Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lisa Bohanon on June 15, 2010 at 7:20pm

Most important piece of advice I can give - Think about it, think about, sleep on it & think about it some more. Give yourself plenty of time to make sure it is what you want. It may even take months! I love having a tattoo. I want another, but I keep changing my mind about what I want - so I am waiting. BTW - I hate needles too!

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Permalink Reply by Liz Oliver on June 15, 2010 at 7:23pm

I have tattoos.
In a new artist, I ask to look at their portfolio and always ask how long they have been doing this. This way, not only do I get to see their handy work but I get to talk to them for a minute to see if I like their voice and demeanor. See if you feel at ease talking to them before deciding.

In their portfolio...
Look for straight lines in their artwork, nothing worse than a wobbly line or one that is fat in spots and thin in another. A line should be consistent in width and straight. Even around a curve the line is still "straight", per se. In other words, it follows a "path". You don't want your tattoo to look like a child did it while riding on the bus...lol Look for their style of coloring too (if you're getting color). And if possible, watch them do someone else before getting your tattoo done.

Cleanliness...
Make sure you see them clean up their station before doing a tattoo AND after they are finished doing a tattoo. Make sure they take out a clean needle from a sealed package. Make sure they clean the tattoo gun and have a cover over it while working. AND make sure they wear gloves while tattooing.

Hope that helps.

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StudentPermalink Reply by Rachel on June 15, 2010 at 8:09pm

thats a good tip to check for straight lines and consistent in the artwork. I was going to check there health Cert to see how much the studio is cleaned.

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Permalink Reply by Robin Weiss on June 15, 2010 at 7:26pm

Depends....How old are you? How long have you wanted one? does it have any significance? I wanted a tattoo for a very long time. My Mother did everything she could to discourage me. Good girls don't get them, etc....When I was in my late 30s ( I'm in my late 40's now) I lost a lot of weight and decided that I wasn't going to wait until my Mom was gone to do what I wanted. I got my first tattoo ( three flowers on my ankle with my children's initials). Then, for Mother's Day the next year they gave me a gift certificate. I got a double heart bracelet. Just recently I got some stars behind my left ear. Two weeks ago I had my first firehoop burn. I plan on getting a flame somewhere (not sure yet).

This is what I've told my children about tattoos, piercings, etc. Tattoos are for the rest of your life. Someday you may have to explain them to your grandchildren. Also, gravity happens. You may put a puppy dog on your upper chest and end up with a giraffe.

Now make your own decision and own it!

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Permalink Reply by roberta on June 15, 2010 at 7:38pm

hahaha, giraffe, i love it. i am going to use this, hope you don't mind. thats hillarious!

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StudentPermalink Reply by Rachel on June 15, 2010 at 8:10pm

that is great adivse "Tattoos are for the rest of your life".

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Permalink Reply by roberta on June 15, 2010 at 7:34pm

i have a few tattoos, i love them. i love tattoos, i love the art, the tecnique, but mostly i love a good story. each of my tattoos has a story and that will always stick, even when trends die, colours fade, my body ages, the story of each will go on. the dove on my shoulder i share with my best friend, across my lower back i have GD bears and other symbols, each for a different awsome show, my sons foot print on top of my left footfrom when he was 6 months (its so little now that he's 2), the building of a full left sleeve, part designed by my fabulous and talented sister, representing the elements. there's more, i could go on all day..... next will be an old school Popeye that my dad always wanted to get but was too scarred. he passed away last month at 53yrs old, never doing it, so i will.
so my advise is make sure it means something, that when its droppy and faded you can tell your grandchildren a good story about it. friends of mine have had regretes that usually come from google images or of a tattoo shop wall.
also shop around for artists. if you see a beautiful piece, ask who did it. if you can, don't go by an album. healed tattoos look very different then fresh ones.
hope that helps, good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Alison Von on June 15, 2010 at 8:18pm

I completely agree with the concept that each tattoo tells a story. I know all five of mine do!

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Permalink Reply by Meg on June 19, 2010 at 7:44pm

I really love how you explained how each tattoo should have a story, and I agree with you 100%.

For the OP, about needles, I was so afraid of needles that when my mother took me in to get my flu shot when I was younger, I could not stop crying out of terror. The doctor couldn't legally give it to me if I didn't want it, regardless of what my mother wanted. She even offered to stick me herself in the doc's presence. I've never had a flu shot in my life, and I never will.

