tattoo

I have never gotten a tattoo unless you count the temporary henna kind, but it looks like I might be in the minority. About 25 percent of 18- to 30-year-olds have been inked, and 65 percent of them are women. If you've always wanted to get your fave butterfly etched onto your ankle, here are some things WebMD wants you to know before anyone puts a needle to your skin.

• Pay the money and go to a shop that has licensed tattoo artists. Since getting a tattoo involves breaking the skin with a metal object and coming into contact with blood, you want to make sure the studio is clean, so there's the lowest risk possible for infection.
• There are serious risks involved, such as contracting life-threatening HIV or hepatitis C from unclean equipment. You could also get other infections including impetigo, MRSA, or cellulitis. It's OK if you don't know what these are, just know you don't want them.
• It's also possible to have an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink, so before getting an enormous fairy imprinted across your back, you probably want to do a small patch test on your skin first.

To find out what else you should know, read more

When I first saw the photos from Rodarte's runway show, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn to the swirly, geometric arm tattoos worn by the models on the runway. It was a little bit Xena: Warrior Princess and Kat Von D combined. Fab was on the fence about the clothing, inspired by California condors, but as for that well-thought-out tribalesque arm makeup, I was definitely impressed. MAC Senior Artist Chantel Miller, who designed the look, was influenced by the Māori people, an indigenous group in New Zealand. "The idea for the tattoos stemmed from [designers] Kate and Laura’s desire to celebrate makeup as art not only for the face, but also for the body in a similar way that Indian culture uses henna. They want women to look at makeup as an accessory for an outfit the way you would a bracelet or a necklace," said Miller.

To find out more about the tattoos, just keep reading.

If you have a tattoo or know someone with a tattoo, do you/they regret it? Dr. Tattoff, Inc., a California-based company, hopes that's the case, as it hopes to make its tattoo-removal services available nationwide. With tattoos more popular than ever, it looks like it has quite the potential clientele.

Interestingly enough, 85 percent of the company's customers are women aged 18 to 44. "Tattoos are becoming more common in the workplace and in society," chief executive John Keefe told the Los Angeles Times. "My suspicion is that along with that, the tattoo regret factor will only grow as people get older," he added. Find out more stats when you read more.

It's not very often that we get to see tattoo artist Kat Von D sans ink. The Miami Ink star's makeup line at Sephora includes a Tattoo Concealer ($25) for those times when coverage is desired. Here, Kat demonstrates how the product covers up her multitude of tats, and if you're a fan of Kat's signature makeup look, be sure to check out the how-to here.