A leading forensic pathologist has urged families, especially those living in disaster-prone areas, to keep files on each member’s distinguishing marks such as scars, tattoos and moles, and have copies of fingerprints and dental records on hand to make identification easier in case tragedy strikes. Dr. Raquel del Rosario-Fortun of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine pathology department said the suggestion was prompted by the experience of a group of UP alumni who went to Iligan City last month to help find survivors of Tropical Storm “Sendong.”

Fortun said she was haunted by the photos of missing persons and the numerous corpses in varying states of decomposition awaiting identification that she saw in two funeral parlors. Had there been more detailed descriptions accompanying the photos, it was possible the authorities would have been able to make faster matches with the corpses, she said. Fortun, who joined Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum last week, was part of a five-woman forensic team that volunteered their services in Iligan City for three days.

“All details (on one’s body) can potentially help. You cannot anticipate (incidents like this). Once the bodies are fragmented and markedly decomposed, details found in soft tissues, like moles and tattoos, are the first to go,” she said. Other descriptions such as body piercings, height, weight, build and hair color can help. Even medical histories could provide vital leads. “Locations of fractures are significant, especially when the soft tissues (are gone). A healed fracture could give us clues, so could postoperative scars,” Fortun explained.

“Once a body is retrieved, a possible match could be made (more quickly). Even a person’s handedness could help. An anthropologist could help us determine even (left- or right-handedness) of a headless body. These details taken altogether (could), at least, give presumptive identification clues,” she said.
Geologist and geohazard expert Mahar Lagmay, another UP alumnus, said Fortun’s suggestions were applicable even to families not living in known disaster-risk areas. Lagmay said natural calamities had become so unpredictable that even those who believe they are out of harm’s way should take precautions. Fortun said “definitive” information such as fingerprints, dental records and DNA samples provided the best clues.

Fingers gone
However, as in the case of a family that brought along a missing relative’s NBI clearance that had his fingerprints, it would not be much help if the fingers had decomposed. Fortun also recalled the case of a family that showed a photo of a missing man with decayed front teeth and a large mole near his lower lip. “Obviously, since he had dental caries that were visible in photos, it could mean we could do away with dental records. But pictures of smiling people that show obvious facial characteristics are a big help,” she said. Fortun noted that children comprised a large number of the flood victims.
Newborn DNA

“Children usually do not have fingerprint records. This is where dental records can become crucial. Although now I think that with mandatory newborn screening, they have DNA records on file,” she said.
Fortun said the authorities retrieving cadavers should also record where and how the bodies were found.
“Those areas should be treated as crime scenes since they could provide vital clues. In the case of Iligan, it would have helped if those who retrieved the bodies also noted the flow of the water, where the bodies had come from and, if possible, how many kilometers from the communities the bodies were found,” she said.

Fortun noted that while the National Bureau of Investigation was involved in national disaster efforts, it seemed that it was not coordinating with the Philippine National Police in collecting details about missing persons. “Antemortem information would be useless if it cannot be compared with an examination of the dead. Here is where coordination comes in,” she said.

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Tattoos may be more common than ever, but individuals shouldn’t take tattooing lightly. It is important to know the risks and understand basic safety precautions and how to handle an area that has been freshly tattooed.

One can be the proud owner of a new tattoo in a matter of hours — but one shouldn’t let the ease of getting tattoos stop them from making a thoughtful decision about permanent body art.

How tattoos are done
A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin with pigments inserted through pricks into the skin’s top layer. Typically, the tattoo artist uses a hand-held machine that acts much like a sewing machine, with one or more needles piercing the skin repeatedly.

With every puncture, the needles insert tiny ink droplets. The process — which is done without anesthetics and may last up to several hours for a large tattoo — causes a small amount of bleeding and slight to potentially significant pain.

The risks
Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible. Specific risks include:

•    Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red dye — can cause allergic skin reactions, resulting in an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This may occur even years after a person gets a tattoo.

