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Tattoos becoming and changing lifestyles

By Jacki Padgett
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Staff Writer

John Bailey Getting a tattoo, whether a person is in the military, a street gang, a rock band or is just an everyday person, often means the one getting the tattoo is transformed by the tattoo.

Tattooing has grown so much that it is now a part of everyday life. John Bailey, a general studies major at the Floyd campus, is an example of this.

Bailey received his first tattoo at the age of 15 and now has over 20 tattoos that range in size and placement on the body. He says he has a �fantasy theme going on.�

Bailey does recommend that everyone make sure that he or she checks out the shop before getting a tattoo. �With all the Hepatitis C going around, you want to be careful and also think a lot about getting a tattoo before going ahead with it,� he said.

Bailey shows off one of his many tattoos. Bailey also believes that tattoos can be addictive. He said, �It is artwork, and you want to expand it.�

He also mentions that �tattoos can cause you to not get a job� and that this has happened to him before. Bailey wishes he could take the tattoos away because at one time they may have meant something but they do not have any meaning now.

Though they may have no meaning now, Bailey is still getting tatted up and is currently working on a chest piece. John would like to thank Kevin Jones at Crypt Kicker in Rome for all his great tattoos through the years.

Tattooing has grown so big that there are even tattooing conventions and schools where tattoos artists can show off their artwork and skills.