Visionary Primitive April 18th

Microcosm

H2Ocean is proud to Sponsor

Vi s i o n a r y P r i m i t i v e

Original and collaborative art
created by the visionary minds of
modern day tattoo masters.

http://www.microcosmgallery.com/

Featured Artists
Guy Aitchison
Michele Wortman
Joe Capobianco
Jon Clue
Corey Kruger
James Kern
Jon Jon
Jarrett DeMartino
Zachariah
Christian Masot
Dan Craft

Researchers might have found a safe and simple way to reduce a child’s cold symptoms

Here is a great article in the New York times about the benefits of Sea Salt for reducing symptoms of a child's cold.

"There is no cure for the common cold, but researchers might have found a safe and simple way to reduce a child’s symptoms and the chance of recurrence: wash out the nose with seawater.

In a study published Monday in The Archives of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, scientists assigned 289 cold or flu patients ages 6 to 10 to be given a nasal wash three times a day with water from the Atlantic Ocean that had been commercially processed but retained seawater’s trace elements and minerals.
As comparison, a group of 101 children used ordinary over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. Their symptoms were tracked over three months."

read more...

THE TRUTH ABOUT TATTOO AFTERCARE

By Ryan Almighty / ALMIGHTY STUDIOS
320 Cherry st, Jamestown NY
(716) 487-1243
www.almightytattoo.com

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=5502297&blogID=262323041


There is NO foolproof set of aftercare instructions for a healing tattoo. Everybody is different and there is always a risk of an allergic reaction or problems. I will do my best to explain a couple of options and will give a few examples of products and hopefully help troubleshoot any problems you may have..


Here is a list of some aftercare products and their potential risks….


TATTOO AFTERCARE PRODUCTS (TATTOO GOO, INK FIXX, TAT WAX, BLACK CAT, H2OCEAN FOAM, ETC)


I tend to recommend products that have been created by people in the industry specifically for the use of healing a tattoo, but there are a few risks for you to consider and look for. The trend in the tattoo industry is to preach the wonders of the new "miracle product" my advice is to not be a fool to marketing gimmicks, the manufacturer is sure to have a list of reasons as to why their product is superior, the truth of the matter is they have money to make and are more interested in sales than anything else, including the healing of your tattoo, these people are modern day snake oil salesmen, so I'm of the opinion to take the grandiose claims with a grain of salt.. The fact of the matter is ALL of these products have healed some tattoos perfectly and ALL have caused reactions (sometimes severe) in others. All have different ingredience and it is in your best interest to read them and look for anything that you know to be a problem. For example some products contain BEES WAX , common sense will tell you that if you are allergic to bees, it might be a bad idea to use the product….


My personal favorite product is the H2OCEAN FOAM I have seen many fewer (if any) reactions to this than the other aftercare, the foam tends to absorb into the skin, and creates less discharge which in turn seems to produce less scabbing thus smoother healing, the only complaint that I have heard is that it slightly burns a few peoples skin when first applied. I heal all of my tattoos with this product and swear by it, but just because it seems to be the best for me doesn't mean that you will like it..


OVER THE COUNTER OINTMENTS/CREMES (NEOSPORIN , TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC, BACITRATION AQUAPHOR, PREPERATION H, NOXEMA, A&D, VITAMIN E OIL, ETC)


I prefer products designed specifically for tattoo aftercare which these are NOT but I will be the first to admit that many tattoos have been successfully healed with all of these over the counter ointments. However the most popular error that people make with these (and all the other aftercare for that matter) is that they over do it ant put far too much of it on their healing tattoo, it is imperative that you put as thin of a layer on your healing tattoo as possible, it is my opinion that ANY product that is PERTOLIUM or LANOLIN based is inferior for healing of tattoos and produce a far greater risk of reaction, excessive seeping and scabbing, thus resulting in color loss. TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC and NEOSPORIN seem to have the highest risk of reaction and if you use them please do so with caution, NEOSPORIN for example used to be considered to be the absolute best in aftercare by the majority of people in the industry. Some (reputable I might add) artists still swear by it today, but it is a popular opinion that there is a higher rate of reaction (rashes/pimples) and a greater risk of color loss, to be honest I personally am not sure if the critics of NEOSPORIN have their facts straight or have bastardized the product because it is considered "old school". I am not one of those people that will claim that it is the absolute worst thing you could put on a tattoo, but I'm not an advocate of it either… My opinion of the best OVER THE COUNTER aftercare products are AQUAPHOR, A&D, and BACITRATION (in that order)…. But I honestly wouldn't use them unless I had to..



