine" and accelerate your body's natural rate of calorie-burning.

Lose fat without drugs. When you mention bodybuilders, some people think of steroids or fat burning drugs. It's sad but true - most pro bodybuilders take them. But the joke's on them. Drugs work, but the results are temporary and the side effects are nasty. The tiny handful of natural bodybuilders who have learned how to use training and nutrition science to alter body composition without drugs are the only people in the world who keep their fat loss and muscle gains permanently. Now you can learn these fat burning secrets from a natural bodybuilding champion who knows from real-world experience exactly how it's done.

Lose fat without supplements. 97% of all supplements are a total waste of money! You are being lied to and ripped off by crooked companies that don't give a rat's ass about your health and well-being. If you want to learn the ugly truth about the $13 billion per year supplement industry, and the $40 billion per year weight loss industry, then read every word of this report because it could save you thousands of your hard-earned dollars!

Who I Am And Why You Should Listen to Me

There are thousands of diet programs and dozens of people claiming to be experts. However, very few of these so-called "Fat loss experts" practice what they preach or have the credentials and track record to back up their claims. Since you're probably wondering how this program is different, here's the whole story:

I've been bodybuilding for 23 years and competing for 17 years. I've been involved in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, health club manager, nutritionist, motivation coach and freelance writer for nearly 18 years. Bodybuilding and fitness is my life - it's all I've ever done.

"Tom Venuto, in my opinion, is the leading, VERY BEST fitness expert and author of our time and much of my and our client's success are due to his teachings. He and his fat loss system are on the cutting edge of science and don't miss a nutritional tip, trick, secret, or strategy in achieving amazing results. What's more, they are offered in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow format.

Chad Tackett, BS, CPT

President/CEO

Global-Fitness.com

chad @ global-fitness.com

You may have seen my photos or articles in some of the magazines or on the Internet: I've been in IRONMAN, Muscular Development, Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness, Olympian's News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and Men's Exercise. I've written over 190 articles on bodybuilding, fat loss and fitness and you can find my articles featured on dozens of websites worldwide including Bodybuilding.com, Female Muscle.com, About.com, Lee Labrada's Lean Body Coaching Club, Will Brink's Muscle Building Nutrition.com, Global Health & Fitness.com, A to Z Fitness.com, and too many others to mention.

I have a BSc. degree in exercise science, I'm a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT). I'm a member of the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength And Conditioning Association (NSCA). I'm a competitive bodybuilder and I've won three state and three regional championships. I've even gone as far as 2nd place in the Mr. Natural USA and 2nd in the Mr. Natural North America contests.

One more thing - and this is important - I'm a "lifetime natural" bodybuilder. "Natural" means I've never used steroids or any other banned or illegal physique enhancing drugs - ever! You can achieve AMAZING results on this program without ever taking drugs - and I'm living proof!

14 Years of Study, Research, Trial, Error and Experimentation

I've spent my entire life studying bodybuilding, fitness and nutrition. Ever since I was a teenager, I wanted to know everything there was to know about getting leaner and more muscular - I've been absolutely consumed by it. So I started studying - and hard! I was voracious! I bought every book on bodybuilding, weight training, aerobics, fitness, exercise physiology, dieting, fat loss and nutrition that I could get my hands on.

When I was in college studying exercise science, I would spend hours at the University library. I would take home stacks of journals about physiology and nutritional biochemistry and study every word. At one point, I had saved up over 1000 fitness and muscle magazines and had read every one of them from cover to cover - even the advertisements! My library quickly grew to over 450 health and fitness books and I had read every word almost to the point of memorizing them.

Then, I Turned Myself Into a Human Guinea Pig!

Book knowledge is one thing, but it's not the same as knowledge from experience. I didn't just want my brain stuffed with scientific facts, figures and theories; I wanted to experience the effects firsthand. Personal experience is the only true teacher, and believe me...

I Tried Everything!

I tried a high carbohydrate diet with practically ZERO fat. I tried the Zone and Isometric diets. I tried food combining. I tried food separating. I tried high protein and "ketogenic" diets including the tuna fish and water diet. I tried the cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) and body opus. I even tried - get a load of this - the so-called "anabolic" high fat diet (no pancakes, bagels or toast were allowed, but bacon, sausage and whole eggs in butter were just fine.)

