Now try and sort the list into three categories.

Can you sort them into four different categories?

How many different categories can you make?

How did you come up with the categories?

Why do we have these different categories?

How did you do?

Now try coming up with three categories for the words and write them beside their category.

Cover the words and try writing the words using your categories.

Did you remember more words this time?

Yes I know they were the same words, but try this strategy with the new list below.

How many words did you remember this time?

By grouping objects into categories you can remember more.

This is also true when you are reading information.

Tattoos and body piercing have been around since ancient times. Nowadays everywhere you look, you will see someone with pierced ears. However, since the year 2000 there has been a huge increase in pierced belly buttons, noses, eyebrows, and tongues. Tattoos are also making quite a comeback, as they are once again highly fashionable and popular with people of all ages. Body piercing is appealing to many young people as they enjoy the temporary aspect in comparison to life-long tattoos. Outwardly, they both appear safe given the large amount of people that have them, but how safe are they?

Piercing needles drag bacteria from the skin surface into the underlying skin tissue and the pierced body parts commonly become infected. Other infections can come from contaminated inks or needles that puncture the skin. Licensed tattoo and body piercing shops usually use new sterilized needles for each individual. However when individuals do it themselves or use an inexperienced friend they increase the risk of infections and disease. Some health risks you need to be aware of when considering a piercing or tattoo are:

When you go for a tattoo, they use an electrical tattoo gun that repeatedly punctures the upper layers of skin while injecting colored pigment. It hurts and sometimes bleeds. It also takes 10-14 days to heal and will feel like a sunburn. When you go for a piercing, you choose an area such as the ears, lip or chin. Then you choose the jewelry type such as rings, studs, or barbells. An electric piercing gun pierces the ears. This gun can not be sterilized just disinfected. All other body piercing is done with needles. The pierced body part takes 6-12 months to heal.

In order to protect yourself from disease or infection make sure you do your research and visit a few licensed shops with experienced employees. Ask each one how they control the risk of infections and disease. To be more specific, ask the following questions.
1.) Do you use tattoo pigment from single use dispensers?
2.) Are your tattoo needles sterile and disposable?
3.) Do you professionally sterilize all your equipment after every use?
4.) Do you wear disposable latex gloves?
Inspect the shop to make sure it is clean, bright and sanitary. Do not be shy or embarrassed it's your life so make the best health decision possible.

3. Protection