# tattoo thread



## soliloquy (Aug 14, 2020)

I looked it up, and didn't find any particular threads solely dedicated to tattoos, so I figured I'd make one? Mods, please feel free to delete, or merge as necessary.

who here has tattoo(s)? what inspired them? any particular stories behind them? ever thought of getting them, but changed your mind? ever got them, and regretted them? ever got any and then covered em up with a bigger one? 

I'm giving myself about 6 months to reevalutate on how I feel about getting ink done. I know the design, and the vague location, but not sure if my mind would be changed 6 months later to get my first tattoo. Thinking of getting a jellyfish on my right tricep, with its tentacles spread through out my arm and forearm. Kind of like a 'negative sleeve' with lots of negative space to emphasis the tentacles more. 

Depending on how I feel about that in a year's time, will get my left arm done with a kraken/colossal squid fighting a whale, with the kraken on my shoulder, and the whale on my forearm, and once again, the tentacles spread through out my arm.

Issue with me is that the style I like isn't too commonly found in North America. Its more common in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Maccau. One of the artists I like is coming to Canada in December, so depending on how I feel, i'll book her for December/January time for the first one. And then second, if covid lets up, may travel to that part of the world to get it done?


I do wonder about the part to take care of tattoos. fans of tattoos and tattoo artists are constantly saying to keep that away from the sun. Rightfully so. Yet when I'm at the beach, I see it often times where people have em in full display, without covering it up one bit. I get different skins heal and react differently.


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## budda (Aug 14, 2020)

Space, underwater, Calvin and Hobbes, music, hometown. Not a lot of pics .

It seems to me that a lot of people really overthink the first one or two in terms of "should I?" And after that it's "keep em coming".


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 14, 2020)

There's an old tattoo thread, but it's a million years old, so we can have a new one here. 

I'm pretty covered. Got most of them in my 20's. I don't regret them in the least and a haven't found them to be a barrier in furthering my career, but I know that's unique to my line of work. 

It's definitely something to think over, like everything expensive and permanent. 

Everyone heals different and some folks can have minor reactions to different colors of ink. Skin health, type, hygiene, and tone will matter as well. 

Talk to the artist. Ask questions, get feedback on your idea, and take it from there.


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## Demiurge (Aug 14, 2020)

budda said:


> It seems to me that a lot of people really overthink the first one or two in terms of "should I?" And after that it's "keep em coming".



Funnily, I overthink my decisions, but both my tattoos were completely spontaneous, thoughtless decisions. The first, my friend's uncle brought his tattoo gun to his high school graduation party and, frankly, I wanted one just to have one. The second, I was on vacation with friends and thought it would be crazy to get one at some random place. Alcohol was not involved. I do not have Hepatitis, but I do have a mediocre tattoo on each shoulder now. I'd like to get another- possibly to incorporate or cover one of these old ones, but I should probably put a lot of thought into it now.


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## MFB (Aug 14, 2020)

I've got 4 at the moment, previously had 6 but I've been doing laser sessions for about ...2 years now on my first two pieces that were done by someone who turned out to be a not so great guy/artist (that's putting it lightly), so I'm not going to be a billboard for his 'meh' art. 

My latest were these two which hurt the most, and I couldn't really walk for the entire rest of the week (done on a Wednesday, split on a recliner through Sunday)
https://imgur.com/a/BLi4H

I have a cover-up planned for one of my arms, but the other I think I might leave just as regular skin given the previous design and placement that was there before.


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## soliloquy (Aug 14, 2020)

budda said:


> Space, underwater, Calvin and Hobbes, music, hometown. Not a lot of pics .
> 
> It seems to me that a lot of people really overthink the first one or two in terms of "should I?" And after that it's "keep em coming".





MaxOfMetal said:


> There's an old tattoo thread, but it's a million years old, so we can have a new one here.
> 
> I'm pretty covered. Got most of them in my 20's. I don't regret them in the least and a haven't found them to be a barrier in furthering my career, but I know that's unique to my line of work.
> 
> ...



the initial one I wanted to get was a snake wrapped around my finger. However, after months of researching into that, decided against it. I am in the finance industry, and that is pretty conservative. so I'm opting out for something I can hide a bit better if need be. 

and my issue with life has always been that I over think EVERYTHING! Every step I take, or even think of taking, has countless time spent thinking of it. its also caused me to miss out on random lifetime of adventures that I do regret. The jellyfish, to me, is a perfect representation to stop overthinking and over complicating things. Its a brainless, heartless creature that has existed for millions of years, and will continue for a whole lot longer; its viscous; lethal; and beautiful, yet deadly when getting too close....

see what I mean about over thinking things? need to tell my mind to STFU and just go in.


