Tattoo Talk

[Eldarwen]

I have a dragon/tribal tattoo on my lower back. Its nice, but.. Yeah, I was 18 when I got it. Nowadays I would take something totally different, no tribals at least. I've decided that if I hit my goal with losing weight, I will allow myself to go and get it removed. I will get another tattoo on the same place.

I have also decided that if I still collect ponies 1 year from now, I want to get a G1 pony on my wrist. 

[Sunshine]

I go with the ten year rule. Ten years ago, what would you have gotten a tattoo of? Is it the same thing you'd get a tattoo of today? If so, then it's probably okay to get that tattoo.

That's a smart rule, lol! I never really thought about it, since I haven't had mine for quite 10 years yet, but I CAN say today that I would definitely get my sturgeon again... the other, eh. Prolly not. But nice to know I'm not totally alone in having some tattoo that you're not thrilled about...

Speaking of... and he'd kill me if he found out I was saying this, but my fiance has a piece of work on his back... I like to summarize his back tattoo by saying, "It's like... you walked in to the tattoo shop and said, "I REALLY love that scene in the Neverending Story where they're trying to get through the gates that look like woman sphinxes, but I ALSO really want them to be nude." Seriously. It's a pair of nude laides facing each other, one like devil horns and a spear, the other like... nice hair and boots. It's RIDICULOUS. and it's just Line-Art, so thankfully it's not a full back piece. He's definitely wanting to get that removed... lol. I like to color it in on his back with those smelly fruit markers...

[Sprinkles]

I go with the ten year rule. Ten years ago, what would you have gotten a tattoo of? Is it the same thing you'd get a tattoo of today? If so, then it's probably okay to get that tattoo.

I really like that rule but unfortunately, 10 years ago for me was when I was 9 years old.... But one of the ideas I've been playing around with has had significance to me for the past 5 years so I think it might be a good idea....

I go with the ten year rule. Ten years ago, what would you have gotten a tattoo of? Is it the same thing you'd get a tattoo of today? If so, then it's probably okay to get that tattoo.

That's a smart rule, lol! I never really thought about it, since I haven't had mine for quite 10 years yet, but I CAN say today that I would definitely get my sturgeon again... the other, eh. Prolly not. But nice to know I'm not totally alone in having some tattoo that you're not thrilled about...

Speaking of... and he'd kill me if he found out I was saying this, but my fiance has a piece of work on his back... I like to summarize his back tattoo by saying, "It's like... you walked in to the tattoo shop and said, "I REALLY love that scene in the Neverending Story where they're trying to get through the gates that look like woman sphinxes, but I ALSO really want them to be nude." Seriously. It's a pair of nude laides facing each other, one like devil horns and a spear, the other like... nice hair and boots. It's RIDICULOUS. and it's just Line-Art, so thankfully it's not a full back piece. He's definitely wanting to get that removed... lol. I like to color it in on his back with those smelly fruit markers...

Lol I would want to do the same thing!  Lines are meant to be colored in! And SunshinePony, your tattoos are very nice I really like the sturgeon one, it's so unique!

Also, some more questions

I was looking at tattoo parlors and on one's Facebook page, they had a picture saying how it's bad to get tattoos on your hands because they end up looking really bad due to not being able to heal correctly Is there any truth to that? Or does it depend on how well it was taken care of while it healed and how good of a job the tattoo artist did?

And what is everyone's opinion about a word tattoo? Two of my ideas are words (Don't worry! They're not names!) and I was having a bit of trouble figuring out placement. For one, I was thinking about the side of my right middle finger (which is why I asked about hand tattoos) and the other either the side of my left foot or my left wrist....

[Enolaalone]

I have loads of text tattoos, love them I would be wary of getting them on my hands though, maybe a small one on the side of your finger might be okay, but they're quite out there in terms of tats. It depends what sort of job you want, but I find it's a bit like neck/face tattoos in that they can be off-putting to prospective employers.

The thing I would say about hands is there's probably a similar problem to foot tattoos, in that you use and wash your hands all the time, so you're more likely to get blurring/fading issues.