And then there was my experiment with the "high egg hormone precursor diet" from a famous late bodybuilding guru from Hollywood. Yes, I ate three dozen WHOLE eggs a day, every day for months on end (and sometimes I washed them down raw mixed with half and half - I kid you not!) I also tried - or shall I say, wasted my money on - virtually every supplement from Amino acids to Zinc. Believe me, I've tried it all!

Now, 14 Years and Thousands of Diligent Work Hours Later,

I Made Some Amazing - and Some Appalling - Discoveries

The first thing I discovered was that almost everyone is getting ripped off by supplement companies. I learned that most magazines are nothing more than "supplement catalogs" and that dishonest companies will tell you anything to make a fast buck.

The diet and supplement industries are filled with corrupt marketing vultures that are getting rich by preying on your fears, hopes and aspirations. Unfortunately, there's been no way of protecting yourself from becoming a victim of these ruthless scam artists - until now.

The second thing I discovered is that almost everyone is dead wrong in the way they diet to lose body fat. In fact, the way you're dieting to lose weight might be severely damaging your metabolism.

Is Your Diet Burning Fat or Making You FATTER?

If you're making the same deadly diet mistakes as most other people, you might lose some weight temporarily, but you'll actually get fatter in the long run. Your body is just way too smart for these "ordinary" diets to ever work - you can't fool a metabolic and hormonal system that's the result of thousands of years of evolution - You have to work with your metabolism, not against it!

When I finally figured out what was going on in the weight loss and supplement industries, I was mad as hell, and I decided I had to do something about it: I poured everything out of my head onto paper and began coaching people using this proprietary new fat loss system I developed.

Now, for the first time ever, the same fat burning system that has helped hundreds of my personal coaching graduates slash their body fat literally in half is available to you in a single, information packed, 337 page e-book:"

Introducing "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle": A Complete Fat Burning System Based on The Secret Techniques of The World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models

"Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" (BFFM) is a 337 page fat burning success manual in downloadable e-book format, jam-packed cover to cover with all the fat loss methods previously known by only a small handful of the worlds best fitness models and bodybuilders. This program contains all the information you'll ever need to help you melt away body fat permanently without muscle loss and without using drugs or unnecessary supplements.

Here's just a small sample of what you'll learn when you download your copy of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle today:

Why there's so much conflicting advice on training and nutrition - and how you can save money by learning to instantly recognize marketing hype, false advertising, phony weight loss claims and B.S.

Why 95% of all diets fail...and the exact, detailed steps you must take to be in the successful 5% (and stay there!)

Why it's physiologically impossible for conventional diets to ever work ...unless you know this one simple, but amazingly effective trick! It's a metabolism-saver for chronic dieters and it's one of the first things I would teach you if you were one of my personal coaching proteges

The top twelve worst foods you should never eat

The top twelve best foods you should eat all the time

How to break through any fat loss plateau - even if you've been stuck at the same weight for years! 10 fool-proof methods that work like magic every time.

Why dieting below your critical calorie level can cause serious damage to your metabolism and actually make you fatter! (and how to know when you're in the danger zone)...also, the precise calculations for your optimal calorie level (it's different for everyone - copy someone else and you'll fail)

Why eating certain "good" fats can actually speed up fat loss and increase your energy levels... and precisely how much of them you need for optimal effects (it's a fine line... eating too much fat really IS bad for you and really DOES turn into body fat!)

Why this one group of foods will almost never be stored as body fat (also...how to take maximum advantage of other "negative calorie foods")

How to crank up your metabolism and turn your body into a food-incinerating, fat-melting human blast furnace! Easy metabolism-boosting techniques revealed!

How food manufacturers are getting away with murder by lying to you on nutrition labels...Learn the TWO crucial places you must look on a food label to make sure the wool's not being pulled over your eyes! (one of them is almost always ignored)

Why counting total grams of fat is an antiquated weight loss technique...and what you should do instead

How to eat 50% more calories without storing an ounce as fat - It's true - you can actually eat more food while losing more fat using this simple, but often overlooked strategy!

