My Journal: Bethany Wolosky

I met Bethany while interning at the Patricia Field boutique in New York last year. She's from Brooklyn and has some of the coolest ink I've seen! When I first met her she just had the roses on her shoulders, so it's been awesome seeing how her sleeve has progressed.

Hooker being eaten by a shark by Jacob Des at The End Is Near - Brooklyn.

Zombie Unicorn

Blue Rose on elbow (ouch!)

'Red Blooded American Girl' and Eagle

Gypsy lady with snake

'True Romance'

Inspired by a vintage valentine card for her Mami Gladys

All of the above were done by Mohawk John at Three Kings in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Max Kuhn

Her second to most recent tattoo, a skull and dagger on her palm. I'll be doing a follow up post about how her palm tattoo is surviving in the future!

Follow Bethany on her tumblr 

aluxuryproblem.tumblr.com



Procedure

I'd never really thought about what exactly happens once a tattoo is complete, what exactly does your body do? How does it react? Well if anyone else has been wondering heres a look at what your body actually goes through.

A tattoo is the placement of pigment (ink) into the skins dermis. The dermis is the layer of dermal tissue that is under the epidermis. As the healing proceeds the damaged epidermis flakes away. Pigment remains trapped within the skins fibroblasts while the upper dermis is mended.

Interesting right?

It's also interesting to look at other cultures take on the art of tattooing.
Tribal cultures traditionally cut designs into the skin and then would proceed to rub the wound with ink or ashes.
Others would hand tap the ink into the skin with sharpened sticks made from bone or wood.

The modern procedure is done with a tattoo machine, the electric machine inserts ink into the skin either by a single needle or a group of needles. The needle/ needles are attached to a bar that is attached to an oscillating unit. This unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needle in and out of the skin at a speed of around 80-150 times a SECOND!