There was an article published on The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO) about a tattoo shop - located about a block from a high school - that is selling barely legal drugs and drug paraphernalia. The students are their biggest draw, and the owner's defense is that it's not his business what people do with the products after they buy them.

This isn't the only shop I've heard of selling this type of products, and it begs the question: Is this an acceptable practice for the industry, selling drug-related products alongside tattoos and body piercing services? This editorial piece is based on my personal and professional opinion; feel free to agree or disagree by commenting below after you read the article.

Marcos (caspyan1974) writes: "Wondering if anyone has any knowledge on how essential oils can affect tattoos - things like what essential oils to avoid on tattoos, what may help them heal faster, what oils may help develop tattoos better, and so on. Asked my tattoo artist, and all she could tell me was to avoid eucalyptus oil and tea tree oils on tattoos because the action of them on the body is such that it can draw out the ink. But she couldn't tell me much more than that."

Just because something is natural doesn't mean it's good for you - or your tattoo. Does anyone have any experience with using these types of products to heal a tattoo? Join the discussion now and add your thoughts.

NZ Police Being Sued For Forceful Removal of Inmates' Piercings
A Christchurch woman is suing police for using bolt cutters and inappropriate force to remove her body piercings after she was arrested. Since the beginning of this case became public, more victims of this kind of police brutality have come forward. Piercings are required to be removed before entering jail, but sometimes they're difficult to take out; sometimes barbells are screwed on too tight or CBR gauges are too thick to open by hand. Do officers have the right to remove them by force, even damaging them in the process, in order to comply with no-piercing rules?

Man Robbed Outside Tattoo Shop

Over 350 Line Up For Cancer Ribbon Tattoos

Client Accidentally Fires Gun in Tattoo Shop

When you get a new body piercing, you may or may not have been sent home with a list of instructions on how to care for it. Either way, sometimes those instructions don't work because they're written with the idea that one set of rules works for everyone. The reason there are so many different products out there and so many different recommendations for piercing aftercare is because we are all individuals and our bodies respond differently to various products.

With that in mind, my Piercing TLC pages will not tell you exactly what you should do, but will give you several options and try to help you choose what might work best for you. If one thing doesn't work, come back and try another. It will also give you suggestions on how to treat common, non-serious piercing complications.

"I just got a new tattoo wed. I was wondering if my shampoo and conditioner will affect it when i shower. Everything i use in the shower is scented." - missmom85

This forum member brings up a very valid question. Personally, I've always used my normal shampoo and conditioner in the shower, but would wash my tattoo and/or piercing last so that it would (hopefully) remove any hair products from my skin. I guess it worked because I never had a problem, but maybe some of you out there have other suggestions. Do you actually change to more natural hair/body wash while treating a new tattoo? Discuss it on the forum now!

An angry woman, who was turned away from a tattoo shop for being intoxicated, decided to express her displeasure by driving her car through the tattoo shop's front window. Unfortunately, she didn't stop there. After crashing into the tattoo shop, she took off and then crashed into a cemetery and destroyed a couple of the gravestones. Wow, I can't imagine why they wouldn't tattoo the lady. She sounds like a peach.

More News This Week:
Man Tattoos His Penis to Win a Car

Georgia Man Charged With Tattooing a Minor

Tattoo Artist Sentenced in Client Molestation Case

Dear Karen,

I'm kind of at a cross roads right now, trying to figure out what im going to do for the rest of my working life and one of my options is to become a tattoo artist but before i make any decision to dedicate my life to it I need to know how much money an average tattoo artist earns, and also if you think i'm too old to get into it? I'm 28 now and even though its not really old, i'm wondering how long it'll take me train up, get established, make a name for myself etc. Do you think it's worth it at my age?" -Gareth

Dear Gareth,

I actually covered this topic a little bit in my Tattoo FAQ, but here are a couple of financial things to consider that aren't mentioned on that page:

• Do you have a family to support?
If so, then you have to consider whether or not your family could survive while you serve your apprenticeship. Do you have enough in savings to sustain you, or would it be possible to hold down your paying job and serve an apprenticeship at the same time? Do you have the stamina and/or willingness to do that if needed?
• Do you have the money to pay for an apprenticeship in the first place?
There's no set price for apprenticeships; just whatever an artist wants to charge for their time and knowledge. Some can be rather expensive, like going to college, but most loan companies don't look at tattoo apprenticeships as a valid form of education.

