Anatomy of a Tattoo

FitSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 03:30:00 PDT

I am ever curious about how the human body works, and recently I pondered the permanence of tattoos. Skin is always shedding layers of dead cells (especially if you exfoliate), so how can a tattoo remain year after year?

Let's start at the beginning with how a tattoo is created. Tattoos are made by inserting pigment into the skin with an electrically powered solid needle that punctures the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute (makes me think of a sewing machine - yikes!!). The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.

When you look at a person's tattoo, you're seeing the ink through the epidermis - the outer layer of skin. The ink resides in the dermis - the second layer of skin, just below the epidermis. Dermis cells are far more stable than the cells of the epidermis, so the tattoo's ink will stay in place, with only minor fading and dispersion (spreading out), for a person's entire life!

Fit's Tips: FYI - tattoo parlors are NOT regulated by the FDA and not ALL states require tattoo parlors to be licensed. If I were you, I'd go to a place that is licensed and inspected by the state. The licensed places will definitely follow all the correct sterilization and sanitation procedures. Since tattoos involve needles and blood, you want to make sure there is little risk for the transmission of diseases such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, and STIs. These regulations may make tattoos safer, but it sure won't make those needles hurt any less!

Want to see some interesting tattoos? Then

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How to Fix Your Booze-Induced Skin Care Woes

Jaime Richards — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:01:24 PST

Does it seem like all you've been doing lately is eating and imbibing in boozed-up beverage after boozed up beverage? While spiked egg nog, hot toddies, champagne cocktails, and mulled wine are all fine and dandy, the problem is that in excess they can wreak havoc on your skin.

The issue: "It doesn't matter what you are drinking, all forms of alcohol are dehydrating," says celebrity dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer. "It's just a matter of how quickly it dehydrates you, which is usually a matter of how much sugar is in the drink." And if you think that the more expensive the red wine you're enjoying, the lesser the likelihood of it affecting you, think again. "Two-Buck Chuck is equally as dehydrating," Dr. Lancer warns. So to see what you can do to quell the after-effects of getting schnockered, just keep reading.