Southern Ink Exposure tattoo convention.

The third annual international tattoo convention that runs from today until Sunday will also ring in a change for founder organizers Manuela and Allan Gray as it moves to the V&A Waterfront Pavilion Conference Centre for the very first time.

Over the three days of the tattoo convention itself, the Pavilion will play host to some of the biggest names in skin ink from all over the world. "Regulars" Joe Johns and Nick Chaboya from the US, Canadian Glen Paradis, Jay Jay from Sweden, Gordon Claus from Germany and Tom Tattoo from Italy will be rubbing shoulders with local skin kings and queens such as Garth Stauton, Reverend Simon White, Tyler Murphy and Gray herself.

The Southern Ink Exposure tattoo convention takes place at the CTICC this weekend.



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Getting a Tattoo? Be creative

The most amazing thing about being unique when choosing a Tattoo design is being creative. The best thing when getting Inked is to not just choose a design on display since you're at risk of running into someone with the same Tattoo and even if the colors are different the design will still be the same and that is the reason why I always recommend custom made works.

Sometimes is hard to come up with a straight idea when it comes to choosing "The perfect Ink job". A reputable artist can help you decide, choose and also give you ideas in order to achieve what's desired so badly. The first thing the customer needs to do is to think or have an idea of what's wanted instead of simply walking to a shop and then choose whatever is on the wall.

It is best if the person chooses a design that has an actual meaning to them or something they relate to instead of choosing a design because it looks pretty or because was seeing on someone else. Always remember to be unique (as in custom work).

Something that also helps a lot is by choosing a few designs that can be altered a bit, have additional details added and make the project look outstanding but in harmony. It is good to find an artist that can pull it off and make it look like an actual entire piece instead of a few patches all over the place.

The basics on ear stretching.

How to Stretch your Ears

1. Get your ear / ears pierced professionally. Yeah, your mate can do it with a safety pin, but trust me, you're saving yourself a scarring and complications down the line.

2. Once your ears are COMPLETELY healed (I'd leave it for two months), buy either a 1.6mm or 1.2mm straight titanium body bar. These are the standard sizes for most body piercings and will easily be available. If you're not sure what you're looking for, just ask the staff. They're usually affordable. Push the bar through your pierced ear slowly, it will seem like it isn't going to fit at first, but it will with a bit of wiggling and determination.

3. After your ear has healed from the first stretch (give it at least two weeks) you can stretch up to 2mm. Use a titanium taper.

4. Continue in this way until you reach your desired size. Always leave at least two weeks between each stretch and always only go up by 1mm - otherwise you risk a blow out... A blow out is scar tissue pushed through the back of the ear. Not pretty! Once you reach 5mm, start wearing plugs or tunnels - don't wear tapers. If you get to a point where it is getting difficult to increase in size, try using tea tree oil to help to ease it in - never force a stretch.

FAQ

Q. Does it hurt?
A. Everyone has a different pain threshold. All I can say is try it and find out yourself, but don't expect it to be pain free.

Q. Is it normal for it to still sting the day after I stretch it?
A. Yep. It can sting up to the point when it heals. 

Q. My ear lobe is throbbing / aching / very tender / swollen / weeping / bleeding - what should I do?
A. You can either choose to take it out totally and leave it to heal by itself - tea tree oil and antiseptics can help in the process. If you think you can still stretch, baby your ear like you fear it's going to drop off - rub tea tree oil into it at least three times a day, downsize about 2mm and let it get some air until it's totally healed.

Q. What is a 'blow out'?
A. Scar tissue which forms and eventually gets pushed/ pushes itself through the back of your ear. If you get a bad blow out, it's extremely unlikely that your ear will shrink back to a 'normal' size. They're also really unattractive.

Q. What's the difference between a taper, a plug and a tunnel?
A. A taper is a cylinder which is sealed at both ends and 'tapers' into a thin point, they can be straight, curved or spirals. Tapers are used for stretching until the healing point ONLY. Tapers shouldn't be worn past the healing point as the uneven weight distribution can cause uneven stretching, creating scarring and a longer healing process. A plug is a cylinder usually sealed at both sides, they can be used to stretch or to wear past the healing point. A tunnel is a hollowed out plug which you can see through from one side to the other, it can be used to stretch or to wear past the healing point.

Q. What materials should my jewelry be made from?
A. Practically anything so long as it is fully sealed and treated after your ear has fully healed. Only use materials which can be autoclaved during each stretch. Titanium, plastic and silicone are the most common. Stainless steel, wood, bone and polished stone are also quite popular.

Q. Where can I buy tapers / tunnels / plugs?
A. Your local piercing parlor will definitely sell them, a lot of tattoo parlors sell them too. Otherwise, there are LOADS of shops on eBay which sell body jewelry and plenty of web stores to choose from, too.

Q. What is the smallest size of plug /tunnel? What is the largest?
A. The smallest I've seen or heard of is 2mm. Plugs and tunnels can be custom made, usually past 2" you will find it harder and harder to find 'off the shelf' jewelry and will need to find somewhere that will make them for you.

Ps: only use recommended makers / sellers!