•    Skin infections. Tattoos can lead to local bacterial infections, characterized by redness, swelling, pain and pus-like drainage.

•    Other skin problems. Sometimes bumps called granulomas form around tattoo ink — especially red ink. Tattooing can also lead to raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue (keloids).

•    Bloodborne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various blood borne diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Tetanus and HIV — the virus that causes AIDS.

•    MRI complications. Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup may cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases — such as when a person with permanent eyeliner has an MRI of the eye — tattoo pigments may interfere with the quality of the image.

Medication or other treatment may be needed if a person develops an allergic reaction, infection, or other skin problem. In some cases, the tattoo may need to be removed. Keep in mind that tattoo inks are classified as cosmetics, so they aren’t regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Insist on safety precautions

To make sure a tattoo will be applied safely, ask these questions:

•    Who does the tattooing? Go to a reputable tattooing studio that employs only properly trained employees. Keep in mind that regulation requirements and licensing standards vary from state to state. Check with the city, county or state health department for information on local licensing and regulations.

•    Does the tattoo artist wear gloves? Make sure the tattoo artist washes his or her hands and wears a fresh pair of protective gloves for each procedure.

•    Does the tattoo artist use proper equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist removes a needle and tubes from sealed packages before beginning a procedure. Any pigments, trays and containers should be unused as well.

•    Does the tattoo artist sterilize non-disposable equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist uses a heat sterilization machine (autoclave) to sterilize all non-disposable equipment after each customer. Instruments and supplies that can’t be sterilized with an autoclave — including drawer handles, tables and sinks — should be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant or bleach solution after each use.

•    Consider whether you truly want to invest in permanent body art. Choose the location of the tattoo carefully. Don’t get a tattoo if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs or worry that you might regret the tattoo later.

Take good care of your tattoo

How to care for a new tattoo depends on the type and extent of work done. Typically, however, one needs to:

•    Remove the bandage after 24 hours and apply antibiotic ointment to the tattooed skin while it’s healing.

•    Keep the tattooed skin clean. Use plain soap and water and a gentle touch. Pat, don’t rub the area dry.

•    Use moisturizer. Apply a mild moisturizer to the tattooed skin several times a day.

•    Avoid sun exposure. Keep the tattooed area out of the sun for at least a few weeks.

•    Choose clothing carefully. Don’t wear anything that would stick to the tattoo.

•    Allow up to two weeks for healing. Don’t pick at any scabs, which increases the risk of infection and can damage the design and cause scarring.

If a person thinks their tattoo may be infected or is concerned that the tattoo isn’t healing properly, they should contact their doctor. Those interested in tattoo removal should ask a dermatologist about laser surgery or other options for tattoo removal.

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The scissors made sense. Tiffany Young is a stylist. Scissors are a big part of her life. So when her boyfriend, at a bar, met a guy who drew tattoos, and who said he'd do one for $20, Young, 26, pulled her hair up, bent her neck and pointed to a spot beneath her right ear.

"Here," she said. Want to guess how that went?

"He got creative on me," Young said. He added a comb, a pink circle thing and a ring of polka dots. "It was just way too big," Young said. "I hated it. I hated it right away."She hated him for doing it. That's the thing with tattoos: Of all the mistakes we make -- the epic benders, the breakups and all of the walks of shame -- only a tattoo is carried both in and on the skin.

It used to be a sailor's regret. Now it's a mom problem. Forty percent of Americans between 26 and 40 have at least one tattoo, according to the Pew Research Center. More than a few would like to have them removed. Laser treatments can break tattoo ink into tiny pieces, which flush through the immune system. Saltwater treatments can force ink to the skin's surface, where it scabs.

Both techniques are costly, and cause some pain. Young, who chose salt water, paid about $700 and needed at least six treatments. Her skin still looks different in that spot. Tattoos once were a mark of outlaw status: the teardrop on the prison con, or the skull on the biker's arm.