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## sleewell (Aug 14, 2020)

i have a good vs evil sleeve by Bugs. got it done when i lived in socal. he is into cubism and the devil is kinda grabbing the heel of the angel. i love it. 

i want to get my other arm done but dont really have the money. thinking like a pure black look where the design is the negative spaces.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 14, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> the initial one I wanted to get was a snake wrapped around my finger. However, after months of researching into that, decided against it. I am in the finance industry, and that is pretty conservative. so I'm opting out for something I can hide a bit better if need be.



I have tattoos on my hands and other very conspicuous places, and I'd still recommend staying away from that for one of your first tattoos.


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## soliloquy (Aug 14, 2020)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I have tattoos on my hands and other very conspicuous places, and I'd still recommend staying away from that for one of your first tattoos.



If i do grow the balls to ditch finance, or potentially going towards teaching, and just become a full time photographer, the snake tattoo will get done. But in teaching, or finance its not going to happen.


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## budda (Aug 14, 2020)

Hand tattoos should be towards the end, not the beginning IMO. Same with necks/heads.

I overthink as well. First tattoo was very small, and I was back a month later for the next (much bigger but hide-able) one.


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## sleewell (Aug 14, 2020)

I work at a fairly conservative bank. it's funny being in conversations with coworkers who are bashing people with tattoos. like, yeah those people are real heathens lol.


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## stevexc (Aug 14, 2020)

I work in the corporate leg of the Healthcare industry, and I gotta say my coworkers are always so stoked when i get a new tattoo. A combination of "Oh that's so cool!" and "I could never get one myself...". It always makes me laugh.

Mine aren't anything special but I only have a few so I'll pic dump them here, because what good is a tattoo thread with no tattoo pics?

My first two:







Can't say I'd be going back to this artist again. He's got a lot of experience, yet somehow nowhere the technical abilities. They're not *bad* bad but they're iffy. My wife has a matching heart on her arm.






This one, however, I love. The artist (Dustin Ward, @wardtattoo on Insta) just moved back home to Kelowna as the pandemic started unfortunately but if I can get another from him I totally would.






This one is by far the biggest, yet also the cheapest - I actually won it. Only stipulation was it had to be a (main series) Marvel character in a realistic style. Being a good 'Berta boy I went with Wolverine, I grew up on the old X-Men cartoon. Once things calm down I might go in for some touch-ups but overall I love it too. Done by Steve Sklepic (@steve_epic) at Pure Imagination Tattoo.


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## Steinmetzify (Aug 14, 2020)

Got a bunch; Chinese characters that I actually looked up to find out what they mean, my right arm is covered in blue fire, my left shoulder is a blue tribal type design that’s got the names of some friends that are no longer with me, and a few leg tats.

These were all done at meaningful times in my life, just wanted remembrances.

My daughter is a fantastic artist and has just started doing tats; she’s certified and has done a bunch of her friends. I’m working up an arm design with her based on some of her art that I have; she’s contributed to stickers on my guitar cases and my phone case has a piece of her art on it.

See what happens.

For the OP; make it something you’ve always wanted/thought about and do it.

My phone case:


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## Hollowway (Aug 15, 2020)

@soliloquy who is the artist you like? I’m curious to see the style/work. Your idea of the reverse/sleeve and negative space sounds super cool!


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## soliloquy (Aug 15, 2020)

Hollowway said:


> @soliloquy who is the artist you like? I’m curious to see the style/work. Your idea of the reverse/sleeve and negative space sounds super cool!



I'm going with chapto.too_hk that is tagged in these photos. She's from Hong Kong and travels a lot.

The other artist from South Korea also does a similar style. Hard to describe, but it's smokey, sketch, pencil drawn kinda stuff?


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## Hollowway (Aug 15, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> I'm going with chapto.too_hk that is tagged in these photos. She's from Hong Kong and travels a lot.
> 
> The other artist from South Korea also does a similar style. Hard to describe, but it's smokey, sketch, pencil drawn kinda stuff?


Those are really cool. I love black ink tattoos like that!


