tattoo

'A real shift in the vibe': The tattoo industry is changing

5:00am August 20, 2024

For purveyors of an artform that’s famously permanent, tattoo artists sure like to switch things up. From independent collectives to the “stick and poke” tattoo, a new generation is leaving its mark.

Queue Listen Now

Lots of manufacturers offer a rainbow of ink colors. People can even go online and order a bottle. The Food and Drug Administration has not regulated the pigments in tattoo inks so far, but agency officials will investigate and recall tattoo inks if they

As Scientists Study Tattoo Ink Safety, Europe Bans Two Widely Used Pigments

9:50am February 13, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Tattoo artists are unhappy about a new ban on blue and green pigments in Europe, while scientists say the basic science of tattoo ink is still fairly mysterious.

Randy MacArthur, a longtime Ninja Turtles fan, is getting a Donatello tattoo.

National

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Illustrator Starts Drawing Off The Page, And On Bodies

12:51pm February 24, 2020

by Jill Kaufman

Eric Talbot has been drawing for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise since the 1980s. Now, he's using his steady hand to ink tattoos.

Shane MacLeod is covered head-to-toe in tattoos. He says he's tired of being pre-judged.

National

Tattoo Removal Programs Help Former Inmates Wipe The Slate Clean

11:45am January 16, 2020

by Judith Kogan

For people who have been incarcerated, head and neck tattoos are often a barrier to reentering society and getting jobs. Some former inmates are removing their tattoos to help leave the past behind.

Geoffrey Clark of Australian National University holds a bone comb from a tattooing kit found to be approximately 2,700 years old.

Making A Mark: Ancient Tonga Tattoo Tools May Illustrate Birth Of Polynesian Body Art

9:32am March 08, 2019

by Amy Held

Australian researchers used carbon dating to determine the tattoo tools from Tonga are around 2,700 years old.

Christopher Mensah, owner and tattoo artist at the Pinz-N-Needlez tattoo shop in Washington, D.C., creates the outline for Oshun Afrique's 35th tattoo.

For Tattoo Artists, Race Is In the Mix When Ink Meets Skin

4:35pm December 01, 2016

by Parth Shah

Skin tone is only part of the challenge for an oft-tattooed customer who wants to see herself reflected in the "human canvases" of tattoo artists.

Queue Listen Now