Q. Will it shrink back to a 'normal' size? When is the 'point of no return'?
A. It's different for everyone. Mine personally shrink back over night from 12mm to around 8mm, it would shrink further the longer I left it but probably only as far as 2mm. 'The point of no return' is usually considered to be around 1.5", though it is obviously different for everyone.

Q. If I stretch it up to a certain size, will it continue to stretch by itself?
A. No, your ear can only stretch up to how far you want it to stretch.

"Depending on the size of the gauge, weight of the jewelry, and age of the person, your stretched ears can become loose and stretch a little larger. Ear weights (heavy jewelry) are designed to slowly stretch the lobe over time to fit a larger gauge piece.

This is generally done for much larger gauges because lets face it, I've never seen a taper 2" wide so they aren't very common if they exist at all. Naturally as someone gets older the elasticity of their skin breaks down therefore sagging and if accommodating weight, can stretch. "

This is why I usually recommend light weight jewelry.

Q. Why does it smell?
A. Because you're not washing it. You should wash both your jewelry and ear lobe every day. I wash mine when I wash my face - morning and night. I usually rub some tea tree oil into it once a week.

Q. My friend went from 1.6mm to 10mm in a week - why are you saying I shouldn't?
A. Because your friend will most definitely now have caused scarring / a blow out, if they should want to shrink back at any point, they probably wont be able to. It's also likely that despite your friend's macho 'It didn't even hurt!' it will have hurt like a bitch - stretching at a healthy rate should not hurt more than a slight sting.

He got his penis Tattooed and won a car.

A German man won a brand new $32,000 Mini Cooper by having the word "MINI" tattooed on his penis during a broadcast. Organizers said Andreas Muller, 39, of Saxony-Anhalt, won the radio station contest by coming up with the wildest Mini-related stunt to earn the vehicle, The Austrian Times reported Wednesday. Muller had his sex organ tattooed during a live broadcast, and listeners heard his pained exclamations during the process. "Once I'm sitting in the car, it won't matter anymore. Then the pain will be gone and it'll be alright," he said.

How Far Would You Go?

Sometimes when people hear someone speaking about Body Modification they usually think about anything related to piercings. Sometimes those people fail to do a bit more research on this topic so they can find out there is more than piercings when it comes to this topic. Body modification is not just about getting pierced, it is more complex than actually thought. Some times people don't find themselves to be appealing to the rest of the world or simply are not happy with they way they look or feel and have the need to go through a single or many medical procedures in order to achieve the life they desire in order to be happy with themselves and to have what they consider a productive life or a physical accomplishment that will permit them be part of "society". Sometimes it is hard for an individual to live day by day simply because they're not happy with their appereance and, sometimes they have to live through depression or anxiety on a daily basis.

Those individuals choose to make changes to their bodies knowing that will be the only way they will be completely happy and feel content, which allow them to have the healthy and productive life they wish. There is plastic surgery and re-constructive surgeries which are they key to success for many and a the best solution for those who choose to break the stereotypes, and for those who simply don't give a fuck of what others might say. Sometimes people add and sometimes people remove parts of their bodies. I believe anyone has the freedom to live the life just as they please an do what they wish with their bodies when it comes to modification of their physical attributes. I've learned about people removing a toe or a finger an living happier life the same way I've heard of a woman having a desire to have three breasts (seriously).

Musical Notes Tattoos

Recently I was having a conversation with a musician who said he wanted to get Musical Notes tattoed on his body but he also pointed out he don't want to do it just like "everyone else's". What he emant by that is that he noticed many people would actually get random notes all over the place and he wants his to actually say something even though not too many people know how to "read them". He said he wanted something that he can be proud of and at the same time a high quality custom made work. I gave him some advice about who to go to and also reminded him to look for an artist that can deliver quality and not quantity for a cheap price. I also told him to speak to the artist about him wanting a creative job instead of just plain notes. I learned a lot about my musician friend that actually made me think about something not too many people care about or simply focus on.

The Nautical Star

The five-pointed Nautical Star of mariner’s charts is found on the compass rose, straight up, at the North position. Somewhere back in the salty mists of time it represented the North Star, also known as Polaris, which was so crucial to navigation. Today it is a tattoo symbol that harkens back to finding one’s way home and the luck that it sometimes takes to get there. The Nautical Star tattoo can be big, small, two colors, one color–pretty versatile really.
Who gets it? This is a tattoo symbol that is absolutely raging in popularity right now, especially among young hipsters who dig the nautical/retro feel. Who has it? Mark McGrath (lead singer of Sugar Ray) has a blue one on his left elbow. Where should you get it? The elbow is a classic placement of the Nautical Star, like Mark McGrath, but they also tend to occur in pairs, on either side of the chest or the insides of the forearms. Because it’s a essentially a bunch of straight lines though, it lies and looks best on relatively flat areas. Why should you get it? You’ll never have to pull over and ask for directions again.
Although you might not have found your perfect tattoo in the list above, you are no doubt starting to visualize one. As you continue on your journey to that final result, make your own top ten list of the greatest tattoos and keep revising it. In time, you may find that you’ll have a tattoo, one that’s just right for you, instead of just thinking about it for another decade.