Greetings, Body Art Fans!

After having just been home for a month, I'm off on the road... again! This time I'll be lecturing at a conference in Las Vegas over Super Bowl weekend and then I'm off to Costa Rica for a week. I actually got to visit there in 1992 and I can remember looking at very ancient lip piercing jewelry in the national museum and scaring some couple from the mid-West who overheard me telling my sister about it. I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for any interesting body art this time around too!

New and Recommended Articles:

How To Change A Captured Bead Ring
Captured bead rings are one of the most comfortable, long-term jewelry choices for many styles of body piercing. Here´s how to change out a captured bead ring.

Rae's Elemental Rune Tattoos
Have you ever wanted to memorialize some travel with a tattoo? Here´s how Rae, BellaOnline´s own body art editor, commemorated her recent trip to Hawaii.

The Age Limit Debate
As the interest in body art moves more and more into the mainstream, there are more stories about friction over age limits. Whose fault is it when a minor gets pierced or tattooed?

Hot Links:

• The Tattoo Pinup Girl
  Pinup girls have made the transition from photographs to skin art since the 1940s. Take a closer look at these inked ladies.
• Tongue Piercing Healing and Aftercare
  Healing a tongue piercing takes a bit of patience, some gargling and between a few days and a week of a very liquid diet. Here are some tips for making it easier to heal your pierced tongue.
• Kanji for Tattoos
  Their flowing shapes and mysterious symbolism have made them a popular choice in the Western world of tattooing.
• Tribal House Body Jewelry
  Awesome claws,spikes, horns and more!

You can upload your tattoo pictures to Bellaonline and then rate your favorites! It's fun and free, and you can upload or vote here.

If you have a body art question, please come on over to the online forum. It's a great place for chatting about body art and getting an answer.

If you'd like to write about body art and tattoos, and you'd like to earn some cash or donate to your favorite charity, c'mon over to Ink City, an online body art community I facilitate, and give it a go!

I really love your feedback and welcome your questions, so if you have something to tell me or ask, please send an e-mail or drop by the forum! Please pass this message along to family and friends who you know are interested.

Rae
Body Art Editor
http://bodyart.bellaonline.com