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Tattoos are no longer taboo
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Area may see its first studio in near future
BY JOSEPH A. SCOLARO
Journal Times
photo by Jim Slosiarek
Since the Mount Pleasant Town Board lifted its ordinance banning tattoo shops last month, at least one tattoo artist has spoken of opening up a studio.
``I think business will be booming," said Pete Johnson, otherwise known as Tattoo Pete, who plans to open up a tattoo shop inside McNeese Leatherworks, 2121 North Highway 31.
Racine, Mount Pleasant and other area communities had ordinances prohibiting tattooing studios.
The majority of the Mount Pleasant Town Board agreed that they had no choice but to lift their ordinance.
Town Chairman Thomas Melzer said the town can restrict the location of such shops through normal zoning ordinances.
``In essence, we will control placement as we would for any other business," Melzer said. ``This seemed to me just another business, and it should be treated as such."
Melzer said he has no tattoos.
The state licenses tattoo and body-piercing artists, and the state will monitor health-code compliance at shops, unless a local municipality agrees to work as the agent of the state.
Shane Scarbrough, director of environmental health for Racine, said at some point Racine's Health Department may seek to become an agent of code enforcement for tattoo and body-piercing parlors within city limits. In September, two men were interested in opening up a tattoo and body-piercing shop in Racine on State Street. Scarbrough said he hasn't heard anything from the men for at least a month.
The town board at first showed some resistance in giving in to the new state code. But after discussions with Johnson and the town's attorney, the board voted 4-1 to lift its ordinance banning tattoo studios.
Board member Sharman Turek was the one voting no.
``I just wasn't crazy about the whole thing," Turek said. ``Mount Pleasant isn't a large metropolitan area that needs a tattoo parlor."
Turek, who said she has no tattoos, said her son, a Marine, surprised her when he visited home and she discovered he had a tattoo a Marine Corps emblem on his upper arm. She did not approve.
Turek said she has concerns of health safety regarding tattoos. She said, despite what the state code calls for, such codes can easily be broken.
Regardless of laws and codes, there have been tattoo makers operating in the Racine area for years. There have been tattoo parties in private residences. Some people learn the art themselves.
``That's the problem where tattooing is illegal. It's being done anyway," said Ray Pearson, a member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists and owner of O.S. Bruner Agency, an insurance firm in Indianapolis which covers about 275 tattoo studios. ``Tattooing, done properly, following universal precautions, is as safe as any procedure done in the dentist or physician office."
Pearson said he is unaware of any studies which have documented how many people have tattoos, but he said there are millions of people with tattoos all around the world.
``It's millions, no question about that," he said. ``I know millionaires with tattoos. Catholic priests. Movie stars. Athletes. Attorneys. Judges. I don't think you can say it's a young thing, or a Generation X thing. It covers all ethnic and economic backgrounds.
``The desire for ink to modify your body is growing drastically. You can see that just in the growth of shops. It is becoming more socially acceptable."
Pearson said tattoos have been around for thousands of years. Modern techniques, if used, can make tattooing safe.
Tattooing uses needles, and a contaminated needle could spread diseases, such as hepatitis or AIDS. Pearson said there has never been a documented case of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, being transmitted through tattooing.
Tattoo equipment involves the use of a tube with a needle speedily moving up and down like a piston. The needles are solid. The ink is not injected but instead pushed into the skin. Like a fountain pen, a tattooist dips the needles into cups of ink.
Pearson said much of the equipment, such as the cups and ink, is thrown away after each customer to prevent mixing from person to person. The other equipment is sterilized in an autoclave. All surfaces in a tattoo shop should be sanitized after each use, he added.
Most studios will have minimum prices r tattoos, ranging from $35 to $50, Pearson said. A decent-sized tattoo could cost $75 or upwards to $150 or more. Large tattoos that could take hours usually are priced at an hourly rate, with an average hourly rate of $125.
There are three ways to remove a tattoo.
One is surgery, which can get complex based on the size of the tattoo. Surgery involves the removal of the painted skin. Scarring is possible, Pearson said.
Another method is peeling, in which the skin is peeled with either a mechanical or chemical method. Scarring is possible.
The third and most modern way is with lasers. The lasers can break down the ink molecules which, when small enough, are removed naturally by the body's cell defense system. This is the best chance to avoid scars.
If thinking about getting a tattoo, Pearson said a person should give it serious thought.
``Do not get a tattoo on the spur on the moment," he said. ``Don't do an impulse buy."
Pearson said a customer should always ask a tattoo artist about the studio's sterilization techniques, and to watch the artist work to make sure they are using those techniques, such as wearing gloves and wiping down services.
``If not, run away," he said. ``Ask. A reputable tattooist won't mind."
Pearson said reputable artists will not tattoo somebody who is drunk. And not only for ethical reasons. He said a drunk person is more likely to bleed during tattooing, which can wash out the ink.
As for body piercing, Pearson said the same health safety methods should be used. And if used, such studios can be safer than many ear-piercing shops, he said.
As for where tattoo studios will be allowed, Mount Pleasant Town Board member Joe Clementi said the town is considering changes to its zoning ordinances to specifically designate rules for siting tattoo and body-piercing shops.
Clementi, who said he does not have tattoos, at first opposed lifting Mount Pleasant's ban on tattoo shops.
``I'm not opposed to tattooing," Clementi said. ``I'm not in favor of tattooing. But we don't have a great deal of latitude in this. My position to lay it over was I wanted to be in better position to find out how we could control placement. Without any control, it could go into a house next door to you. We have the wheels in motion to set up the proper zoning to control the siting of parlors.
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