OVER THE COUNTER SKIN LOTION (LUBRIDERM,CUREL,VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE, ETC)

First off if you use any SKIN LOTION for tattoo aftercare it is IMPARITIVE that you only use the name brands recommended and be absolutely sure that they are NON SCENTED and contain NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS!!!! a scented lotion and/or one with artificial color will burn and more than likely cause a reaction. There are reputable artists that recommend nothing but skin lotion for a healing tattoo. And some that recommend the use of LOTION after 3-4 days. Like everything else here many tattoos have been successfully healed with these, HOWEVER I have personally witnessed the WORST/MORE FREQUENT REACTIONS with Lotions than virtually any other form of aftercare. I have seen large puss filled pimples from these products on some people to an extreme that overshadows anything I have ever witnessed with any ointment or any other kind of aftercare's bad reaction. I think people tend to completely over do it with this kind of product. And I think there is a lot of room for error when choosing a lotion, such as accidentally getting a scented/colored or an off name inferior product containing elements detrimental to the healing of a tattoo. I have also seen people mistakenly use VASELINE PETROLIUM JELLY (which is horrible for a healing tattoo) because they thought it was the same as VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE. So I recommend that if you are someone that chooses to use lotion for aftercare be very aware of what you are putting on your tattoo and make sure that it is EXACTLY what your artist recommended and even then keep on the watch for reactions.



SIGNES OF A GOOD/NORMAL HEALING TATTOO …… the tattoo will go through a period where they peel, the skin that peels will be the color of the tattoo, and it will literally look like your tattoo is flaking off the more even the tattoo peels the better the tattoo will look when it is completely healed, underneath the peeled skin you will have healing skin cells that will cause the skin to seem milky rather than transparent, don't worry about this, you tattoo will be bright in no time, it's all part of the healing process.


SYMPTOMS OF BAD REACTIONS / BAD HEALING CAUSED BY AFTERCARE ….
Aftercare reaction is one of the leading causes of a badly healed tattoo.. Some things to look for are extreme seeping/heavy scabbing, excessive inflammation, and most of all a rash (little bumps) or excessive pimples. If you think that you are having a reaction to your aftercare it is VERY IMPORTANT that you consult your artist asap, you can save your tattoo if you deal with the situation right away…

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS OF A BAD HEALING TATTOO ……. If you are having a problem with your healing tattoo done at a reputable shop, it more times than not IS your choice of aftercare, a few other things that will cause a tattoo to heal badly are…


NEGLECT – If you don't practice good personal hygiene, pick your tattoo, let clothing stick to it, scrub your healing tattoo in the shower your tattoo will NOT look nice when it heals, do the right thing and take care of your investment you're going to have it the rest of your life…


YOUR HEALTH – If you have immunity deficiencies, blood disorders such as diabetes, or are on certain medications such as steroids or blood thinners your tattoo tattoo could be affected, it is a good idea to consult your doctor if you suspect there may be a problem.


SUN EXPOSURE – The sun is your tattoos worst enemy, if you expose your healing tattoo to the sun it can react with the healing ink and literally burn it from the inside out, so UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES expose your healing tattoo to prolonged direct sunlight. Even a healed tattoo will fade when exposed to the sun or tanning beds with time, if you must expose your HEALED tattoo to those nasty UV rays be sure to use a high SPF SUNBLOCK (at least 30)

EXPOSURE TO TOXINS / BACTERIA – If you work/live in an environment with dirt and filth you run the risk of infection, nursing homes/hospitals, being around animals, toxic metals/chemicals, and filth of all kind can cause a SERIOUS infections, be smart and use common sense …. If you have a tattoo on your hand/forarm and you work on a farm or change a diaper you run the risk of an infection …. The possibilities are endless …….


DAMAGED SKIN – If your skin is week, sun damaged, thin, or an artist overworks the tattoo it will cause the tattoo to heal badly


ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO LATEX OR TATTOO PIGMENT – If you are allergic to latex you will more than likely know before you get your tattoo. Let the artist know, NITREL or VINYL gloves can be used… signs of allergic reactions are extreme rash/redness in the case of latex (gloves worn by the artist)


An allergic reaction to tattoo ink is VERY RARE but is possible, if you are allergic to a pigment it will be evident certain colors in your tattoo bubbling and raising off of your skin resembling a SEVERE scar. If you are concerned about having a reaction to tattoo ink ask your artist about doing a "prick test" where a small dot of each color to be used in your potential artwork is tattooed under your skin at least 24 hours before your tattoo …. If you have a lot of allergies sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry….


I hope this has helped, together we can make your tattoo/healing experience a good one and give you a beautiful piece of living artwork that will last a lifetime…


We will do our part by applying your tattoo to the best of our ability with artistic skill in a clean environment, now please do your part and TAKE CARE OF IT, If you have any questions never hesitate to ask that's what we're here for…WE CARE

Healing from the sea

BY MICHELLE J. MILLS, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 12/30/2007 08:22:09 PM PST

"Our motto is: What's in your medicine cabinet?" said Eddie Kolos, president and developer of H2Ocean.

