It's still considered taboo for men and women to discuss menstral flow. There are certainly exceptions - intimate relationships and doctor patient discussions where it is acceptable but often uncomfortable. Telling a male tattoo artist about your menstral cycle is not something women do - but they should. Without asking a woman directly where she is on her cycle, the subject should be included in the appointment process, waiver signing as a warning or in the restroom if nothing else.

PLEASE NOTE: Women may experience severe pain in the tattoo process while menstruating.

I found out the hard way. I sat for 6 hours straight getting Rosie the Riveter on my right forearm. My tattoo artist - Matt Stines of No Regrets Tattoo in Champaign IL -  not knowing or asking about my cycle, said the pain would ease after a few minutes once my endorphins kicked in. Well, that never happened. It was like a razor blade was being dragged up and down my arm for 6 hours. It never eased until he was done with the tattoo. It looks fabulous but it was excruciating.

The next day I spoke with Karden Hudson who was promoting her book Living Canvas at the Hell City Expo in Phoenix. The topic was in the book and we talked about how a woman should avoid getting tattooed while on her flow. Rescheduling an appointment for a tattoo is recommended. Why torture ourselves?

Since then I have had several tattooq and experienced no pain by comparison. When I talk to young women at tattoo shows or shops when I visit customers I bring up the subject and most women are not aware that it makes a difference. I was very surprised yesterday chatting with a customer that has been tattooing for 14 years. When I mentioned this to him he had never heard this before! So I know it's time to get the word out.

I challange men and women in the tattoo industry to shed light on this subject - include the warning about the hightened pain when tattooed during menstral cycle during the appointment process and when the waiver is discussed and signed. This information should not be kept secret. People please tell your friends about this. Shop owners post a warning and educate your staff. Your famale clients will be happier and get more tattoos.

Tatu-You is a creator of both Tatu-Derm and Tatu-Prep.  Products to improve the tattoo experience.  You can learn more at www.tatuyou.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and now on Pinterest. 

"I can talk til I'm blue in the face about why Tatu-derm is so good for new tattoos. Everyone benefits - the person that got the tattoo, the tattoo artist and the general public - all knowing the bacterial barrier improves the end result of the tattoo and protects environmental health".

Hearing testimonial from an experienced tattoo artist brings a different perspective. So you can hear directly from Kory Oakland of Red Diamond Tattoo in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. He's been using Tatu-derm for years and loves that the tattoos he creates are protected when his clients surf, kayak, get dirty in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbWEUiPaB5Y

Look for Kory Oakland and Ryoma Roy Uno of Red Diamond Tattoo at the Pacific Ink and Arts Expo next month. www.PacificInkandArtExpo.com

If you're in Hawaii and want to get some new ink, check out these guys for a great tattoo.

You can find all of our products at www.tatuderm.com.  We would love to see how you use Tatuderm so connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and over at  YouTube .  Tell us about your studio and share how you're using Tatuderm on your art.

It was the winter of 1982 when we eloped. The single tattoo between us was hidden in the few photos of the event.

Not so easy for many brides these days when planning the big event. Some like Gaia, an artist at Mr. Shortys Tattoo Emporium in Lexington SC wear their tattoos proudly.

Others think they should hide any tattoos so not to offend. Young women hesitate to have their backs tattooed in anticipation of a backless wedding dress.

Friendships are strained when the bride insists her bridesmaids’ tattoos are not showing. Mothers discover their daughters tattoos while trying on wedding dresses. I met a woman at a show that came to the Tatu-derm booth looking for something to cover her tattoo so she could comply with the bride’s request. We discussed the possible options and I thought she should tell the bride the tattoos are part of her.

If she wants you to stand up for her at the wedding, it’s tattoos and all – or one less bride’s maid. The young woman left still troubled with what to do.

A wedding is time for love and celebration, not judgment. Has the popularity of tattoos made this a non-issue? Or are people still being asked to cover their tattoos so not to offend the relatives that prefer not to see any ink? Are flower tattoos acceptable on a bride or bride’s maid but skulls are not? Are we truly loved if we are asked to cover up our ink? Is there any support for the bride-to-be that is struggling with this? Our tattoos are here to stay.

Good or bad, they tell stories about our lives and add color to who we are. They are memorials, symbols and artistic expression.

Be yourself. Live and let live. Let your tattoos add color to the bridal party as it does in your life.

Do not to shower or swim for a couple days with a new tattoo.