Just a few things to think about, but if you want something badly enough I don't see anything getting in your way - especially not age.

Wow, I just got a shocking piece of news: for the first time in 5 years, the Hell City Tattoo Fest will not be going to Columbus, Ohio in 2011. The only event they have planned for this year is in Phoenix, and then it seems that they will be in Columbus the following year but no events are scheduled for 2012 in Phoenix. I know Durb and Tony work so hard on those shows, and I wondered how they were holding it together running two major shows a year and doing many other side projects as well. It looks like it finally caught up to them and they've decided to leap-frog the shows from one year to the next. I can't blame them, but I'm so sad that my hubby and I won't get to celebrate our wedding anniversary together at Hell City for the first time in four years. Major bummer, and I'm sorry to have to be the messenger of this news to other Killumbus fans who are no doubt disappointed by this news. Maybe we should all get together and throw our own party?

Washington State (USA) legislatives are looking into making a formal tattoo apprenticeship with an experienced artist mandatory before granting licensing to any new artists entering the field. The idea itself is sound, but I can see this causing a lot of potential problems. What if someone learned informally in another state and then moves to Washington? Or what if there aren't any qualified artists willing to instruct? Does that then mean that the state would also provide materials needed to the artists who do training? And would they also regulate the cost and time span of said education?

Since the state already requires that licensed tattoo artists be trained in blood borne pathogen awareness and cross-contamination prevention, it seems as this kind of law would be attempting to regulate the quality of the art produced rather than being a safety issue. While I'm all for high quality tattoo art, is that something that lawmakers should be able to influence? I agree with regulating the industry for safety, but I think this enters a different territory. Quality of art and service is something that society itself weeds out over time; it's sort of an industrial evolutionary cycle. Do you agree or disagree? Opinion Poll: Vote Now!

With all the hype this week about the 13th sign of the Zodiac and all the others shifting as a result, does that mean you're going to have to go out and fix/cover/remove your Zodiac tattoo?

Before I answer that, I will make sure you're all caught up, in case you haven't heard the whole Zodiac controversy thing (in which case, I highly recommend coming out from under that rock). To make a really long story short, some astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society announced that due to the significant shift of the earth on its axis, the alignment of the stars and planets has changed significantly enough to also change the dates that correspond with each sign of the Zodiac. In addition to that, a centuries-old error in the number of constellations has also added a kink in the works; apparently, astrologers of old decided to omit one of the thirteen original constellations to correspond with the 12-month calendar. Astronomers are now using this information to spread the idea that everyone's Zodiac sign has changed due to the "updated" and "more accurate" charts. This has caused a serious uproar across the globe by those who either depend on their daily horoscope or feel that their Zodiac sign is a significant part of their identity. Understandably, those who have gotten tattoos based on their astrological signs or that of someone they care for are now panicking, wondering if their tattoo is "wrong" and will need to be changed.

The short answer is: No, your Zodiac sign hasn't changed, and neither has anyone else's. There's no need to have any tattoos covered or removed in response to this mess of misinformation. Astrologers have responded to this controversy, clearly stating that astrological signs are not determined by the stars or the position of certain constellations at the time of birth; they are simply used as a form of measurement. That measuring tool has not changed, despite any shifting of the earth, and wouldn't change even if all fifty - yes, FIFTY - constellations were used. Astrologers have known for years that there were more constellations that that the earth would shift on its axis over time, and they haven't been concerned about it because it doesn't change anything. See the following articles for more information on this issue:

CNN: No, Your Zodiac Sign Hasn't Changed

NY Daily: Horoscope Followers Need Not Worry

ABC News: Debunking the Zodiac Controversy