I find that the needles used for tattooing are very different. Look up a picture of a tattoo gun if you don't know what they look like. The needles aren't super huge and they don't go super deep in your skin. I'd say I have a medium pain tolerance -- not enough to full-on cry, and not too much that I don't feel a thing. I have a green peace sign based off a peace sign necklace my best friend and I each have, and getting it took about half an hour and felt like a cat was dragging its claw through my skin. It stung, but was entirely tolerable. When it got a bit too painful on one spot, I just asked the person tattooing me to switch to another area.

I got that tattoo done twice -- once by a lady in her pot-smelling apartment (I'm all for pot, but for the love of god, don't do what I did...), and she went too deep, that the ink bled a little into my skin, so my tatt had a little green "halo" all around it. I got a professional to go over it all over again and outline it in black to cover some of it up, but it's still visible if you look closely.

Beware the tattoo addiction! When my mum got her first tattoo, long before I got mine, I told her she wouldn't be able to stop with one. Pain can be quite addicting, and you do get a little rush of awesome when getting tattooed (at least her and I did). Now she has four, and I've got ideas all ready for my future ones (the next being a red heart inside my other wrist so that they're a pair, like "peace and love". I find tattoos addicting kind of like how piercings are (I've got a list of more that I want as well, and I already have 8 holes in my body :P)

Too be honest, I didn't put too much research into the actual artists that worked on my tattoo (made obvious by the pot-smelling apartment). When I went to a professional, I watched that he cleaned his entire workspace and all of his equipment, which he was smart enough to do in front of me. I'd also been in the place for piercings, and I've seen them routinely mop their floors and keep the place clean. I've never felt uncomfortable there, or like they were trying to give me false information. I'd suggest that if you feel even the tiniest bit of unease (that's not related to the tattoo or piercing itself, more the people and the establishment), walk out without a second thought. Tattoos are permanent, period, unless you're willing to spend thousands of dollars getting it removed, which is way more painful, I'm told.

In order to decide whether or not I really wanted my tattoo, I drew it on over and over in green sharpie when it faded to get used to seeing it there. After about a month (which admittedly, isn't a long time), I decided that I definitely wanted it, and so far, a year later, I'm still in love with my ink.

As for growing old and the tattoo getting all bent out of shape and wrinkly... well, then it matches the rest of my skin: bent out of shape and wrinkly. Doesn't bother me :P

:) Hope I helped, sorry for the length! Good luck, tattoos are AWESOME :D

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Permalink Reply by Joan Warburton on June 15, 2010 at 8:03pm

I have tattoos that are more than 35 years old. It was hard to find an artist who would tattoo a woman back in those days.
Years ago when people talked about tattoos being "very" painful it's because they went in deeper. The black outline was thicker, the colors were not as bright but also applied deeper than they are today. Many people will be back in getting their tats recolored in ten years while the old ones are still showing reds, yellows, greens and blues with next to no fading.
Tattoos today scratch the skin, there's minimal bleeding and you don't have to worry as much about going over muscle or thin skin. There's more discomfort over thin skin, over bone, but it's not like years ago. It was more than a little uncomfortable, LOL, and a bloody mess!

There's so many wonderful artists out there so, as was mentioned, check out several styles and be sure about what you want.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea Nicole on June 15, 2010 at 8:10pm

I have a few tattoos and my b/f used to work at a tattoo shop. I have a piece on my back, one on my wrist, one on my ankle and one on the back of my neck. Every single one means something to me.

Tattoos hurt. I'm not going to lie. :P Some places hurt more, but they all hurt. The after care is no picnic either. It can get really itchy, but don't scratch - unless you're into scarification.

Always check the artists portfolio!! Make sure you like their work and it goes along with what you're looking for. Ask tons of questions. If they get irratible, they aren't the one for you. This is going to be on your body for life. Ask about their sanitation system. Does the place look clean and smell almost like a hospital? Oh and look at their ink. :D

Hope that helps.

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StudentPermalink Reply by Miss Jacqui* on June 15, 2010 at 8:18pm

Edit: I just realized that the first part of this is reiterating what someone else said... sorry!

Make sure you only get something that has and will always have meaning to you. I have 3 tattoos: lower back, ribs, and ankle. The second two have meaning to me but the first, a star on my lower back, had no meaning when I got it on my 18th birthday. Trust me, it really sucks to explain kid meaningless tramp stamp to people.

I dated a guy who owned a tattoo shop for a while. His biggest words of advice were similar to above, about straight lines, the artist having YEARS of experience, cleanliness practices, a good-sounding machine (in general, should be a low buzz that isn't too loud or choppy), and having lots of word-of-mouth recommendations. Who do all your friends go to?

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