A Temporary Alternative?

A) For those who might not be ready for the plunge, but are seriously considering what it would look/feel like to have a tattoo we recommend this. Temptu now has a web page at temptu.com which describes their products. The following is from Roy at Temptu:

“The rice paper temporary tattoo you...mention is made in New York by Temptu studios. It is a cosmetic ink printed on an archival cigarette-like tissue paper. Special cosmetic inks are then used to paint in the ‘tattoo.’ The result is totally realistic, waterproof, and longlasting (yep, up to 2 weeks!)

“This process was used in _Cape Fear_ on Robert de Niro, _Once Were Warriors_, and currently on Sean Penn at the end of _Dead Man Walking_. Also see Bruce Willis’ Head in _The 12 Monkeys_. It was invented by Dr. S. Zuckerman for the film
_Tattoo_ (Bruce Dern/Maude Adams in 1981.

“Often we are asked to create at temporary tattoo for someone who wants to ‘test drive a tattoo,’ so they can decide on position, color, before deciding what and where.

“Temptu primarily develops semi-permanent body art. Current interests include working on a ‘safe’ and legal line of tattoo inks, airbrush body art, and Indian Mehandi (henna). I work closely with the New York Body Archive, a strange and wonderful place!”

Roy adds one of comment: “I’m frequently asked about the six-month tattoo you mention in FAQ. East Coast people say it’s available in California. But this is bullsh*t. No such animal!”

B) For some, the easiest thing to do is to simply draw on the skin with a non-toxic marker. In fact, many people who already have tattoos do this to figure out placement and design. If you want it to wash off right away, use something temporary. Crayola’s washable markers work well. I you wanna see if you can live with a design for a couple of days, try a permanent marker such as the Sharpies. They come in basic colors.

C) MEHENDI: In some countries such as India, brides are covered from head to toe with intricate bridalwear (including the face). To try to show off as much of what skin they can show, they paint their hands and forearms with something called henna. Henna, when applied correctly, stains the skin and can last several weeks. Mehendi has become popular with the mainstream, with a number of mehendi tattoo shops cropping up in some cities such as Berkeley and Los Angeles.

Part of the process of getting a tattoo is coming to terms with its permanency. It’s like losing your virginity. You lose it once, and you can’t get it back. You can neck and make out, but it’s not intercourse. If you’re afraid of losing your virginity, you have to come to terms with THAT before you can have sex.

But once you lose your virginity, you forget all about how you feared its loss, and simply enjoy having sex! :)

*Debunking of urban folklore* Someone asked to confirm a rumour about the possibility of temporary tattoos obtainable by using a tattooing machine very shallowly on the skin, to have the tattoo last only six months or so.

Several professional tattoo artists replied with a very strong *NO*. There is no way to be able to prevent the needles from entering the second layer of skin (the dermis), where tattoo inks normally go. Further, even if the tattoo machine only enters the top layer of skin (the epidermis), you will end up with too much scarring that the tattoo will never really go away.

Considering the time, cost and pain factors, this is not an option--and no professional tattoo artist will want to experiment on you.

A Temporary Alternative? by Unknown at Friday, 8 November 2013, Rating: 4.4/5 from 100 reviewer.