The #1 reason why most people can't drop the last 10 -20 lbs of ab flab and how you can lose it with ease...and (if you want to), go even further and get hyper-ripped and rock-hard like a bodybuilder or fitness model

Important lessons you can learn from the Zone and Atkins diet...including the reasons why most people fail on both of these diets in the long run

What the supplement companies hope you never find out about powdered and liquid meal replacements drinks

A simple method to increase the fat burning effects of your cardio workout by up to 300%

The bodybuilder's secret fat burning weapon (this is why the lean bodybuilders keep getting leaner the way the rich keep getting richer!)

The one food combination that you should Never, Ever eat - break this rule and you're guaranteed to pack on lumps of ugly fat so fast you'll wonder what hit you! (and everybody's doing it!)

Which body type classification you are and how to eat right for your body type (if you're eating wrong for your body type you can forget about losing any body fat no matter how hard you train or how strictly you diet)

The cardinal sin of nutrition almost everyone is guilty of, which causes your muscle to shrink right before your eyes, while also slowing down your thyroid and decreasing your metabolic rate.

How to boost your energy levels higher than you ever thought possible - almost instantly! (you'll notice the difference the very first day)

The #1 most effective way to burn body fat ever (If you could only make one change to your current diet program, this would be it!)

Dozens of the best-kept fat loss secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models that almost NOBODY knows about...compiled by a 14-year, rare study of the most "ripped"athletes on earth

Why certain group exercise classes and athletic activities are not effective fat burners (if you're taking classes and not seeing results - you need to know this!)

The three critical factors that determine whether you'll lose muscle while dieting...and how the slightest nutritional "tweak" can guarantee you keep every ounce of precious lean body mass while you're dieting

A quick test to determine your true ideal weight (and it's NOT Body mass index!)

Why some people always seem to gain back the fat they've lost and how to GUARANTEE you keep it off for good

The single most important thing you must do before you even set foot in a gym or start any fat loss program...(it's more important than any diet, training routine, supplement, or drug known to mankind!)

7 strategies to make sure your body never goes into "starvation mode" and the one thing you must do immediately if you suspect it's already happened to you

What to do when you've tried everything and the stubborn fat still won't come off (this is one of the little-known tactics bodybuilders and fitness models use in the final weeks before competitions)

Why you'll never get the whole truth about supplements from any magazine (Even if they wanted to tell you, this is why they CAN'T!)

Secrets of meal frequency and timing that will amplify your body's natural rate of calorie-burning (There's a lot more to it than just eating small, frequent meals)

How to get your body burning fat around the clock - even while you're sleeping!

The "overlooked" nutrient that can instantly boost your muscle contractile strength by 10-15%, increase your capacity for prolonged aerobic exercise by an average of 25% and stimulate your cellular machinery to burn fat for fuel more efficiently.

Why this "almost magical" combination of three types of food will boost your metabolism for maximum fat loss, increase lean body mass and send your energy levels skyrocketing!

Why you will almost ALWAYS fail to keep the fat off permanently if you use a conventional low carbohydrate diet - If you've failed on low carb diets before (especially diets that put you in ketosis), this is the reason why!

How a "unique new spin" on the old low carb diet can increase your rate of fat loss to the maximum possible without muscle loss or metabolic downgrade

The truth about how much cardio you REALLY need to lose body fat and when you should do it for maximum impact

Everything you ever wanted to know about weight training for fat loss...including detailed answers to the 27 most frequently asked questions

Not one, but FOUR weight training programs designed to fit your schedule and experience level - plus a "conservative" routine for "time-crunched" people who can't train as often as they'd like to - YOU pick the routine you want; its all mapped out for you day by day

Fat-slashing cardio routines so effective that when you finish a 30 minute session, you can say "I am now leaner than I was a half hour ago!" (Yes, it works THAT quickly! You get results after every workout!)

The psychology of permanent fat loss...Goal setting and motivation tactics that program your subconscious mind for massive success...Follow this "secret mental training formula" and you'll be practically "hypnotized" into eating properly and working out consistently - Just imagine... no more "willpower" required! (these are the same techniques that NFL, NBA, MLB and Olympic champions pay sports psychologists hundreds of dollars an hour to learn.)

The psychological reason why most people sabotage themselves...just when their diets are beginning to work..and how to make sure this never happens to you!