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## broj15 (Aug 15, 2020)

I currently have 10 tattoos. Will post some pics later if I remember to. 
The only one I totally regret is a small noose on my ankle (next to a shitty stick n poke I did on myself). I don't regret it because of the actual subject matter, but it was an impulse decision I made on a Friday the 13th and I feel like it's taking up space that could be dedicated to something better. Thankfully it's just black line work and pretty small so it can be covered up easily. 
Only other tattoo related regret I have is all on me. Got a really sick piece on my inner forearm (snake with some barbed wire... Doesn't get trashier than that) and then had to go work a shift on the grill at my old kitchen job the next day. Needless to say the heat coming off the flat top & fryers along with the other dirt & bullshit that comes with working that position was NOT ideal for a very fresh tattoo. Ended up scaring really bad and now some of the color is horribly faded & a few solid black portions are a really cloudy gray. I need to get it touched up but the artist who did it moved out of state and is now about 3 hours away from me, so I just plan on having him do it the next time I get a fresh piece from him, whenever that may be. 

Alternatively, my favorite tattoo is a small flower on my ankle (opposite the one with the noose) that looks like it was drawn by a 5 year old. I ended up at a house show one night and during thier set a member of the touring band said they'd be doing tattoos in the kitchen upstairs after the show for $20 for anything out of thier flash book. I decided to go for and 5 minutes later they were shaving my leg . Like I said, it looks like a 5 year old drew it, but so did everything else in thier flash book so it was more of a creative decision on thier part and less then being a bad tattoo artist. Actually thier sanitation practices, paperwork, and equipment seemed to be on par with any other professional shop I've been to and it ended up healing in a matter of days compared to other pieces I've gotten which have taken a minimum of 2 weeks depending on size.


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## vilk (Aug 18, 2020)

I've only got a couple, this is the only one I have a nice picture of






This is a motif in Japan called "nozarashi". In the past, when people were sick or old, they were taken out to the wilderness and left there to die... Then someday someone will eventually happen upon the bones. I used to like to read poems by Matsuo Basho, and he wrote one about finding a nozarashi. Then one day I found a bottle of shochu (liquor) called Nozarashi with a very simplified version of what I would eventually get as a tattoo from the artist Gakkin. Gakkin is great if you check him out, does a lot of negative space and black-out type work. I feel like my tattoo is like one of the smallest he's done recently because all I ever see from him are peoples entire bodies totally covered, or entire limbs at the very least.


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## odibrom (Aug 18, 2020)

Can I express my opinion on this? Please... I'm a blank canvas, I have no tattoos because of a few things that I'll address soon enough. First allow me to express my thoughts on this.

I love drawing and painting and am pretty sensible to images expressed that way (in which tattoos fall in) and I have degrees in this area. I do love to see well drawn tattoos like some of the examples shown here. Most "comercial" tattoos, however, are not of my tastes, a tattoo just to honor this or that is most often meh to me... unless the image is really something else, which, unfortunately isn't that often.

So... the reasons why I have no tattoos are (just to be the devil's advocate):

My body is my temple and I like it _clean _(I'm not saying that inked skin is dirty) or as I said before, a blank canvas. As for unique marks, I already carry some scars I got in my life, so I'm good with that.
As for having something on my skin, it would probably be some drawing/painting by me... done by someone else? naaah, I don't think so.
Then, there's the conservative environment I live in (family the shit) that would probably harass my head off if I got inked... I and already had my share on that before. It's not that they control me, but I simply do not want more headaches as I already carry a few every single day.
Then the permanent quality of the action. Yeah, I know nothing is permanent and that there's the laser therapy and all that jazz, but then... money out the window and I can't afford that.
... and they're expensive... as are the LASER therapies to erase them... I've got other priorities to spend my cash like... guitars!
My _blankness state_ allows me to be anything at some point, and the exact opposite in the next, almost like a Chameleon. It's like looking at a blank canvas, what will I paint there, what will I be today?...

Nevertheless, there are only a few things I'd tattoo: the name of my kids and/or some of the stereoscopic drawings I've drawn so far... or some other geometric compositions like that... but then, it would have to be done by someone else and that is not OK in my book, I'd be over-critical and that would most likely ruin the whole action of inking the skin due to my pressure over the inking artist... I'd be a pain in the ass kind of a client...


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## NotDonVito (Aug 19, 2020)

I have a stupid fucking bee on my arm cause I was banging some girl who wanted to go get mystery vending machine tattoos(basically you put a token in the machine and got a random $25 tattoo). It’s a constant reminder not to blinded by my horniness.