[Sunshine]

The only issue I had was I ran into some artists who refuse to do small tattoos, probably because they (the artist) sucksssss so avoid them anyway. Words can have LOTS of meaning, and shouldn't be passed over if that's what you feel can best sum up your "idea" or what you want to express...

I don't personally know about hand tattoos... the one on my wrist had no problems healing, but it was a WEIRD feeling there, you know.. needles going in and out of the stereotypical "wrist cutter" place, made me kind of nervous because of the veins and stuff, but I had no issues. (Sorry if that's graphic, but that's how I felt when I was getting it!)
I think if you have a good artist, who doesn't tattoo you too deep, you shouldn't have problems with a tattoo healing on any part of your body (except maybe something odd like your palms or bottom of your feet where we have that extra layer of skin... NOT that those are typical tattoo locations...)

My best friend has a tattoo on the top of each foot. The first one he got, the artist tattoo'd him WAY too deeply, and the stars scarred up so they look puffy, and are just a tad raised now... it's been a few years. Then he got his other foot done by a much better artist, and it's BEAUTIFUL. Crisp and clean, no scarring or puffiness. He's going to try and get the other one fixed somehow, like tattooing larger stars over the puffy ones, but - that's the worst that happened. He did say it was a sensitive area, top of hands, top of feet, VERY thin skin there...

[Enolaalone]

Ooh I love wrist tattoos though, especially writing on wrists. Here is mine:

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That was when the stick and the writing were just done, hence the slightly wrinkled look.

I will now stop hogging your thread

[Sprinkles]

Ooh I love wrist tattoos though, especially writing on wrists. Here is mine:

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That was when the stick and the writing were just done, hence the slightly wrinkled look.

I will now stop hogging your thread

Another awesome tattoo! Seriously, ever since I started this thread, I've been loving tattoos more and more  I keep looking at all kinds of tattoo pictures and talking to my friend about it.

And Enolaalone, you're not hogging it Feel free to keep talking! I love hearing everyone's stories and seeing the artwork you guys have

[DoctorMowinckel]

The thing I would say about hands is there's probably a similar problem to foot tattoos, in that you use and wash your hands all the time, so you're more likely to get blurring/fading issues.

That is absolutely correct. If you get some intricate lettering on your fingers, any lettering, really, it will start to fade within a year. In three years, it will look like utter crap. This is partly because you move your hands and fingers a lot, and because the skin on your fingers isn't as thick as it is elsewhere on your body. It also increase the chance of a 'blow out'. A blow out happens when the ink is inked too deep into the skin, the tattoo area gets aggravated before it heals, and it causes the ink to either bleed from the lines, or blur. There are varying degrees of blow outs, some will be a little tiny bit of bleed, and in the worst cases, it will be a mess. Google tattoo blow out if you're curious.

A really good tattoo artist is going to occasionally have a flub and ink too deep, happens. Usually not a cause for concern, but if the ink was put too deep on a part of the body that sees a lot of movement or pressure, it can really exaggerate the chance of a blow out. When you're inked too deep, it's not a 100% chance for a blow out, either, and after it fully heals, there's no more chance of a blow out. If it's a tattoo on your forearm, shoulder, bicep, a part of your body that stays mostly inert, and the tattoo artist inked too deep, it'll be fine. But, if the artist inked too deep, the more you move the area where the tattoo is, the bigger the chance for a blow out.

Tattoo artists are iffy about things like finger tattoos for all of these reasons, as well they should be. They don't need someone who didn't do their research coming back and saying 'look what happened!'.

[CottonTALE]

I have some tattoos I have 3.5 on my back and 2 on my legs. My first tattoo I got was in my final year of high school in 2011:

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This is going to be a full upper-back tattoo of the first 6 pokemon i ever had on my team when I was younger. There is also half a bulbasaur on my back that I need to get finished:
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[Sprinkles]

The thing I would say about hands is there's probably a similar problem to foot tattoos, in that you use and wash your hands all the time, so you're more likely to get blurring/fading issues.