And believe me.... this is just the beginning! Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is so much more than just an "e-book" - it's a complete system for sure-fire success - possibly the most comprehensive nutrition system for fat loss ever developed! No hype, no B.S., no gimmicks - just the FACTS you need to know to get lean NOW.

No Matter What Your Goals Are, You Can Start Using This Powerful System RIGHT NOW To Get Leaner Than You've Ever Been Before!

Of course, you may be saying to yourself, "Sure, Tom, maybe YOU can reach single digit body fat; maybe the genetically gifted bodybuilders and fitness stars can get paper-thin skin and razor-sharp muscle definition using all those "super-advanced techniques," but what about me?

That's a good question. The good news is; this fat burning system was designed by a bodybuilder, but it's not just for bodybuilders. In fact, 90% of my 600+ coaching protégés are "regular people": teachers, students, parents, business owners, musicians, accountants, financial planners and lawyers. They're busy people with social lives, careers and families. You don't have to live in the gym all day to get fantastic results with this system.

It doesn't matter what your goals are: Most of the principles are the same whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds; whether you want to be 13% body fat or 3% body fat; whether you want to compete in a bodybuilding or fitness show or you just want to look good in a shorts and a tank top.

Whatever your goals, when you finally decide to stop making the same mistakes that have been holding you back and you diligently begin applying the techniques in Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, you can literally choose any body you want:

1. The body of a competitive bodybuilder or fitness model

2. A lean and ripped body with "six pack abs," and nice muscle definition,

3. A fit and lean body with nice shape, and enough definition so you can see your abs and look good in a bathing suit.

4. Just look better than you do now.

I've been using your program for 1 month. I've dropped 8 lbs., 4 inches on my waist and 2% on my body fat. I still have a way to go but I can't believe how quick my stomach is shrinking. You can actually see that I work out now. This program kicks ass.

Matt Malena

So far I have lost 37 pounds following your "Burn The Fat" guidelines. I was a tight size 18 and am now a loose 12. I weighed 202 pounds and now weigh 165. I feel great and I don't feel deprived at all. I have changed my lifestyle and am thrilled with the results on every level. I am currently re-evaluating my goals because I BELIEVE I can do more than I ever thought possible.

Nena Nerhan

"Hey Tom, I just wanted to let you know that today I got my body fat tested using the Jackson-Pollack formula for skinfold, and ended up hitting 4% bodyfat!!!!!!!! Thank you for your guidance in your Burn The Fat manual, I feel like I owe you far more than I paid for the book. During this whole process, I became an ACE certified personal trainer and I've been trying to pass on some of your thoughts and motivation to my clients. Thank you!"

Eric Spring

Melville, NY

Tattooing has been a nearly ubiquitous human practice. The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, wore facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples, and in the Philippines, Borneo, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia and China. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular all over the world.

Contents [hide]

1 Terms

2 History

3 Purpose

4 Prevalence

5 Negative associations

5.1 Secular attitudes

5.2 Abrahamic religious prohibitions

6 Procedure

6.1 "Natural" tattoos

6.2 Dyes and pigments

6.3 Studio hygiene

6.4 Aftercare

6.5 Tattoo removal

7 Health risks

7.1 Infection

7.2 Allergic reactions

7.3 Tattoo Inks

8 Temporary tattoos

9 Forensics

10 References

10.1 Anthropological

10.2 Popular and artistic

10.3 Medical

11 See also

11.1 Tattoo types

Terms

Two abstract designsThe word "tattoo" is traced to the Samoan word tatau, meaning to mark or strike twice (the latter referring to traditional methods of applying the designs). Sailors traveling the Pacific who encountered Samoans, and who were fascinated by the Samoan tatau, mistakenly translated the word "tatau" into the modern tattoo. In Japanese the word used for traditional designs or those that are applied using traditional methods is irezumi ("insertion of ink"), while "tattoo" is used for non-Japanese designs.

Tattoo enthusiasts may refer to tattoos as tats, ink, art or work, and to tattooists as artists. The latter usage is gaining support, with mainstream art galleries holding exhibitions of tattoo designs and photographs of tattoos.

Tattoo designs that are mass-produced and sold to tattoo artists and studios and displayed in shop are known as flash.