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## p0ke (Aug 19, 2020)

I don't have any yet. 
I've thought of getting some a few times in my life but have always been happy later that I didn't. For example my old band used to have a pretty cool viking'ish logo which I was gonna have a tattoo of. But then the band broke up quite abruptly (well, I'm still sort of in the same band but the founder of the band who created the logo and name left and took it with him), so I'm happy I don't have a mark of that. I always thought if the band breaks up, I won't mind having a memory of the good times, but because how it went down, I'm glad I don't have it.
Now, my daughter's name is Lumi, which is Snow in Finnish, so I'm considering getting some kind of snowflake tattoo at some point, when my financial situations allows it.


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## TedEH (Aug 19, 2020)

I've always heard people say it's hard to get the first one then they just keep coming - but for me it's been kinda backwards. The first one was easy (in part cause someone else paid for it), but I've always wanted a second and never done it. I think I've just yet to come up with anything that I imagine I would want permanently so I never went for it. I have ideas, but they're just ok ideas. As soon as I come up with something that I just HAVE TO get, an idea so brilliant I wonder why I didn't think of it before - I'm sure I wouldn't hesitate.

Currently I only have the sort of obvious/cliche small guitar outline on one arm. It's explorer shaped because explorers are the best guitar shapes by every objective measure.


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## budda (Aug 19, 2020)

And that's the overthinking part I mentioned. They don't have to be brilliant, you just have to like it. None of my tattoos are earth-shattering art, but I love all of them.


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 19, 2020)

NotDonVito said:


> I have a stupid fucking bee on my arm cause I was banging some girl who wanted to go get mystery vending machine tattoos(basically you put a token in the machine and got a random $25 tattoo). It’s a constant reminder not to blinded by my horniness.


"Don't bee an idiot when you're trying to hit it"


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 19, 2020)

I've been thinking the last couple years what I want for my first couple tattoos and have a pretty good idea, just need to wait for Michigan to collectively unfuck itself so I can feel safe going to some artists over there. There's a few good ones in my city but the ones I've found across my border are more my style. 

I've been really digging the trash polka style, even though I hate the name. The realistic black work with vibrant colours for contrast looks really sharp Imo.


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## soliloquy (Aug 19, 2020)

for me, thats precisely why I'm not getting something that is VERY obvious. People come and go. For example, my partner's name translates as 'moon'. I could get her name tattooed on me. But in the event we break up, it wouldn't make sense. Thus getting the moon, itself, is a bit more symbolic as its general. It could be to honor her; but it could also be because I do happen to like the moon and it brings me peace


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## soliloquy (Aug 19, 2020)

BlackMastodon said:


> I've been thinking the last couple years what I want for my first couple tattoos and have a pretty good idea, just need to wait for Michigan to collectively unfuck itself so I can feel safe going to some artists over there. There's a few good ones in my city but the ones I've found across my border are more my style.
> 
> I've been really digging the trash polka style, even though I hate the name. The realistic black work with vibrant colours for contrast looks really sharp Imo.



wasn't aware of 'Trash Polka'. Now this seems interesting.


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 19, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> wasn't aware of 'Trash Polka'. Now this seems interesting.


Black and red seems most common but when people do it with blues and greens it looks great.


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## budda (Aug 19, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> for me, thats precisely why I'm not getting something that is VERY obvious. People come and go. For example, my partner's name translates as 'moon'. I could get her name tattooed on me. But in the event we break up, it wouldn't make sense. Thus getting the moon, itself, is a bit more symbolic as its general. It could be to honor her; but it could also be because I do happen to like the moon and it brings me peace



Or just get a cover-up.


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## jaxadam (Aug 23, 2020)




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## MFB (Aug 23, 2020)

You just don't see good, clean, Christian breaks like those anymore


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 23, 2020)

Checkmate atheists!


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## lelandbowman3 (Sep 24, 2020)

Cool thread! I'm currently working on a Lovecraft-themed sleeve, which is a lot of illustration but no real "style."
I have really been into neotraditional recently because I've seen a lot of cool designs and color studies. I haven't really had any setbacks because of my tattoos (knock on wood) even though I live in the Bible belt. I do have an I Killed the Prom Queen tattoo across my chest.


