Wisconsin Tattoo And Body Piercing
News And Articles...

Menasha, Wisconsin
08/31/07

Tattoo shop owner makes most of life with MS.

You wouldn't know by looking at him, but tattoo artist Chad Barkhahn has multiple sclerosis. As the owner of Needle Freaks Tattoo & Body Piercing in downtown Menasha, Chad often doesn't know what tomorrow will bring.

"It's a lot like playing Yahtzee. You wake up in the morning and roll the dice, and nope, sorry, you can't drive your car today. You can't stand up straight today. You can't walk 10 feet without tipping over. And there are days where you wouldn't know I had MS at all."

"A friend of mine went to a tattoo shop, got a real tattoo. I said, 'That's pretty cool. How much did you pay for it?' He told me $300 and a light went on inside my head, because I was doing the same thing for $30."

Despite his hardships, Chad comes to work every day with an incredible amount of courage and a great sense of humor.

"I just need to be able to come to work tomorrow, open the doors and have a place to go to."

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Courtesy of: postcrescent.com

Tattoo Safety.

A recent study shows almost 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 50 have some ink under their skin. And one local artist says that means more people are at risk of falling victim to poor work and unsanitary shops.

“We do lots of cover-ups, we do lots of re-works,” said Jenn Paulson, a tattooist and body piercer with Skin Prints in downtown Eau Claire. “We send people to the Health Department to file complaints. We send them to doctors."

"The Health Department's allowing almost anybody to be licensed for body piercing or tattooing, regardless of schooling, blood-borne pathogen classes, CPR, if you have your money, you can be licensed."

"That is the case,” Courtenay Johnson with the Eau Claire City/County Health Department said. “We have new state regulations in the process of getting approved that would require additional education on blood-borne pathogens, CPR, a lot of medical course work that would be required of new practitioners."

So, how can you keep yourself safe? Johnson says like anything else, you should shop around before you let that needle hit your skin.

Johnson says you should also stop by the Health Department before having any ink work done. All of her tattoo shop inspection reports are available for you to check out.

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Courtesy of: weau.com

Beloit, Wisconsin
05/22/07

Tattoo artists discuss learning the trade.

With a decade of experience behind him, Rick Woodham, 28, creates permanent etchings on Stateline Area residents with the ease of a dentist filling a cavity - down to the steady buzz of the tattooing machine and the occasional, "How are you feeling," to the patron reclined in the chair.

Joining Woodham in Dreamline Tat2, a small South Beloit business along Blackhawk Boulevard, is his high school friend Eric Holmstrom, 27.

As a boy, Woodham grew up looking at his inked male relatives. Eventually, the art became an interest he wanted to pursue, and Woodham broke into the business at 17 by landing an apprenticeship at Diamond Ted's in Janesville.

Though the friends earn their money by tattooing, Woodham said half of the business is educating people about getting the right tattoo or talking them out of decisions they may later regret.

"If they completely insist on it there's not a whole lot I can do really."

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Courtesy of: beloitdailynews.com

The sweet sting of a piercer’s art.

Don’t let the big bull ring in his nose intimidate you. Behind that rough exterior, you’ll find Brian Lee, 32, of La Crosse a sweet, funny and charismatic guy.

Lee, master piercer at Mind Altering Tattoos in La Crosse, is also a father, a pseudo-counselor and a “Family Guy” fan who likes to play Texas Hold ’Em.

“I can’t even count how many piercings I’ve had,” Lee said. “You’ve got to learn somehow.” Lee wears jewelry in seven places — the center, or conch, of his ears, septum (the ring in his nose), nipples, navel and “whatnot,” as Lee says. “I like people to use their imaginations.”

Lee started his year-long apprenticeship at Mind Altering Tattoos in 1999. He worked 12-hour days, watching for the first four months, assisting for the next four months, then doing his own piercings. “I had a lot of friends who were guinea pigs.”

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Courtesy of: lacrossetribune.com

La Crosse, Wisconsin
01/28/07

Tattoos too much temptation for show's visitors.

Before coming to the 17th annual Shades of Blue Tattoo Show, John Ennis made his children promise to keep him from getting another tattoo. "I guess they didn't do a very good job," Ennis said as he lay on a table for the start of a three-hour tattoo session.

Denise Bryan, a 54-year-old nurse from Sandusky, Mich., was receiving her 84th tattoo Saturday and was already planning to have No. 85 done before she left town this weekend. Bryan, who came to La Crosse specifically for the weekend show, said she is well known in her small community as "the tattooed grandma." "My granddaughter even took me to school for show and tell," Bryan said. "That was pretty embarrassing."

Vinnie Romero, owner of Lil' Bros. Tattoos of Omaha, Neb., who works at shows throughout the nation, said styles of tattoos change from one part of the country to another. "People in the east like bright colors. The brighter the better. In the south to California it's more blacks and grays, a real Mexican style," said Romero, who goes by the nickname Hotdog. "Here people like a variety of styles and colors, but we get a lot of people who go for the brighter colors."

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Courtesy of: winonadailynews.com

"Piercing Problems"

For some, body piercing is a form of personal expression. But, body artists say if the work is not performed in the right setting or cared for properly, those piercings can cause big problems.

Dentists say piercing your tongue can be a much bigger health risk. In fact, the American Dental Association opposes the practice. They say the tongue is rich in blood vessels, making it easy for infections to travel to vital organs. "One in four people who have congenital heart problems, one in four will get heart disease out of tongue piercing so that's pretty serious," dentist Dr. Greg Leonardson said.

"If it's done properly and you take care of it properly, it'll heal in the right amount of time and you'll have a nice piercing," body artist Veronica Swanson said. Before getting a piercing customers should make sure the studio looks clean and displays a state license.

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Courtesy of: weau.com

Current And Pending Wisconsin Laws...

City code that banned tattoo, body-piercing businesses revised in zoning update.

The city code previously prohibited tattoo and body-piercing businesses from operating anywhere in the city. The council opted to change the code to allow tattoo parlors in the central business district and neighborhood business district designations.

Recent changes in state regulation of tattoo and body-piercing businesses were the reason for updating the city's zoning regulations, City Administrator David Torgler said. Body-piercing and tattooing establishments in western Racine County are to be licensed by the state Department of Health and Family Services. The City of Racine's Department of Health handles licensing for the roughly half a dozen tattoo businesses there.

The state has handled licensing of tattoo parlors since 1998 or 1999, Pfeifer said. Parlors are allowed in all 72 counties throughout Wisconsin, he said. Roughly 280 licensed tattoo parlors exist in the state, according to a state health department spokeswoman.

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Courtesy of: jsonline.com/

Tattoo And Body Piercing Conventions...

Tattoo Artist And Body Piercing Employment Opportunities...

AIRBRUSH TATTOO ARTIST.

hiring for the exciting position of Airbrush Tattoo Artist. There is no experience necessary and you do not need to be an artist. We are looking for high energy, responsible individuals who want to work. F/T- P/T. Entry level and Supervisor positions need to be filled for IMMEDEATE OPENINGS. Benefits available.

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Courtesy of: madison.jobing.com