We're past that. Spend an afternoon at Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort, and you'll lose count of the dolphins, hearts, barbed wire and angel wings. Tattoo regret takes just as many shapes. Often, it's a breakup: a "Dustin forever" who just up and left.

"Names are huge," said Stephanie Miller. She offers saltwater treatments at her Erie clinic, Dermagraphics by Miller. She charges $100 per half-hour. She erases gang tattoos. She works on prison ink, which often is done with a needle and a Bic pen. Those are tricky, because the ink often is driven to different depths.

Every client has a story. "You do feel bad for them," Miller said. "They made a mistake, or they've changed, and they have to look at that every day."Some have lost jobs because of tattoo ink. Many businesses, including restaurants, still will not allow employees to have visible tattoos. The U.S. military and certain police units also have restrictions. "They're finding it difficult to get jobs, especially in this economy," Miller said.

Amber Rodriguez, 24, is in college now. Her next step is a Pennsylvania police academy. But there's a catch: To get a job as a state trooper or at the Transportation Security Administration, she has to lose at least two of her 20 tattoos.

Miller has been treating them with salt water. The process will take a full year, she said. Rodriguez drives from Oil City for the treatments. Part of her is sorry to see the ink go. "I wouldn't say I regret getting them," she said. "But most of the jobs I've been applying for would require me to at least cover up what's on my hands. And buying the makeup to do that is a lot more expensive than having them removed."

Miller started her machine. Rodriguez winced -- it hurt, even with the anesthetic -- and looked away. It's always awkward, watching the person you were fade.

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Juan Nunez is out to prove that tattoo parlors can be as wholesome as diners or bookstores. In January, Nunez will host his third annual Tattoo for a Cause expo at the Craneway Pavilion. Three dozen tattoo artists have signed up for booths at the event, which will also feature live music, food and boxing. All vendors will donate 25 percent of their profits to Children's Hospital Oakland. "It's hard for people to associate tattoos and hospitals, but we want to show that tattoo artists aren't all gangsters," said Nunez, who has run a tattoo parlor in Richmond for more than a decade. "We're just artists and we can give back like any other business."

Earlier this year, Nunez Tattoo won Mayor Gayle McLaughlin's monthly small-business award. McLaughlin said she has been impressed with the shop's health standards and commitment to giving back. "I like that he works with the county Health Department," she said. "It's so much better than thinking of having young people get tattoos in ways that could be dangerous."

Nunez also designs T-shirts for the Richmond Native American Health Center and volunteers on art projects with high school students. He is advertising the trade show, which drew 1,500 people last year, as a "family friendly event." Children younger than 12 get in free. One of the shop's employees said she hopes the expo becomes the county fair of Richmond.
McLaughlin is also supportive.

"It's a community event, with lots of people gathering and talking," she said. "They are a positive thing."
With tattoos going mainstream, the old stereotype of the seedy tattoo parlor is losing traction, Nunez said.
"I have directors of hospitals, police officers as clients," he said. "Last month, I had a lady, 75 years old, she got her first tattoo -- little flowers on her wrist."He sees himself and the artists signed up for this year's event as part of a movement to re-brand tattoo aficionados as socially responsible businessmen and artists.
"It used to be that only gangsters and bikers would get tattoos, but everyone gets them now," he said. "It's become about art."

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Florida tattoo artists will have to apply for state licenses next year - a new practice in a field some say is largely unregulated.

Legislation going into effect Sunday will require tattoo artists to take a course and pass a test on blood-borne pathogens. The Florida Department of Health has yet to select the approved courses, which will likely be offered online. The new law also forbids the tattooing of minors, except for children 16 or older with parental consent. Tattoo studios must maintain sanitary conditions, which the health department will check on at least once a year.

Studios that fail to meet the requirements can be subject to penalties such as $1,500 fines or stop-use orders. Anyone caught tattooing without a license or tattooing in an unlicensed establishment could face criminal charges.

