Once the trademark of the rebel, the tattoo seems to be as fashionable today as the hat was in Victorian times. But is our love affair with these permanent skin decorations on the wane? Yes, It Does Hurt, Ha, Ha, Ha, flashes in neon lights above the entrance to Ossie "The Wizard" Jobson's Tattoo Surgery. He is not being cruel, but just wants his customers to know what they are letting themselves in for. After all, the results of his handiwork stay with them for life. From floor to ceiling the waiting room is papered with designs, or "flash" as they are known in the trade. The colours are vibrant and the choice mind-boggling. Around 5,000 images are at your fingertips and all you have to do is point one out to have it indelibly etched on to your epidermis in a matter of minutes. There are the perennial female faves like dainty birds and teensy butterflies, or pictures more associated with the stereotypical lorry driver such as alsatians' heads, wizards and hearts with scrolls across them for a loved one's name. Celtic motifs and Chinese symbols are also designs Ossie has had to learn as their popularity has grown. Or you can bring in your own, says the 60-year-old who reckons he has produced several hundred thousand tattoos in the 40 years he has been in the game. He recalls: "It started in my Mam's kitchen down the road. The first person I did was a mate, but I can't remember what the tattoo was of. But professionally, the first bloke to get one by me was a real hard nut from Byker. I had to make sure I got that one right!" From footballers to rock stars, Ossie has met and decorated them all, but he will not be drawn into name-dropping out of "respect for their privacy". He laughs: "Recently, I got a phone call from this guy who said he was a certain famous musician. His wife wanted a tattoo somewhere private, and would I do it? "Well, I thought it was one of the lads winding me up. But I agreed and told them how to get here in a cab. I was expecting one of my friends to walk through the door chuckling, but it was them. In they came and I got on with it. "I get Newcastle United footballers in here too, from time to time. And the NUFC tattoos are still among the most popular with Geordies. I do a few of them each week without fail. "One of the nicest stories I can tell, is about a couple who came in for His and Hers tattoos. I said to the man, aren't you leaving this late in life? And he just laughed and said it was their golden wedding anniversary. After 50 years they'd run out of gift ideas for each other and decided to go for tattoos." Ossie trained "for years" to learn his craft before his needle and ink were let loose on the general public. And he feels there should be more regulations in place to stop so-called cowboys setting up shops. He says seriously: "I have people come in here who've got their tattoo and it's a bodged job. I have to do a sort of repair and change it or cover it for them. "Tattooing is more popular now than it's ever been. There's such a massive variety of inks and motifs. When I started out you could only get black, red and maybe green. Now the spectrum is huge." Ossie's Byker Bridge-based surgery operates on a no-appointment-necessary system, which is handy if you chicken out at the last minute. "It's a big decision to get a tattoo. When I put them on I hope they'll stay on for life, so customers have to be sure. "I've seen people walk in and out more than 10 times before they finally decide and go ahead with it. People are nervous when they walk in to get their first one. It's partly because they don't know what to expect pain-wise. Everyone has a different pain threshold; some people faint, some sweat or shake and throw up, whereas others don't bat an eyelid." So what do you do if you tire of your permanently-marked skin when the process to restore it to normal can be even more painful? Ossie has had tattoos removed from his hands because, he explains: "I socialise in smarter places these days and I think my hands look better without them. I used to remove tattoos myself, but not anymore. I'd recommend a clinic to do that now." Pictures show that pop songstress Geri Halliwell has undergone the process to remove the black panther design at the base of her spine. All the Spice Girls got tattooed, but Geri's publicist, Jonathan Hackford, insists she had wanted to get rid of both for ages: "I know she thought they were tacky" . So it would seem that what was once seen as a sexy and glamorous fashion accessory has now lost its appeal. Jo Elvin, editor of Glamour magazine says: "Tattooing is one of those things which used to be embraced because it was a bit rebellious. It just doesn't seem rebellious when everyone has one." According to the British Journal of Dermatology, up to 75 per cent of people who get tattoos eventually regret it. Quite often it is after the breakdown of a relationship that an ex-lover's name is either removed, changed or covered over. Removing a tattoo takes longer than the process to have one put on in the first place - and the operation does not always work. It can take up to eight sessions of laser treatment - which can cost £160 a time - and, despite this, traces of the tattoo may still remain. Black ink is the easiest to remove but green can sometimes be impossible. A spokesman for Newcastle's Nuffield Hospital, where the demand for tattoo removal is getting higher each year, says: "One of the main reasons is for employment purposes. People have them taken off areas where they're visible. "And some buildings and nightclubs don't allow men in with tattoos." Stars pledge: I tattoo * Julia Roberts and her new husband, Danny Moder, are rumoured to have had pre-marital tattoos done to prove they were ready for their commitment. They visited a tattooist before their nuptials to have his and hers artwork applied to their lower backs. * David Beckham is one of the most tattooed players in the premiership. With the name of his three year-old son Brooklyn on his back. He also faced ridicule from experts when it was claimed the Arabic for his wife's name was spelt Vihctoria instead of Victoria. * Pamela Anderson had her tattooed homage to ex-husband Tommy Lee changed from Tommy to Mommy when they split. * The nine actors (except John Rhys-Davis, he sent a stunt double) who starred in the recent Hollywood blockbuster the Fellowship of the Ring, all got an Elvish tattoo designed by illustrator Alan Lee. Tips to stay safe If you are thinking of going under the needle, there are certain byelaws relating to tattooing outlined here by Stephen Savage, head of public health and environmental protection at Newcastle City Council. * Furniture and fittings are to be kept clean and in good repair so they can be cleaned easily. * Furniture should have a smooth impervious surface. * Treatment couches should be covered with a disposable paper sheet * A No Smoking notice should be prominently displayed in treatment area Any treatment gown, wrap, protective clothing, paper or other covering should be: * Clean and in good repair and, if appropriate, sterile * These should not have been used in connection with any other client unless it is something that can be thoroughly cleaned and or sterilised. The tattooist should make sure that: * Any equipment used is sterile and kept in sterile conditions plus adequate equipment for sterilising Mr Savage added: "If you are at all unsure about the premises or anything makes you unsure about having the tattoo done there, then my advice would be to walk out the door." | 
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