Twisted Reality Local tattoo artist straight talks about safety and art

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Twisted Reality Local tattoo artist straight talks about safety and art
July 26, 2010
Karen Brady
The Express-Star


— Thinking about an inexpensive bootleg tattoo?

Better think again.

By allowing a non-professional to tattoo your skin, you run the risk of developing one or more of a dozen possibly life-threatening diseases, including AIDS, herpes, malaria, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cutaneous gonorrhea, says Thomas Deaton, who recently purchased Twisted Reality Tattoo in Chickasha.

"If a tattoo artist is working out of the house, he is not a professional and has no clue what he is doing," Deaton said. "Tattooing out of the house is highly illegal and extremely dangerous, even when the scratcher artist pretends that they know how to properly disinfect everything. And someone who learned how to tattoo in prison, who has a lot of tattoos, has a high chance of having hepatitis C himself."

Deaton says people who get "back street" tattoos, are putting themselves at a great deal of risk.

"If you've had a tattoo by a back street tattooist, you need to be checked for hepatitis C and HIV for the next two years," Deaton said. "These people don't even wear gloves."

Before Deaton will even begin work on a tattoo, his customers must read and sign a medical history consent form and an Oklahoma State Department of Health disclosure statement.

In addition, they must be at least 18 years old and may not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"We have never been cited or fined for any violations and we're the only tattoo shop in the Oklahoma City metro area who can say that," Deaton said.

Shop manager Coral Matthynssens not only takes care of finances and appointments, she is also in charge of keeping all of the equipment Deaton uses sterile. She thoroughly cleans instruments before placing them in a 270-degree autoclave for sterilization. She also keeps meticulous records and spoor tests the autoclave monthly, sending the tests off to a professional autoclave testing service.



Epidemic of infections



Over the last several months, Deaton said he has seen a virtual epidemic of infections caused by non-professional tattoos.

"I have worked all over the U. S. and I have never seen such an abundance of backstreet tattoos," he said. "People come in with severe infections, and, while we advise them to go to the doctor, many are underage and don't want their parents to know."

Deaton said one young woman who came in for help had developed a severe allergic reaction to a back street tattoo that went through all layers of her skin and into the muscle tissue.

"It's not that people get bootleg tattoos because they're cheap, they just don't know," Deaton said. "Art is not the issue. The skill factor is not the issue. Physiology is the issue."

Deaton likened having a tattoo done while sitting on a couch, where kids and pets sit, jump and play, to having surgery under the same conditions.

"It's shocking that people aren't addressing this because it's reached epidemic proportions," Deaton said. "People are smart enough not to use someone else's dirty needles, but they are doing the same thing when they get a bootleg tattoo and there's no way to track diseases and infections with back street tattooing."

Deaton says despite using universal precautions in his shop, he still treats people like they're toxic because he, too, could be at risk.

Under Oklahoma law, it is a felony not only to do tattoos without a license, but also to possess tattoo equipment without a license.

"That's why so many people are buying equipment off of E-Bay," Deaton said. "Every day someone comes in wanting to buy ink, needles and Tattoo Goo."

Deaton is dismayed at articles found in popular tattoo magazines offering step-by-step instructions on how to make your own tattoo gun using simple, easily-obtained materials. They also offer an ink recipe made up of urine and burnt plastic.

Not something many people would like to have inserted into their skin.



Pretty neat gig



Deaton graduated from Del Mar College of Fine Arts and Crafts in Corpus Christi, Texas. Working in commercial art for 13 years, he was Art Director for NBC and managed the Whataburger account for the Morehead, Dotts & Associates advertising firm in Corpus Christi.

Then he got a divorce and a motorcycle and worked his way into a new profession - tattooing.

Taught by Wild Bill Hastie, a world-famous tattoo artist who owns the Black Dragon Tattoo Studio in Shreveport. La., and Doc Webb, another world-famous tattoo artist, Deaton eventually opened a shop in Shreveport and another in New Orleans, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Deaton has traveled to more than 30 states over the last 10 years practicing his art, getting better and better at it.

While visiting his sister in Norman, he met the owner of Twisted Reality Tattoo in Chickasha.

"I came in with a portfolio and worked a year for free before he handed me the keys to the shop," Deaton said.

After managing the shop for a time, Deaton recently began the process of purchasing the business.

"It's a pretty neat gig, and we're a full-service, family-oriented shop," Deaton said.

Committed to giving back to their community, Deaton and Matthynssens sponsor several groups and events, including dirt bike races, a bowling team, Chickasha wrestling, USAO and helping out with Little League umpire salaries.

"We like being able to play a role in the community because we are concerned about the health of the people in our community," Deaton said.

Deaton has more than 800 examples of his work posted on MySpace. For more information about Twisted Reality Tattoos, 1706 S. 4th St. Suite D, Chickasha, call 405.224.4224 or e-mail to twistedreality@yahoo.com, or visit http//myspace/twistedrealitytattoo.

Twisted Reality Tattoos will participate in the Midwest Ink & Metal Fest which will be held Aug. 6-8 in the Reed Conference Center of the Midwest City Sheraton Hotel, 5750 Will Rogers Road in Midwest City. 405.455.1800.