History

Main article: History of tattooing

Tattooing has been a Eurasian practice at least since Neolithic times. Mummies bearing tattoos and dating from the end of the second millennium BCE have been discovered in Xinjiang, West China. Tattooing in Japan is thought to go back to the Paleolithic era, some ten thousand years ago. Various other cultures have had their own tattoo traditions, ranging from rubbing cuts and other wounds with ashes, to hand-pricking the skin to insert dyes.

Purpose

Religious themeTattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts.

Today, people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic, religious and magical reasons, and as a symbol of belonging to or identification with particular groups (see Criminal tattoos). Tattoos of favourite bands and football teams logo's are fairly common in the west. Some Maori still choose to wear intricate moko on their faces. In Cambodia and Thailand, the yantra tattoo is used for protection.

People have also been forcibly tattooed for a various reasons. The best known is the ka-tzetnik identification system for Jews in part of the concentration camps during the Holocaust. European sailors were known to tattoo the crucifixion on their backs to prevent flogging (since it was a crime to deface an image of Christ).

Tattoos are also placed on animals, though very rarely for decorative reasons. Pets, show animals, thoroughbred horses and livestock are sometimes tattooed with identification and other marks. Pet dogs and cats are often tattooed with a serial number (usually in the ear, or on the inner thigh) via which their owners can be identified. In Australia, the symbol F is tattooed in the ears of cats and dogs to indicate that they have been neutered. Also, animals are occasionally tattooed to prevent sunburn (on the nose, for example). Such tattoos are often performed by the veterinarian him or herself and in most cases, the animals are anaesthetized during the process. Branding is used for similar reasons and is often performed without anaesthesia, but is different from tattooing as no ink or dye is inserted during the process.

When used as a form of cosmetic surgery, tattooing includes permanent makeup, and hiding or neutralize skin discolorations. Permanent cosmetics are tattoos that enhance eyebrows, lips (liner or lipstick), eyes (shadow, mascara, liner), and even moles, usually with natural colors as the designs are intended to resemble makeup.

Prevalence

Tattoos have experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent decades in many parts of the world, particularly in North America, Japan, and Europe. The growth in tattoo culture has seen an influx of new artists into the industry, many of whom have technical and fine art training. Coupled with advancements in tattoo pigments and the ongoing refinement of the equipment used for tattooing, this has led to an improvement in the quality of tattoos being produced. Movie stars, models, popular musicians and sports figures are just some of the people in the public eye who are tattooed, which in turn has fueled the acceptance of tattoos. During the 2000s, the presence of tattoos became evident within pop culture, inspiring television shows such as A&E's Inked and TLC's Miami Ink.

Lower back tattoos are common among young womenIn many traditional cultures tattooing has also enjoyed a resurgence, partially in deference to cultural heritage. Historically, a decline in traditional tribal tattooing in Europe occurred with the spread of Christianity. A decline often occurred in other cultures following European efforts to convert aboriginal and indigenous people to Western religious and cultural practices that held tattooing to be a "pagan" or "heathen" activity. Within some traditional indigenous cultures, tattooing takes place within the context of a rite of passage between adolescence and adulthood.

A poll conducted online between July 14 and 20, 2003 (Harris 2003), found that 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo. The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (31%) and among Americans ages 25 to 29 years (36%) and 30 to 39 years (28%). Regionally, people living in the West (20%) were more likely to have tattoos. Democrats were more likely to have tattoos (18%) than Republicans (14%) and Independents (12%); approximately equal percentages of males (16%) and females (15%) have tattoos.

Negative associations

Secular attitudes

Some employers, especially in professional fields, still look down on tattoos or regard them as contributing to an unprofessional appearance. Tattoos can therefore impair a wearer's career prospects, particularly when inked on places not typically covered by clothing, such as the hands, neck or face. It is not unusual for tattoo artists to refuse to tattoo these very conspicuous areas.

In some cultures, tattoos still have negative associations despite their increasing popularity, and are generally associated with criminality in the public's mind; therefore those who choose to be tattooed in such countries usually keep their tattoos covered for fear of reprisal. For example, many businesses such as gyms, hot springs and recreational facilities in Japan still ban people with visible tattoos, in part because of their association in the popular imagination with the yakuza, or Japanese mafia. In Western cultures as well, some dress codes specify that tattoos must be covered.

