Yes people I have 2 tattoos. Although I am not a tattooologist( I made up the word sue me) or an expert I have some tips if any of you have been wanting to get a tattoo or plan on getting one in the future. These are helpful and may save you time, money and regret.
-Ponder about what you want to get. Remember your tattoo choice is permanant. Unless you want to get an expensive laser procedure to remove that tattoo. This will cost you more money and more time then it took to make a better choice. Really think about what you want to get.
-Don't drink the night before you go and get a tattoo or for that matter some of you don't drink, smoke pot or take pills before you get the tattoo. This will lead to massive bleeding when you are getting the tattoo. It will make it rather hard for the tattoo artist to give you a tattoo. Yes you will bleed, but not as much as if you were to drink the night before.
-Research. Don't just pick the nearest tattoo shop. I picked one where I lived and my tattoo looks like crap when I only had it done 2 years ago. You can research them on the web, or talk to friends who have had them done at a good place. This is important. I payed 85 dollars for a blob of crap on my shoulder and I'm not too thrilled about getting it fixed again. You don't want to have to go through extra pain like I have to now.
-Get a tattoo that is a good size. I suggest you not get a tattoo that is very small. Within a year (longer than a year or even earlier) the tattoo will run together and end up looking like a blob. A medium sized one is good. Maybe about as big as a tennis ball or larger if you want.
-Think about placement. Placement is key. I want alot of tattoos but in places where you can't see them unless I was in a bathing suit etc. I think this is key for girls especially. in my opinion it is rather gross to have a billion tattoos up and down your arms. Some people it looks ok. Take into account also you may not be hired because of a tattoo. Sometimes work places won't hire you or you may have to cover them up and it is a pain in the butt.
- Don't think about now think about your future. Do you want to be 90 (if you live until then) and have a smurf on your arm? if you do then good. If you don't then don't do it. You don't want to regret a tattoo choice later in life.
- It does hurt depending where you get it. My first when i was 17 didn't hurt at all. It is on my hip and it is a butterfly with clouds. it looks good though. This didn't hurt. My shoulder hurt like a mother f*er. I cried yes I admit it. I believe it hurts more on bone then on muscle. This depends on the person though. I have heard it hurts to get it on your butt. I will not try this experiment thank you! Like I said before it depends on your pain tolerance. Just relax and don't tense up, it will hurt less. Our pain is determined by our mind. Mind over matter.
- Don't want to bring this up, but if you have ever cut yourself before it feels similar to that. This is the best i can describe it. :)
I hope this really helps some people! I know a tattoo guy (friend of the family) and I have 2 so I know pretty well what to expect.
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Thanks for the insight. I have been debating on this issue for a long time. I will admit, I hate pain. Maybe that is the reason why I don't get the tat's. I have been saying I wanted to get one on my back, but like I said pain is not my best friend. Still thinking about it though.
...I just wanted to add a few comments.
This is great advice. My personal rule is that whenever I am considering a new tattoo, I get a couple of sketches done of the artwork, and then I put them away in a drawer for one year. I occasionally take them out and look at the sketches, and just think about the art. If after the year is up, I still want them on my body, only then do I let my artist ink them into my skin. So far, I've only violated this rule once, and guess what...I ended up hating the tat, and ended up having a cover-job done to obscure the original piece.
You're right on about the drinking, because alcohol is a blood thinner. The comment about pot, however, is not accurate. I would still advise against it, since you don't want to risk making a permanent decision about your body while your stoned or inebriated, but technically speaking, doing pot doesn't make you bleed any more than usual. It does, however, make the experience more intense, which in my experience means that it hurts more when you're high. There are also a number of medications that act as blood thinners, which can make you bleed more freely. If you are on any medication at all, you should a) ask your doctor about any potential problems you might need to be aware of, and b) let your artist know before he or she works on you.
Another piece of good advice. Personally, I have an artist that I used to follow from shop to shop, and now see only by private appointment (usually in his home). If you want a tattoo, find someone with a lot of ink and ask them who the best artists are in your area. Also, make sure that your artist is obsessed with working in a sterile environment.
My advice is to get something about than the size of your fist your first time out. Most people want their art to be big enough to see, but I advise against getting anything the first time that will require more than one session to complete. Too many people I know wanted to start with something BIG, only to discover after their first session that they never, ever wanted to go through that again. There is nothing crappier, IMO, than a half-finished tattoo.
This isn't true for all people. Different people's skins react differently to being tattooed. Some people's skins just don't hold detail as well as others (it has to do with the size of the capillaries in your skin). Also, some kinds of ink are more prone to blurring to other (because of the size of the pigment particles). The part of the body matters, too. Some areas (like the palms of your hands and soles of your feet) that shed and replenish themselves more rapidly tend to blur and fade more than other areas. And for some people, the blurring is actually caused by a mild to severe allergic reaction (which can leave you some really ugly scarring). Before you ever sit down to get your first real tattoo, you should ask your artist for a "dot." Get a tiny "dot" placed somewhere out of the way, and let the tattoo heal over, and then wait for several months to see if your body is one of the rare ones that reacts badly to the ink. This will also let you know if you're a bad bleeder, or if your skin has a tendency to blur.
Again, this is very good advice. Definitely think twice before you get anthing below the elbows or knees, or above the neck. Tattoos are becoming more accepted these days, but you're right...there are places that won't hire you if you have a visible tattoo.
More great advice!