That is absolutely correct. If you get some intricate lettering on your fingers, any lettering, really, it will start to fade within a year. In three years, it will look like utter crap. This is partly because you move your hands and fingers a lot, and because the skin on your fingers isn't as thick as it is elsewhere on your body. It also increase the chance of a 'blow out'. A blow out happens when the ink is inked too deep into the skin, the tattoo area gets aggravated before it heals, and it causes the ink to either bleed from the lines, or blur. There are varying degrees of blow outs, some will be a little tiny bit of bleed, and in the worst cases, it will be a mess. Google tattoo blow out if you're curious.

A really good tattoo artist is going to occasionally have a flub and ink too deep, happens. Usually not a cause for concern, but if the ink was put too deep on a part of the body that sees a lot of movement or pressure, it can really exaggerate the chance of a blow out. When you're inked too deep, it's not a 100% chance for a blow out, either, and after it fully heals, there's no more chance of a blow out. If it's a tattoo on your forearm, shoulder, bicep, a part of your body that stays mostly inert, and the tattoo artist inked too deep, it'll be fine. But, if the artist inked too deep, the more you move the area where the tattoo is, the bigger the chance for a blow out.

Tattoo artists are iffy about things like finger tattoos for all of these reasons, as well they should be. They don't need someone who didn't do their research coming back and saying 'look what happened!'.

I've read a lot about finger and hand tattoos becoming faded and all of the reasons behind it but I hadn't heard of a tattoo blow out before. Thank you for the warning! For the finger tattoos, I've seen a lot of really nice looking ones and read about people that got them a long time ago and how they still look nice. I also read that with finger tattoos, you should get them touched up two or three times to lessen the chance of them fading. Does that really help?

I have some tattoos I have 3.5 on my back and 2 on my legs. My first tattoo I got was in my final year of high school in 2011:

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This is going to be a full upper-back tattoo of the first 6 pokemon i ever had on my team when I was younger. There is also half a bulbasaur on my back that I need to get finished:
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CottonTALE, your first tattoo is so pretty! And I love the idea of your first pokemon team as a tattoo So cute!

Again, thank you so much everyone for sharing all of this with me. I have really learned a lot from you all 

[DoctorMowinckel]

The thing I would say about hands is there's probably a similar problem to foot tattoos, in that you use and wash your hands all the time, so you're more likely to get blurring/fading issues.

That is absolutely correct. If you get some intricate lettering on your fingers, any lettering, really, it will start to fade within a year. In three years, it will look like utter crap. This is partly because you move your hands and fingers a lot, and because the skin on your fingers isn't as thick as it is elsewhere on your body. It also increase the chance of a 'blow out'. A blow out happens when the ink is inked too deep into the skin, the tattoo area gets aggravated before it heals, and it causes the ink to either bleed from the lines, or blur. There are varying degrees of blow outs, some will be a little tiny bit of bleed, and in the worst cases, it will be a mess. Google tattoo blow out if you're curious.

A really good tattoo artist is going to occasionally have a flub and ink too deep, happens. Usually not a cause for concern, but if the ink was put too deep on a part of the body that sees a lot of movement or pressure, it can really exaggerate the chance of a blow out. When you're inked too deep, it's not a 100% chance for a blow out, either, and after it fully heals, there's no more chance of a blow out. If it's a tattoo on your forearm, shoulder, bicep, a part of your body that stays mostly inert, and the tattoo artist inked too deep, it'll be fine. But, if the artist inked too deep, the more you move the area where the tattoo is, the bigger the chance for a blow out.

Tattoo artists are iffy about things like finger tattoos for all of these reasons, as well they should be. They don't need someone who didn't do their research coming back and saying 'look what happened!'.

I've read a lot about finger and hand tattoos becoming faded and all of the reasons behind it but I hadn't heard of a tattoo blow out before. Thank you for the warning! For the finger tattoos, I've seen a lot of really nice looking ones and read about people that got them a long time ago and how they still look nice. I also read that with finger tattoos, you should get them touched up two or three times to lessen the chance of them fading. Does that really help?