Piper Rudich, owner of Art and Soul Tattoo in Fort Myers, said she doesn't see the point of the new legislation because it won't change the way reputable tattoo artists practice. Artists at her studio take exams on blood infections based on health department books and the health department already inspects the studio once a year, she said. What will change, though not drastically, is the cost of operating, said Sarah Wilson, manager of Art and Soul.

The fees have not been set, but tattoo studios will have to pay no more than $250 annually for a license and each tattoo artist will have to pay an annual fee of no more than $150. Artist licenses will likely cost about $60, according to Jessica Hammonds, a state health department spokeswoman.

"It seems as of right now that it's just another way to make money off the industry," Wilson said. The state health department estimates it will cost the agency almost $288,000 to process license applications, inspect studios and train staff members in 2012, Hammonds said.

Current legislation dictates tattoo studios must have a biomedical waste permit from the health department and operate under the general supervision of a doctor or dentist, but there is no specific state tattoo license available. Medical practitioners who supervise tattoo studios inspect equipment and provide training in sterilization and emergency procedure every six months, but are not required to ever visit the studios in person.

Dr. David Kalin, who has supervised more than 500 Florida tattoo and permanent makeup artists, requires studio owners to interview with him in his Tampa office and bring pictures of their studios and equipment. He charges an initial fee of $495 and a semi-annual renewal fee of $225. He said he does not visit the studios in person, but if he made a trip across the state he would charge the studio thousands of dollars. Doctor supervision will be made obsolete once the new legislation goes into effect, Hammonds said.

Lobbied for the bill
Bill Hannong, owner of The Amazing Tattoo Studio in Cape Coral, said he was part of a group of tattoo artists who have been lobbying to get such a bill passed since 1992.

"For the first time, the state of Florida will have the judicial and the monetary means to go after the underground tattooing activity that is not licensed and is dangerous and causes continuous problems in the state of Florida, as well as other states," Hannong said.

It is all too easy to find advertisements online for people offering cheap tattoos from their home, which could lead to the transmission of staff infections, hepatitis or any other blood infection, Hannong said.

That type of unregulated tattooing also can lead to permanent scarring or ugly tattoos, Rudich said. She has people come into her studio every day asking to get low-quality tattoos fixed or covered up.

Jesus Mercado, 30, of Lehigh Acres, said he hopes Rudich can fix a tattoo he got in someone's house in Orlando. The equipment and environment seemed clean, but Mercado said he walked out halfway through after seeing the artist's handiwork.

Mercado, who works at a hair studio, asked for a picture of a hair clipper with the cord wrapping around his forearm. As it turned out, the lines on the cord are crooked and the color is blotchy. "It's just all messed up. The whole tattoo - it just doesn't look as I expected," he said.

April Christensen, 31, of Fort Myers, said she was picky about where she got her tattoo. She has been going to The Amazing Tattoo Studio since March, where Hannong has spent almost 100 hours working on a dragon tattoo that takes up about a quarter of her body. "I think it's great," Christensen said of the new standards. "It should be like that. It should have rules and regulations when you're involving needles," she said.

Wilson said she worries new fees and papers issued by the department of health will not necessarily guarantee sanitation or talent. "You're not going to be able to stop untalented artists from opening a shop," she said.

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D12's Bizarre has always been the Detroit group's oddest member, and continues to live up to his name. Most recently, the 35-year-old rapper debuted an interesting new tattoo, in honor of female rap star Nicki Minaj.

A month after confessing his obsession for the YMCMB First Lady in a new music video for a song called "Hey Nicki" (see here ), Bizarre appeared in a YouTube video showing off his new tattoo of Nicki's face on his left bicep.Check this out, Nicki.

I did this for you, and only you. Here goes the world exclusive, this is how much I love you," the rapper said, referencing Nicki as his wife and himself as her husband. "And I will eat your p, for life."