LOL...this is so true. I often get asked about my tattoos and asked which one hurt the most. I always laugh a little and respond, "all of them." Seriously, though, there are a few areas that (according to most people, and to which I can personally attest) do hurt just a bit more than others. Basically, meaty areas hurt less than areas where the skin lies directly over the bones. The hands, feet, ribs and especially the scalp are major pain points. I have have a ring tattooed around my index finger that hurt more than the rest of my ink, combined. My artist's wife has a tattoo on her feet, and she says the same thing about the skin between her toes. Another friend of mine has a tattoo on his...ahem...naughty bits, and we all agree that he wins the "wow, that must have hurt" award.
An just in case you're curious, I have a tattoo of a flaming pentacle on my left shoulder, a unique abstract design on my right calf, a ring on my right index finger, an anarchy "A" on the back of my neck, a skull and crossbones on my left wrist, a sword on my left chest, a chaos symbol on the inside of my lips, and a huge dragon that starts on my right shoulder (the head of the dragon), winds across the right side of my chest and ribs (the neck) covers my back (the main body and wings), and then winds down to a point on my left ankle (the tail). The dragon is still in progress (I have about twenty hours sitting for it so far, and have just about the same to go to finish it up).
The most important thing to me is to make sure that your art really says something about you. Never, ever buy "off the wall" art (referring to the standard tattoo patters that you will see on the wall when you go into a shop). Unique, original artwork is imperative in my opinion. Only posers and conformists get crap "off the wall." The difference is like owning the Mona Lisa versus owning a copy of the Mona Lisa...think about it.
TTFN,
Blackout
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Yes, I've changed my username from "percivale" to "Blackout." Go here if you want to know why.
I do not have tattoos, but I have to comment on your response:
EXCELLENT Advice. I've almost gotten tattoos on impulse a few times. I think back on what I wanted, and where, and I am VERY glad that I did not. I still, one day, want two tattoos, I konw what I want and where they will go, but it is not yet time. Discipline, as you note, is key.
Very true. People when they are younger don't think about how they'll appear in a dozen or so years when they try to become a 'professional' If it can't be covered by normal clothing, one might want to second guess that.
Also agreed. It is, ideally, on you for life. Choosing something that is a part of your core, rather than a passing fad you are a part of, is ultimately what makes a embarrassing tattoo into a defining one.
Thanks for sharing your advice and your tattoos! I agree with everything you said. I wasn't too sure about pot because I have never tried smoking and getting a tattoo I just remember the piece of paper I had to sign one time saying I haven't smoked.
A smaller tattoo with alot of detail will blob together, but I am sure it depends on the person as well.
Since I am an artist I agree with the tattoo should be you. Although I have picked a few off the wall I have spiced them up and added and changed things about them so they would be different. This was good advice as well Thanks! i hope more people read your comment and the blog to not make a mistake. I like the sketch Idea.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
and then I put them away in a drawer for one year. I occasionally take them out and look at the sketches, and just think about the art. If after the year is up, I still want them on my body, only then do I let my artist ink them into my skin.
This makes me feel better about mine.
I don't have it yet...
but I drew what I wanted about... oh, a year or so ago.
I still adore it... so I'm really starting to consider making it permanent. Of course, before I do that I want to take it to the artist to fix it up, make it "do-able" so it's not too big/too small/too detailed/too little detail, then I want to ponder it a little more after it's got the touch-ups by the artist.
Thanks to you and drifterdani for making me a little more confident in my choice (not that I wasn't before... but, well, you know what I mean
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Your Tongue is a Rudder; It Steers the Whole Ship, Sends Your Words Past Your Lips or Keeps Them Safe Behind Your Teeth... [Brand New]
This blog has got me convinced. I've waited a year. Now it's time to get that David Hasselhoff ta'oo. Thanks Drifter.
Coal is to shaving as nuclear power is to waxing. For the time being, they are both relatively cheaper options, and each is a fast fix to the energy problem. Now, factor global warming back in --"Hairy Sustainability" by A-squared, a ProU blogger
Nice advice. Luckily, the job market is becoming more accepting and tattoos aren't that big of a deal anymore. I've met people with tattoos that have great jobs and don't have to cover. Now that I've picked a good career path, I've just got to decide what else I want.
F*** Religion. Read more here:
http://www.progressiveu.org/020528-f-religion
...and I'm lucky enough to be one of those people. I work for a major "Fortune 10" corporation, and they don't have any problems at all with my tatoos. But, I do know people who have had trouble in similar situations with other big corps. Its just something you should think about before making the decision to get a easily visible tattoo.
TTFN,
Blackout
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Yes, I've changed my username from "percivale" to "Blackout." Go here if you want to know why.
I decided that I wanted at least one tatoo when I was 13. When I was 18 I finally started seriously thinking about a tattoo- what i want, where I want it, etc. I've decided where I want it, but in all of my years of wanting a tattoo I can't think of a design.
My trick is that when I come up with something I think I'll like, I draw a sketch of it on myself in pen or marker (i know it's ridiculous, but it's fairly easy to cover up) and leave it on for at least a week or two (touching it up after showers, etc.). Every time, without fail, I got incredibly sick of the design and realized that I could never live with it for the rest of my life.
I'm 20 now, and I'm thinking that this summer is finally going to be the right time for me. I'm trying out a couple of different designs, and have decided on getting a white ink tattoo, as I think it suits me best.
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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."