It depends on the design. If it's any sort of lettering that isn't super bold, it will fade, you won't need to get it touched up a few times in your life, more like a couple times a year.

Here are some finger tattoos with intricate lettering right after they healed;

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Nice ink, right? No blow outs, really tight lines, detailed script, too. Have an after;

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I don't know how much time passed between the two, but they were both taken with a cell phone camera. So it was likely less than three years. Finger tattoos will fade, fast.

If it's a design with really bold lines and shapes, like some people will get a 'wedding band' tattoo, it will start to fade and blur around the edges, but it's not like it's a really detailed piece, so whatever.

Don't listen to heresy from other people. Talk to your tattoo artist. Ask them what you're thinking about it, and ask them how it will age. Tattoo artists really care about their work, and if they're going to do a piece that could make someone go 'look how quick this faded! That tattoo artist sucks!', they're not going to be eager to do it, they don't need that negative press. Tattoo artists want to give you an awesome piece that will look good for the rest of your life, and they'll work with you on that.

If this is going to be your first tattoo, do your homework. Ask the tattoo artist what they think of it, how it will age. Ask them about the design, what they think of it, if they think it's the type of tattoo that's trendy and will be out of fashion in a year, thus making you look silly. Look at the artists portfolio, be ready to pay for good work, and tip them! You tip your tattoo artist, they're putting something on you forever. That lasts longer than a pizza or dinner.

If your tattoo artist doesn't have their bloodborne pathogens certification, leave immediately. OSHA (Occupation Safety and Health Administration) requires a tattoo artists in most states (I think all) to have their bloodborne pathogens certification. If you're in a tattoo shop and they don't have it, they're not taking it seriously, at all. You can find someone with more experience, easily. You'll pay more, but it's worth it.

I advise people to put a lot of thought into tattoos, not because it's there forever or some gobbledegook, but because you only have so much real estate on your body! When I was 19 or 20 I almost got the Konami logo (the old one) tattooed on my shoulder, and while that would be an awesome tattoo, it'd be taking up that space, which is likely going to spent on something else, something that I've been into for nine years now. So, I'm glad I sat on that! Get tattoos, tattoos are awesome, but don't get something and think 'that's neat but I could have done better'. There's no backsies!

[kirei_na_sakura]

My tattoo was spur of the moment when I was in college. I believe I was 20 or 21. I just picked a star design (I love stars) and got that. It is on the top of my back, right below my neck, so I forget it's there most of the time. 
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[kaninchen]

i love well done lettering tattoos, and i have a word tattoo. just one word. and one i didn't even pick out! in fact, i had agreed to get the tattoo without ever knowing what my word would be! it's part of an art/literaure project and i wouldn't have missed the chance to be a part of it for the world. i would have been happy with anything, but i really really adore the word i ended up with.

and why not, have some pictures of some of my ink:

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swollen to high heaven and back!

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Roland Topor's "la masochiste"

[Schitterboogje]

I have 2 tattoo's.

The first one I got on my 18th birthday. It's a tribal on my lower back. Only with black ink and not too big. Sorry I have no photo.
I had that one just because I wanted a tattoo so badly and I got it out of a book at the tattoo shop.
I don't regret that one because I still think it looks nice but I would definately not get a tattoo again just to have one.

Now I'm 26 and my second tattoo I got maybe 7 months ago. Since my first tattoo I said that if I wanted another one it should be something with a personal thought.
I've been fighting a battle against anorexia and low self esteem for almost 5 years and the mirror was my biggest enemy at that time. Now I'm still recovering from it but the mirror is becoming my friend more and more.. so I didn't have to think very long for a second tattoo. I let the words  ' Mirror, Mirror ' tattooed on the inside of my left arm.
It's very personal to me and that tattoo is very special too me. And I so much more happy with this one than with my first one ! 

My advise would be to think good about what tattoo do you want. Don't take something just to have one. So chances to regret it later will be much smaller. 

[kaninchen]

i love your "mirror, mirror" tattoo so much. there's a very similar reason why i have a tattoo of a woman embroidering on herself called "la masochiste."