This common advice in tattoo aftercare and is intended to preserve the color and keep any unknowns from being absorbed while the skin is open. It’s old school.

Tatuderm At the Beach People don’t want to put their life on hold just because they get a new tattoo. Our customers tattoo near the beach and people want to get in the water.

Compass Rose Tattoo in the US Virgin Islands covers people that come off the cruise ships. They want to snorkel AND get a tattoo. At The Truth Tattoo in Pacifica, CA customers want to surf even with a new tattoo. Tatu-derm is a waterproof bacterial barrier developed to keep the new tattoo clean.

It is waterproof and it breathes – just like your skin.

The medical grade adhesive forms the barrier sticking to the dry skin around the tattoo. The film has pore like holes that allow the vapor out. Like your skin, the holes are too small to let solids pass, so all body fluids are contained. As you see in the photo, the tattoo is covered with Tatu-derm and is not exposed to the ocean. I talked to one artist in the San Diego area that tattoos Navy SEALs.

He recommends those guys tattoos cover their new tattoos when they get in the water but sticks with the old school air dry aftercare for his other customers. If it’s good for the SEALs isn’t is good for everyone? People want to show off their new ink. Transparent waterproof protection is the science of tattoo aftercare evolved.

Tatuderm is advancing tattoo aftercare by creating total tattoo protection. To learn more about the complete line of tattoo prep and tattoo aftercare products from Tatuderm, visit us at www.Tatuderm.com and like us at https://www.facebook.com/Tatuderm.

Live bands and tattoo shows are good friends. Tattoo collectors enjoy watching the bands and band members get tattooed.

We had the pleasure of meeting the members of the band SiK at the Ink Meets Metal tattoo show in Casper Wyoming last month.

They all got new tattoos of the band logo SiK and we covered the new tattoos with Tatu-derm. We bonded with the guys over the weekend covering each tattoo, watching them play and reapplying Tatu-derm the second day.

They are fun guys. Andy from Black Sunday Tattoo in Casper WY does great work. Nick Vargo was the first to get tattooed. He came to the booth with his left arm covered and his right arm just tattooed. The covering was done to protect the tattoo while he was on stage with the best solution at the time.

These guys never heard about Tatu-derm until we met and were very pleased with how it worked. They were able to get on stage and play, displaying their new ink knowing it was protected.

These photos are just one example of how Tatu-derm improves the tattoo experience. Transparent protection looks and feels so much better than old school coverings. Now the tattoo is visible with the Tatuderm breathable bacterial barrier. After the show the band hit the road driving back to Texas.

They said they would take Tatu-derm to their tattoo artists back home and tell their friends how well it worked for them. Band member Keith Wishon says “The stuff worked awesome!! My SiK tattoo didn’t lose any of the darkness. Healed today looks just like it did when it was fresh!” We love you guys and will look you up when we’re in Texas. Next time you see old school covering on a new tattoo, tell them about Tatu-derm and share the love! To learn more about products from Tatu-You like our Tatuderm tattoo aftercare cover or Tatu-prep, visit us at www.tatuderm.com.

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

How many times have you spent hours on a tattoo, meticulously applying color to get the image perfect and two days later the person comes back in the shop with a story about how it accidentally got messed up!

You go to great effort to keep a clean workspace and create a sterile tattoo. Within hours the tattoo is infected because the covering has been discarded so the friends can see the new ink. You get a new tattoo yourself and take pride in your air dry aftercare routine like a pro, keeping it clean, flowing instructions diligently. Body fluid that dries while you sleep is stuck to the bed sheets and pulls on your new tattoo when you get out of bed and it hurts! Our customers tell us that more often than not, new tattoos are not cared for as instructed by the tattoo artist. The result is frequent touch ups.

Touch ups are at no additional cost to the customer but are by no means free. Isn’t is better to keep the chair filled with paying customers and new tattoos than freebies? Wouldn’t the shop be more prosperous?

Our customers also tell us that Tatu-derm is the only covering people will leave on as instructed. They like the way it feels and they love being able to see the tattoo. Tatu-derm on an Om symbol & lotus flower Tattoo If you are looking for ways to increase prosperity in your tattoo business, consider using Tatu-derm to protect new tattoos.

You can find all all of our products at www.tatuderm.com. We would love to see how you use Tatuderm so connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and over at YouTube as well.

Tell us about your studio and share how you use Tatuderm on our art!