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Travelers who have gotten tattoos or piercings while in Bali are being warned to seek medical advice after a Western Australian man reportedly contracted HIV during a recent holiday trip. Australian health officials are urging travelers to be careful about getting tattoos or piercings in developing countries as the regulations and codes of practice don't necessarily comply with Australia's.

While investigations are still underway into this particular case, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that to avoid infections from HIV and viral hepatitis, individuals should not share needles for tattoos, body piercings, or other injections.

America's Food and Drug Administration has also recently launched new tattoo studies to investigate a chemical in black ink called benzo(a)pyrene, which has been shown to cause skin cancer in lab animals and malignant melanomas in some tattoos.

If you're going to get a tattoo, remember that getting a permanent tattoo is an invasive procedure that requires breaking the skin and coming into contact with blood and body fluids, stated WebMD.

Regardless of where you get your tattoo, make sure all needles are removed from a sterile single-use package before use, and that your artist washes his or her hands and wears sterile gloves.

Inspect the studio: a good rule of thumb beforehand is to check the restroom for cleanliness. Also be sure the tattoo area has clean, hard surfaces without excess clutter. WebMD also advises that to stay healthy when getting a tattoo, don't drink alcohol or take medications (especially aspirin) the night before or while getting your tattoo. After getting a tattoo, carefully follow healing instructions, especially if you're required to use antibiotic ointment.

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When rap star Drake rhymed the lines, "tat my name on you girl so I know it's real," he never thought someone would take it literally -- especially on her forehead. The Toronto rapper is furious after a photo leaked online of an unidentified devoted fan with his name across her forehead.

"I want to meet her and understand what happened," Drake told Los Angeles' Power 106. "That's cool, though, I feel you 100 percent, that to me is absolutely incredible."The man who tattoed her, Kevin Campbell, of LA's "Will Rise" tattoo parlor said he triple checked with her to make sure it's what she wanted.

"I lost a little sleep over it that first night, wondering if I wanted to be known as the a--hole who tattooed 'DRAKE' on some crackhead's forehead," Campbell told Vice.com. "In the end, she paid me to do this to her, which really means she did this to herself."Drake didn't care for the artists' explanation, saying that he deserves to never tattoo another person in his life.

“The guy who tatted is a f---ing –-shole though, I will tell you that," he said in the radio interview. "And you should lose your job and should never do tattoos again, and I don’t f--- with you. And if I ever see you, I’m a f--- you up.”While this tattoo artist could simply use the if "you pay, you perform" excuse, it's sad that he didn't just turn her away.

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Ami James, the tattoo artist and shop owner at the heart of TLC’s “NY Ink,” really doesn’t like the process of making a TV show. “Hell no,” he says, when asked if he missed his time off from the series. “You miss the finished product, you don’t miss the work. The whole project goes from zero to the finished project and so much gets done in between.”

James and his team at New York tattoo shop Wooster Street Social Club completed primary filming on the second season of “NY Ink” just before the holidays. The first of 10 one-hour episodes airs Dec. 29 at 9 p.m.

“NY Ink” is James’ second series. The first, “Miami Ink,” which ran from 2005 to 2008, became part of a new tattoo craze that spread across America. It introduced viewers to Kat Von D, who would go on to have her own TLC show, “LA Ink.”

In fact, “Miami Ink” helped launch a whole series of tattoo programs. James compares being part of a TV production to getting a new tattoo. “People say, ‘You must really like the pain, that’s why you have so many tattoos,’ ” James says. “That’s not it. I really love tattoos. I hate the process of getting them. I don’t like the process of making a show.”

The second season, like the first, follows James as he works to build up his New York shop while also dealing with the various personalities and quirks of his artists and customers. This season, James says, viewers will see some of his B-team, the talented artists who have maintained the shop while cameras filmed the main crew and all the drama surrounding those relationships. Indeed, anyone watching the show would suspect the shop is drama central, with James and his employees arguing all day.