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## soliloquy (Sep 25, 2020)

lelandbowman3 said:


> Cool thread! I'm currently working on a Lovecraft-themed sleeve, which is a lot of illustration but no real "style."
> I have really been into neotraditional recently because I've seen a lot of cool designs and color studies. I haven't really had any setbacks because of my tattoos (knock on wood) even though I live in the Bible belt. I do have an I Killed the Prom Queen tattoo across my chest.



if you have any sketches of the lovecraft design, id love to see em


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## MFB (Sep 25, 2020)

I have a consultation Monday to discuss the first part of my forearm cover up, hoping to do it either mid-October or early November if possible


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## MrBouleDeBowling (Sep 26, 2020)

I have 4. I will eventually be heavily covered in the future. So far, my biggest and my favorite is the T.Rex skull on my right arm


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## MFB (Sep 28, 2020)

MFB said:


> I have a consultation Monday to discuss the first part of my forearm cover up, hoping to do it either mid-October or early November if possible



And deposit is put down for exactly when I thought, mid-October  Looking at a 4-hr session to do a color forearm piece


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## soliloquy (Oct 2, 2020)

MFB said:


> And deposit is put down for exactly when I thought, mid-October  Looking at a 4-hr session to do a color forearm piece



sweet! looking forward to that!!!


my tattoo artist keeps getting pushed further back. She was originally supposed to come to my city in December, but then got delayed to January, then February, now maybe May? Covid is doing its thing and preventing people from traveling. i refuse to get it done from anyone else but her...so lets see


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## Jarmake (Oct 3, 2020)

I had my first tattoo when I was 15. It was a simple barb wire on my right bicep. Then right after getting that one I got another one, at 33, to my left arm. It's a half sleeve (I guess?) on my left hand... There's a tree branch with a bird over a lake. On the other side of the lake there's some snowy trees and aurora borealis in the sky. There's a lot of colors. Red, yellow, orange, different shades of blue and green, white...


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 7, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> if you have any sketches of the lovecraft design, id love to see em


This is Cthulhu when he first got done. The rest are the Cleric Beast from Bloodborne, and my inner bicep is Nyarlathotep.


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## soliloquy (Oct 8, 2020)

lelandbowman3 said:


> This is Cthulhu when he first got done. The rest are the Cleric Beast from Bloodborne, and my inner bicep is Nyarlathotep.
> View attachment 85742
> View attachment 85743
> View attachment 85744
> ...



that is so bad ass! how many sittings was that? and how long did it take to heal?


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 8, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> that is so bad ass! how many sittings was that? and how long did it take to heal?


So, as best I can remember, it took about 8 sessions because I only ever feel like getting cut on for 3-4 hours at a time. As far as the healing goes, I discovered I'm the WORST healer in the world, meaning my body HATES getting tattooed. After I researched more ways to heal I found out about saniderm/tegaderm. It's a gas-permeable, waterproof bandage that's what they put on burn victims in the hospital, and it basically heals the surface of the tattoo in a week, so you skip the most volatile part of the healing process.
Total heal time is still about two months before it gets back to not feeling sensitive in sunlight/warm water, but most of that is just the pigments settling in the dermal layer. 
In terms of healing as it being an "open wound" roughly a week the way I heal it now.


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 8, 2020)

I also have an appointment next month to start the forearm, which is going to be Lovecraft morphing into a monster, and Hastur, the King in Yellow.


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## soliloquy (Oct 8, 2020)

lelandbowman3 said:


> So, as best I can remember, it took about 8 sessions because I only ever feel like getting cut on for 3-4 hours at a time. As far as the healing goes, I discovered I'm the WORST healer in the world, meaning my body HATES getting tattooed. After I researched more ways to heal I found out about saniderm/tegaderm. It's a gas-permeable, waterproof bandage that's what they put on burn victims in the hospital, and it basically heals the surface of the tattoo in a week, so you skip the most volatile part of the healing process.
> Total heal time is still about two months before it gets back to not feeling sensitive in sunlight/warm water, but most of that is just the pigments settling in the dermal layer.
> In terms of healing as it being an "open wound" roughly a week the way I heal it now.



That is something i definitely need to keep in mind for when I get inked up. Though my style would just be black and gray, and some or 'minimalistic'? so hopefully its not too long a session, and the healing process wouldn't be too long. 

Though now i'm debating. Initially I was planning on doing my entire right sleeve (when I say entire, i mean, i'll leave the bicep alone, and I'll leave plenty of space in between for the random details, so its more visible from a distance, rather than observed from up close. essentially a 'negative sleeve', if you will?). However, since i'm a righty, and I use that hand the most, maybe I should switch it to my left arm instead? 

decisions...


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 8, 2020)

soliloquy said:


> That is something i definitely need to keep in mind for when I get inked up. Though my style would just be black and gray, and some or 'minimalistic'? so hopefully its not too long a session, and the healing process wouldn't be too long.
> 
> Though now i'm debating. Initially I was planning on doing my entire right sleeve (when I say entire, i mean, i'll leave the bicep alone, and I'll leave plenty of space in between for the random details, so its more visible from a distance, rather than observed from up close. essentially a 'negative sleeve', if you will?). However, since i'm a righty, and I use that hand the most, maybe I should switch it to my left arm instead?
> 
> decisions...