According to popular belief, most triad members in Hong Kong have a tattoo of a black dragon on the left biceps and one of a white tiger on the right; in fact, many people in Hong Kong use "left a black dragon, right a white tiger" as a euphemism for a triad member. It is widely believed that one of the initiation rites in becoming a triad member is silently withstanding the pain of receiving a large tattoo in one sitting, usually performed in the traditional "hand-poked" style. One reason the Chinese associate tattoos with criminals is because historically criminals who were released from prison for minor crimes were given a tattoo on their face as a "warning sign" to other people.[citation needed]

In the United States many prisoners and criminal gangs use distinctive tattoos to indicate facts about their criminal behavior, prison sentences, and organizational affiliation. This cultural use of tattoos predates the widespread popularity of tattoos in the general population, so older people may still associate tattoos with criminality. At the same time, members of the U.S. military have an equally established and longstanding history of tattooing to indicate military units, battles, etc., and this association is also widespread among older Americans. Tattooing is also widespread in the British Armed Forces.

Tattoos can have additional negative associations for women; "tramp stamp" and other similarly derogatory slang phrases are sometimes used to describe a tattoo on a woman's lower back.

Abrahamic religious prohibitions

Main article: History of tattooing

Some followers of Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—feel that their religious doctrine proscribes or constrains tattoos among followers, or has other religious significances.

Procedure

Modern tattoo machine in use: here outfitted with a 5-needle setup, but number of needles depends on size and shading desiredSome tribal cultures traditionally created tattoos by cutting designs into the skin and rubbing the resulting wound with ink, ashes or other agents; some cultures continue this practice, which may be an adjunct to scarification. Some cultures create tattooed marks by hand-tapping the ink into the skin using sharpened sticks or animal bones or, in modern times, needles. Traditional Japanese tattoos (irezumi) are still "hand-poked," that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made and hand held tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel.

The most common method of tattooing in modern times is the electric tattoo machine, which inserts ink into the skin via a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar, which is attached to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 80 to 150 times a second.

The modern electric tattoo machine is far removed from the machine invented by Samuel O'Reilly in 1891. O'Reilly's machine was based on the rotary technology of the electric engraving device invented by Thomas Edison. Modern tattoo machines use electromagnetic coils. The first coil machine was patented by Thomas Riley in London, 1891 using a single coil. The first twin coil machine, the predecessor of the modern configuration, was invented by another Englishman, Alfred Charles South of London, in 1899.

"Natural" tattoos

According to George Orwell, workers in coal mines would develop characteristic tattoos owing to coal dust getting into wounds. This can also occur with substances like gunpowder. Similarly, a traumatic tattoo occurs when a substance such as asphalt is rubbed into a wound as the result of some kind of accident or trauma. These are particularly difficult to remove as they tend to be spread across several different layers of skin, and scarring or permanent discoloration is almost unavoidable depending on the location. In addition, tattooing of the gingiva from implantation of amalgam particles during dental filling placement and removal is possible and not uncommon.

Dyes and pigments

Adding color to an existing tattooA wide range of dyes and pigments can be used in tattoos, from inorganic materials like titanium dioxide and iron oxides to carbon black, azo dyes, and acridine, quinoline, phthalocyanine and naphthol derivates, dyes made from ash, and other mixtures.

Iron oxide pigments are used in greater extent in cosmetic tattooing. Many pigments were found to be used in a survey of professional tattooists. Recently, a blacklight-reactive tattoo ink using PMMA microcapsules has surfaced. The technical name is BIOMETRIX System-1000, and is marketed under the name "Chameleon Tattoo Ink".

Studio hygiene

The properly equipped tattoo studio will use biohazard containers for objects that have come into contact with blood or bodily fluids, sharps containers for old needles, and an autoclave for sterilizing tools. Studios are also required by law to have hot water.

A reputable tattooist will wash his or her hands before starting to tattoo a client, and between clients, as well as wear disposable latex gloves (a new pair for each client). He or she will refuse to tattoo minors without parental consent, (in some states it is illegal to tattoo a minor even with parental consent) as well as intoxicated people, people with contraindicated skin conditions, or those incapable of consent due to mental incapacity, and attempt to ensure that the customer is satisfied with and sure about the design before applying it. Moreover, she or he will open new, sterile needle packages in front of the client, and always use new, sterile or sterile disposable instruments and supplies, and fresh ink for each session (loaded into disposable containers which are discarded after each client).