That’s the impact of TV, he says. “What happens is when you do a show, when you create a show, you know what the customers want and what the viewers want,” he says. “What we do, we don’t fake many things, but we allow ourselves to amplify everything.”

So, he says, whether it’s a sad moment or a happy one, the intensity is increased. In real life, disputes might be handled behind closed doors, while on TV, the camera goes virtually everywhere. “When we’re back to normal, we lower the volume and ride it at like a 3. When we’re on TV we’re back up to a 15,” he says.

Over time, he says, the artists understand when to flip the switch of emotions on and off. James says he’s blessed and proud that with “Miami Ink” and now “NY Ink,” he is changing the face of the tattoo industry. “It’s not the way you think it is, with pimps and prostitutes getting tattooed,” he says. “It’s doctors and lawyers. It’s people marking a special moment in their lives. We’ve managed to make a difference.”

As for the process of getting a tattoo, yes, they’re like making a TV show: they hurt. “Don’t kid yourself and think you’re going to a spa,” he says. “You have to say I’m willing to cede five hours of pain for this great gift you’re going to give me.”

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Miami Ink. LA Ink. Tattoo models. Tattoo magazines. Tattoos on me. Tattoos on you. Tattoos on your friends. Tattoos on Grandma.  Once looked down upon and considered taboo in some regions, they have definitely made their way into the mainstream and with good reasons. Skin art is a beautiful form of self-expression, but like everything else, the practice should be approached with caution.

With tattoos now being one of the most common ways to show what we love, we forget about other options that exist. Your love of Marilyn Monroe could serve just as well in a beautifully framed picture. Your favorite band could be shown in all types of memorabilia. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on your skin, especially if you run the risk of losing some interest in it one day.

Today, you may want that tattoo of the evil ripped up teddy bear smoking a cigar, but in the future, how will you feel about it, and how will it affect your standing with potential employers?

Many establishments still feel that tattoos should be hidden as part of the dress code, but such ideas are beginning to change. With this counterculture phenomenon, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, even in the corporate world, to dismiss someone’s skills and abilities based on body art. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for every career field yet. So, before you move forward with the naked pin-up girl tattoo on your forearm (and I have seen some beautiful ones, so I say that with no disrespect), here are some things to consider.

Before the job prospects, before what your friends think, and before what is trending in pop culture, consider YOURSELF. Speaking from experience, I have gotten more than one tattoo before college that I wasn’t so fond of and I had to opt for cover ups. What led to my regrets was the fact that I didn’t take the time to think it all through and ask myself some important questions. Questions like these:

What do you believe in and what will your ink mean to you? Why do you want this tattoo so badly? Will you be proud to look at it and show it to others for many years to come? These are important questions to ask because they can save some regret in the future. Sure, there are always the options of cover ups and laser removals but cover ups can have their complications, and laser removal is not the best feeling in the world and can still leave ink behind. Also, both options are ultimately more expensive, so why not try to get it right the first time?

Some of the worst tattoo motivations are those of humor and a current emotional state. Sure, your tat may be the funniest thing ever, but there may come a time where the joke is on you when you no longer find the permanent ink so humorous. With the emotions of love, anger, and frustration, you may feel super strongly now, but what about if or when those feelings subside? You don’t want to be stuck with the mark of a bad memory.

Now, depending on your career goals for the future, think about where your tattoos will place you amongst your competitors and within your field. If you think there may be negative consequences, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get the tattoo you want, but it does mean that you should be cautious of where you put it. Avoid the neck, hands, and any other areas that will be easily noticed at the workplace. This way, no matter what you decide to have tattooed on your body, it will be no one’s business but your own and you can avoid unfair judgments and job rejections, which unfortunately, do still exist.

At this point, some of us already have tattoos and if not, we are planning on getting one or more. In the end, it is all a matter of personal choice and some of us do best to learn by trial and error or just life experience in general. So, ink as you please - just think about it first. Really, think about it.

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