Kolos, a sales manager for a tanning product company, looked to his own life experience when he decided to develop and market a product of his own.

"Surfing was an idea because we're in the water for five to seven hours at a time and we know the benefits of swimming in the ocean," Kolos said. "It cleans out your cuts, they're healing faster. If you have a common cold and you swim in the ocean, the mucus comes out and cuts the cold time down in half."

The Boca Raton, Fla. resident also had studied marine biology in college and built salt water aquariums and filter systems and spent many hours researching equipment and what was needed to keep corals alive. This all prompted him into studying the healing properties of salt water.

"Kolos did some research and he came across an enzyme called lysozyme, which was discovered by Alexander Fleming, the same guy who discovered penicillin. Fleming stumbled upon lysozyme first, but discovered that the enzyme was too large to travel within the body and set it aside and discovered penicillin," said Justin Blohm of West Coast Ocean Distributing.
Lysozyme, which exists in our body fluids, is noted for its ability to kill more than 650 different types of bacteria, as well as fungi and viruses. Kolos combined it with coral reef salt, sodium benzoate and purified water. Coral reef sea salt Sea salt contains more than 82 trace elements and minerals noted for cell regeneration.

In 2000 a patent for H2Ocean was approved and by 2001, the first product became available to consumers. The line includes a Piercing Aftercare Spray, Ocean Foam, a foam that provides moisture and a protective barrier and Ocean Care, a moisturizing cream. The products help with cuts, scrapes, burns, skin fungi, sore throats, canker sores, acne, shaving bumps, insect bites, poison ivy, abscessed teeth, surgery incisions, shingles, psoriasis, blisters and more.
The spray also can be used to help heal sore throats, pink eye, sinus infections and ease allergies.

The newest additions to the line are Arctic Ocean and Lemon Ice mouth rinses, which also contain xylitol. Xylitol is known for inhibiting plaque, which leads to cavities. The product is safe for diabetics and eases the discomfort, while aiding the healing of gum irritations, oral lesions, sore throats, canker sores and other irritations. And although it is not recommended, it is safe to swallow.

"My favorite is the spray, I use it on everything," Blohm said. "It's extremely safe. The ingredients in it are found in your body already. The salinity and the pH is safe for your body. The salinity is the same or less than what's in your body, so I could spray it right in my eye - and I do it all day at a convention - to prove it."

Blohm's family uses H2Ocean. For his kids, it helps heal cuts and scrapes and soothe sunburns. His diabetic grandmother uses it to heal cracks and dryness in her feet. Blohm has even used it to help heal a cut on his mini schnauzer's back.

H2Ocean products have not been tested on animals, but the company is looking into developing a line for veterinary use.

In addition to H2Ocean, Kolos has created Ocean Aid, featuring medical grade versions of the spray and foam. It is the same a basic line, but contains three times the lysozyme plus lactoferrin, an enzyme also noted for fighting strep, e. coli and gram negative bacteria. The products have the same pH as the body and are produced and manufactured in FDA approved clean rooms.

"The spray is used as a deep tissue cleanser," Kolos said. "It's diabetic-safe, safe for all skin types and when it gets into the skin it doesn't burn. The only time it actually burns is when there's a lot of road rash and bacteria that it's fighting off and then it only burns the first time, the second application won't burn the skin at all."

The foam is a liquid bandage, sealing the skin and protecting it from bacteria. It aids in healing and is moisturizing.

The products have received approval from the American Medical Podiatry Association. Podiatrists are currently using the spray for wet and moist soaks on foot ulcers. The foam is being incorporated into pheno-alcohol procedures such as ingrown toenail surgeries.
The next product in the H2Ocean line will be a sore throat spray due out this year.
"The biggest market we have is for sore throats and I didn't want to put that out there yet until I was established enough to do it right," Kolos said.

H2Ocean products can be found in Hot Topic stores and at piercing and tattoo studios or online at www.h2ocean.com. Both lines, H2Ocean and Ocean Aid, are slated to be in chain stories, like Walgreens, early this year.

michelle.mills@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811 Ext. 2128

Fwd: Dallas Inkfest

Rob Hill from Maya Tattoo Sioux City Iowa at Dallas Inkfest 2007.

H2Ocean for Life.

Dallas Inkfest

Rob Hill from Maya Tattoo Sioux City Iowa at Dallas Inkfest 2007. H2Ocean for Life.

Dallas Inkfest

Tommy Sturgis from Sturgis Ink in Corpus Christi showing off this awesome tattoo done at the Dallas Inkfest. Tattoo completed by Aaron Michalowski Crimson Anchor Tattoo Tampa FL.

Dallas Inkfest

Corset done at the convention by Jason Rigstad from Texas Ink Tattoo

H2Ocean

Starting a airbrush piece featuring a H2Ocean theme