Membership in professional organizations, or certificates of appreciation/achievement, generally require that an artist is aware of the latest trends in equipment and sterilization. However, many of the most notable tattooists do not belong to any association. While specific requirements vary between jurisdictions, many mandate formal training in bloodborne pathogens, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and cross contamination. A local department of health regulates tattoo studios in many jurisdictions.

Aftercare

Tattoo artists, and people with tattoos, vary widely in preferred methods of caring for new tattoos. Some artists recommend keeping a new tattoo wrapped for the first twenty-four hours, others suggest removing temporary bandaging after a few hours. Many western tattooists advise against allowing too much contact with water for the first few days or weeks; in Japan, in contrast, a new tattoo is often bathed in very hot water early and often.

General consensus for care advises against removing the scab that forms on a new tattoo and avoiding exposing tattoos to the sun for extended periods, which can contribute to fading. Various products may be recommended for application to the skin, ranging from those intended for the treatment of cuts, burns and scrapes, to petroleum jelly or lanolin. In recent years, specific commercial products have been developed for tattoo aftercare. In other cases, the client will be advised to use no products on a new tattoo.

Tattoo removal

While tattoos are considered permanent, it is possible, to varying degrees, to remove them. Complete removal, however, is often not possible, and the expense and pain of removing them typically will be greater than the expense and pain of applying them. Some jurisdictions will pay for the voluntary removal of gang tattoos.

Tattoo removal is most commonly performed using lasers that react with the ink in the tattoo, and break it down. The broken-down ink is then absorbed by the body. This technique often requires many repeated visits to remove even a small tattoo, and may result in permanent scarring.

A newer method of removal is by tattooing glycolic acid into the skin with a tattoo machine: the acid pushes the ink to the surface of the skin in the scab, which is later removed. This method purportedly scars less than laser techniques. Glycolic acid is also used for facial peels; when used for tattoo removal, a lower percentage mix is used.[citation needed]

Some wearers opt to cover an unwanted tattoo with a new tattoo. This is commonly known as a coverup or cover-up. An artfully done cover-up may render the old tattoo completely invisible, though this will depend largely on the size, style, colours and techniques used on the old tattoo. Some shops and artists use laser removal machines to break down and lighten undesired tattoos to make coverage with a new tattoo easier.

Overall, green-based ink is the most difficult to remove. Black ink is most readily broken down by the laser, and unprofessional tattoos done at home are the easiest ones to remove, due to the low quality of ink used, as well as the ineffective manner in which they were applied.

Health risks

Because it requires breaking the skin barrier, tattooing may carry health risks, including infection and allergic reactions. In the United States, for example, a person who receives a tattoo will generally be prohibited from donating blood for 12 months (FDA 2000).

Modern western tattooers reduce such risks by following universal precautions, working with single-use items, and sterilizing their equipment after each use. Many jurisdictions require that tattooists have bloodborne pathogen training, such as is provided through the Red Cross.

Infection

Since tattoo instruments come in contact with blood and bodily fluids, diseases may be transmitted if the instruments are used on more than one person without being sterilized. However, infection from tattooing in clean and modern tattoo studios employing single-use needles is rare. In amateur tattoos, such as those applied in prisons, however, there is an elevated risk of infection. To address this problem, a program was introduced in Canada as of the summer of 2005 that provides legal tattooing in prisons, both to reduce health risks and to provide inmates with a marketable skill. Inmates will be trained to staff and operate the tattoo parlors once six of them open successfully;[1] the program, however, was discontinued by the new Canadian government in 2006.[citation needed]

Infections that could be transmitted via the use of unsterilized tattoo equipment include surface infections of the skin, tetanus, staph, some forms of hepatitis, and HIV. No person in the United States is known to have contracted HIV via a commercially-applied tattooing process. Tetanus risk is prevented by having an up-to-date tetanus booster prior to being tattooed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that: no data exist in the United States indicating that persons with exposures to tattooing alone are at increased risk for HCV infection. In 2006, the CDC reported 3 clusters with 44 cases of methicillin-resistant staph infection traced to unlicensed tattooists (MMWR 55(24)).

Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions to tattoo pigments are uncommon except for certain brands of red and green. People who are sensitive or allergic to certain metals may react to pigments in the skin with swelling and/or itching, and/or oozing of clear fluid called sebum. Such reactions are quite rare, however, and most artists do recommend a patch test prior to tattooing.

There is also a small risk of anaphylactic shock (hypersensitive reaction) in those who are susceptible.

Tattoo Inks

Although the FDA technically requires premarket approval of inks; because of limited resources, it has not actually approved the use of any ink for tattoos.[citation needed] The first known study to characterize the composition of these inks was started in 2005 at Northern Arizona University (Finley-Jones and Wagner).

There has been concern expressed about the interaction between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures and tattoo inks, some of which contain trace metals. Allegedly, the magnetic fields produced by MRI machines could interact with these metal particles, potentially causing burns or distortions in the image. The television show MythBusters tested the theory, and concluded that there is no risk of interaction between tattoo inks and MRI.

However, research by Shellock and Crues reports adverse reactions to MRI and tattoos in a very small number of cases. Wagle and Smith also documented an isolated case of Tattoo-Induced Skin Burn During MR Imaging.

Temporary tattoos

Temporary tattoos are not really tattoos. Rather, they are a type of body sticker, like a decal. They are generally applied to the skin using water to temporarily transfer the design to the surface of the skin. Temporary tattoos are easily removed with soap and water or oil-based creams, and are intended to last only a few days.

Magician Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) claims in his book "Penn & Teller's How to Play in Traffic" that he had a special tattoo made on his arm that used no pigment (it was simply a needle). Penn states that the tattoo left a red scar that had a discenrable pattern, but would heal to near invisibility after five or six years.

Other forms of temporary "tattoos" are henna tattoos, also known as Mehndi, and the marks made by the stains of silver nitrate on the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Both methods, silver nitrate and henna, can take up to two weeks to fade from the skin.

Airbrush tattoos is another popular form of temporary tattoos. This process involves using a stencil design and blowing paint through the stencil onto the skin. This form of tattoo lasts approximately a week.

Forensics

Tattoos are sometimes utilized by forensic pathologists to help them identify burned, putrefied, or mutilated bodies. Tattoo pigment is deep enough in the skin that even severe burns will often not destroy a tattoo.

References

Anthropological

Comparative study about Ötzi's therapeutic tattoos (L. Renaut, 2004, French and English abstract)

PhD Thesis on body-marking in Antiquity (L. Renaut, 2004, French and English abstract)

Customizing the Body: The Art and Culture of Tattooing (C.R.Sanders, 1989, Temple University Press).

Marked for Life: Jews and Tattoos (Shaun Raviv, June 2006, Moment Magazine).

Popular and artistic

Harris Interactive. A Third of Americans With Tattoos Say They Make Them Feel More Sexy. The Harris Poll #58, October 8, 2003. Retrieved on August 22, 2006.

Ink: The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo Terisa Green, ISBN 0-451-21514-1

The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo Terisa Green, ISBN 0-7432-2329-2

Total Tattoo Book Amy Krakow, ISBN 0-446-67001-4

Medical

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC's Position on Tattooing and HCV Infection. Retrieved on June 12, 2006.

United States Food and Drug Administration. Tattoos and Permanent Makeup. CFSAN/Office of Cosmetics and Colors (2000; updated [2004, 2006]). Retrieved on June 12, 2006.

Haley Finley-Jones, Leslie D. Wagner, and Jani C. Ingram. In the flesh: Chemical characterization of tattoo inks. Northern Arizona University. Retrieved on June 13, 2006 ].

Haley R.W. and Fischer R.P., Commercial tattooing as a potential source of hepatitis C infection, Medicine, March 2000;80:134-151

Mayo Clinic. Tattoos and piercings: What to know beforehand. Mayo Clinc.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infections Among Tattoo Recipients --- Ohio, Kentucky, and Vermont, 2004--2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 55(24);677-679. Retrieved on June 23, 2006.

MR Safety and the American College of Radiology Shellock, F.G. and Crues, J.V. American Journal of Roentgenology White Paper

Tattoo-Induced Skin Burn During MR Imaging Wagle, W.A. and Smith, M. American Journal of Roentgenology: Article

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