People think celebrities have it all.  Millions of dollars for not really doing anything but standing around with blank looks on their faces, maybe they have to memorize a few lines of dialogue and walk from one spot to another.  The public adores them, and they get awesome gift baskets just for going to all of those stupid award shows that are filled with iPhones and $50 gift cards to the Black Angus Steakhouse (or maybe even Red Lobster if they are presenting a prestigious award).  Yes it seems like there is nothing celebrities don’t have.  In fact, the only thing that seems to be missing from their lives are collections of incredibly stupid tattoos.  Thankfully, there is a new crop of A-List celebrities taking steps to correct this, presumably so they can go out and eat a Bloomin’ Onion in peace. Rihanna Rihanna is arguably the biggest pop star going at the moment.  Because they both had big hits at the same time, she has drawn comparisons to Lady Gaga.  Unlike Lady Gaga though, Rihanna is pretty beautiful, and doesn’t look like a Frankenstein’s Monster assembled from leftover pieces found in the dumpster of a cut-rate plastic surgeon in Los Angeles.  She must have thought that this would slow down her meteoric rise to the top of the Billboard charts though, and she has attempted to correct this by getting a number of awful and incredibly stupid tattoos. The most recent were here jail-house style “Thug Life” tats across her knuckles, but the absolute worst could very well be a toss up between the stars that she has tattooed on the back of her neck, which are very reminiscent of the stars that some coked up girl from Eastern Europe thought it would be a good idea to have tattooed all over her face, or the ink on the side of her neck that reads simply “rebelle fleur.”  Now, there wouldn’t be too much wrong with that one aside from the fact that in French, adjectives are supposed to follow the nouns that are being modified.  So in order for it to translate as “Rebel Flower” which is what we can assume it is supposed to say, it should have been inked on as “fleur rebelle.” David Beckham David Beckham, the former Manchester United and current LA Galaxy superstar is quite possibly the luckiest man in the world.  Not only does he have millions and millions of dollars, he also has an incredibly hot wife who also has millions and millions of dollars, but now he also has his very own line of underwear.  It seems like everything in his life is coming up Beckham. This wasn’t always the case, though.  Before he had the majority of his body covered in intricately designed tattoos inked on by one of the premier tattoo artists in the UK, Louis Malloy, he had one incredibly stupid tattoo on his arm.  It was meant to be a tribute to his wife, and said “Victoria” in Sanskrit, but instead it said “Vihctoria.”  Is it any wonder he decided to cover it up with sleeves that didn’t have words written in a foreign language?

As soon as you leave the tattoo artist’s salon his or her work is completed and you have to take over responsibility for the care of your tattoo.  If this is a first tattoo you will naturally feel a little nervous but by following his/her advice you should not have any problems.  The aim is for the tattoo to heal completely with a result that pleases you and will give you pleasure for a long time to come. Simple Rules to Follow Your new tattoo will be bandaged when you first leave and you may be advised to leave it on for a few hours.  When the big moment comes to remove it, it’s best to be prepared with warm, (not hot water), a soft cloth and maybe a trusted friend!  And importantly you should be in a hygienic room. Gently wet the bandage with the warm water as this will help the bandage to be removed without any friction.  Once it is removed, carefully wash the tattooed area with soapy water, rinse and pat dry with the soft cloth.  Some tattoo artists recommend allowing the tattoo to be exposed for a few minutes before applying any ointment. Healing the Tattoo Your tattoo artist will have supplied or advised you on the necessary products to care for your tattoo.  Usually you will need an anti bacterial lotion which should be applied immediately, for example, Tattoo Goo, or Helix Gold.  You will apply this morning and night to keep the skin moistened to assist healing. It could be that you have been advised not to have a tattoo during the hottest part of the year, especially if you live in a hot climate.  The reason for this is simple as heat and intense light will cause you discomfort.  Salt water and sand getting onto your tattoo is bad news too as it will sting so keep away from the sea!  In fact, keeping water away from the tattoo for at least three or four days is essential. Resuming a Normal Hygiene Routine Taking a shower or having a bath for the first few days may be a little tricky as it’s best not to wet the tattoo too much.  You should inspect your tattoo as you continue to clean it with warm, soapy water and if there is discomfort or excessive irritation, consult your tattoo artist or seek medical advice.  Scabbing will begin within three or four days and when it does it’s essential not to pick or scratch the scabs!  If you do it can result in ink removal and cause more irritation.  At this stage the tattoo will look cloudy.  This is called ‘onion skin’ and is a perfectly normal part of the healing process.  As the skin returns to normal, the tattoo will become clear and bright. Shaving a New Tattoo The golden rule is not to shave until the skin is completely healed and you are confident that a razor will do no harm.  The cleaning and creaming procedure will be the same as for a hairless area. Following the above, simple routine will ensure a satisfying end result and you will be able to display your latest work of art within a short time.  Enjoy!

Many tattoo artists have a reputation for being slightly more creative than most people, and being able to visualise things that others would have difficulty with.  It could be called thinking out of the box, though in some cases the box doesn’t even picture, the thought process is that creative!  But it is this kind of inspired genius that can lead to some incredible artwork being produced on let’s face it, what is not the easiest canvas to work with. Many of the world’s iconic art masterpieces were created by inspired genius’ that also suffered from a touch of madness, whether that was in the form of depression or other mental illness, but however they managed to produce their works they left behind an artistic legacy that is inspiring a new genre of artists, tattoo artists.  Their life’s work will now live on in new and interesting ways through body art. Artistic Praise They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.  No matter what the original artistic masters were thinking when they created their master pieces, they could never have believed that it would be replicated as body art on generations of colourful individuals, hundreds of years down the line.  Artist works by Alfred Gockel (View Through A Window), Salvador Dali’s ‘Melting Clocks’ and ‘Elephants’ and Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ have all been successfully replicated on skin. Van Gogh’s style of painting lends itself well to tattooing as it is not about fluid lines and picture perfection.  Dali’s work is popular more because of its quirkiness and obscure subject matter than the style of painting.  Other artists whose work has made the transition include Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Rene Magritte and the old masters, Rafael and Michelangelo.  Pablo Picassos ‘Peace Dove’ is incredibly popular by people looking for a small yet poignant statement piece to wear. Statement Piece Though an ancient and long standing masterpiece represented in a tattoo may be seen by some as pretentious, in reality is there anything more suitable as a choice than such fabulous artwork as a statement piece?  Everyone looks for originality in the search for their own individuality, but the replication of an old master on your body shows a deeper appreciation of art in all its forms.  By choosing a piece that moves the heart, stimulates the mind or raises a smile you are giving yourself something more meaningful than a design selected from a chart on the wall in a tattoo parlour. Some tattoo artists may consider it an honour to replicate a classic piece of art work for you; others may ask if they can give it their own distinctive and artistic twist.  You may find that your new masterpiece tattoo attracts a lot of public attention; after all it shows people just how truly talented tattoo artists are in being able to recreate something so beautiful, distinctive and easily recognisable, regarded by many as one of the finest masterpieces in the world.