This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The smell of burning incense mixed with the buzz of electric ink pens was evident Friday as the fifth-annual Salt Lake City International Tattoo Convention opened its three-day run at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Even early on the convention's first day, many of the 79 vendors appeared busy as a half-dozen clients had already picked their designs and had braced themselves as body artists worked away.
"I live in Nevada and there are no good artists," Danny Tewell of Elko said as an artist inked a mortality-themed tattoo on his back.
Chris Ogden of West Valley City took the day off to get an Oakland Raiders tattoo. When he went to Sergio's Tattootlan parlor and found the proprietor was en route to the convention, he followed.
"It's kind of cool," he said while lying on his stomach, a beer propped on the chair next to him. "It takes a lot of work."
Tattoos as an art form date back 5,000 years, according to the Web site designboom.com.
"The word comes from the Polynesian word 'ta' which means striking something and the Tahitian word 'tatau' which means 'to mark something,' " according to the site.
Sporting tattoos has become increasingly trendy in the United States.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, just 1 percent of Americans had a tattoo 30 years ago, but the number had jumped to 24 percent by 2006.
Utah has definitely embraced that trend. C.J. Starkey, who started the convention five years ago, said the state's market is good, with a number of tattoo artists.
"Tattoos are a way for people to express their uniqueness and set themselves apart," he said.
The convention features artists from Utah and nationwide. Body artists with names such as King Kong, Ben Around, Lit Fuse, Psycho City, Jinx Proof, Ink Rat, Guilt by Association and Sexy Ink Girls vie for attention.
Related businesses also abound for a crowd that on Friday included a lot of folks wearing black.
Martha McCook, for example, offered organic tattoo aftercare products designed to heal, soothe and disinfect skin after a tattoo had been applied.
The Heavy Metal Shop sold incense and apparel, and Sandy-based Inklifters featured laser tattoo removal for those seeking a fresh skin canvas.
Steve Carlston of Inklifters said about 10 percent to 15 percent of his business comes from people who want to either lighten up an existing tattoo or to replace an old one with a different style. He also helps women who have had treatment for breast cancer remove medical tattoos.
A big part of his business comes from 20- to 40- year-olds who got a social tattoo when they were younger and now want it removed.
The Salt Lake City International Tattoo Convention continues today from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 7 p.m. at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Admission is $15.