Honestly, dude, from my experience, once the healing starts, you realize that your skin stretches more than you'd think. So go with your main plan! Might as well. The other bonus of the saniderm is that it completely removes any friction irritation/snags you would normally get from clothing because it's a sheer bandage. Just make sure you're not allergic to the adhesive, and you should be good to go! I do recommend watching reviews and applications on the youtubes first.


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## MFB (Oct 8, 2020)

I've never done saniderm with any of my pieces, but what happens during the peeling/flaking portion of healing since it has nowhere to go? Does it just sit and get broken back down underneath the wrap? Or does that not really happen as it's not exposed and heals more in a controlled state?


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 8, 2020)

MFB said:


> I've never done saniderm with any of my pieces, but what happens during the peeling/flaking portion of healing since it has nowhere to go? Does it just sit and get broken back down underneath the wrap? Or does that not really happen as it's not exposed and heals more in a controlled state?



I've done Saniderm, and if your skin can handle it, it's really the best method.

If you do it right, you shouldn't really scab/peel like you normally would. You sort of just heal. 

You just have to make sure you adhere to the changing schedule, and listen to your skin. For me that's 24 hours, three days, and then about a week depending on activity level. I don't usually have to apply any lotion/ointment. The most annoying thing is hair growth under the wrap, but that can vary significantly depending on location and person.

I will say, it hurts pretty good removing at the end, and your skin is extra sensitive for a week or so.


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## MFB (Oct 9, 2020)

Ah, OK, so in that case it changes the heal and avoids the peeling; which thinking on it now, its probably caused by the exposure and ability to breath.

I'm gonna talk to my artist and see what he recommends after this next one, so far none have suggested doing it - probably since my pieces aren't complicated - but at the same time, I'm curious to see if this new piece would be better off from doing it. I'm a ...mobile sleeper to say the least, so if it avoids my slobbering on it in my sleeper/keeps it from sticking to the sheets, then it's already an improvement.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 9, 2020)

MFB said:


> Ah, OK, so in that case it changes the heal and avoids the peeling; which thinking on it now, its probably caused by the exposure and ability to breath.
> 
> I'm gonna talk to my artist and see what he recommends after this next one, so far none have suggested doing it - probably since my pieces aren't complicated - but at the same time, I'm curious to see if this new piece would be better off from doing it. I'm a ...mobile sleeper to say the least, so if it avoids my slobbering on it in my sleeper/keeps it from sticking to the sheets, then it's already an improvement.



It's not going to protect any better than a thick slathering of Aquaphor and a long sleeve shirt. 

It's more of a convenience thing, especially since I've always had to get back to work and hate using ointment if I don't have to. It's also not cheap. 

As long as your tattoo is sanitary it's not going to cause a problem, regardless of what the artist says. It's basically solid ointment, if that makes sense. 

My full process:

- Get tattoo
- Immediately go home and wash it gently with baby soap
- Pat dry with a CLEAN towel
- Apply Saniderm, make sure to extend at least an inch around the tattoo, but the more the better. If I'm wrapping it around I go over two inches at the seam. 
- First application is for 24 hours
- Remove first application. If it's extra gooey or bloody I'll clean it off.
- Apply for the second time. This one I do for about three days. 
- After three days it should be pretty moist. 
- Remove second wrap
- Apply final Saniderm. This is the long haul, full week. This is where the hairs regrowing feels really weird. 
- At the end of the week, remove the dressing and evaluate. 

Get one of the bigger "artist" packs. You'll fuck up your first couple attempts at putting it on.


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## broj15 (Oct 9, 2020)

Got stuck in the drive through yesterday and decided to snap a couple quick pics after browsing this thread:










The snake looks kinda rough in places but that's just from poor after care/possible scarring from a possible infection during the healing process like I mentioned in my last comment. Definitely wanna get it touched up some day, but it's hard to justify a 2 hour drive just for a touch up so I'm just waiting until I get more work done.

Edit: and yes I AM wearing shorts . They're just really short.


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## budda (Oct 9, 2020)

My after care is:

- artist cleans, applies vaseline and gauze, wraps tattoo
- 5 hours later wash clean with unscented soap, pat dry with clean towel
- apply unscented moisteurizer every few hours as the area feels dry/taut. 
- shower as normal with the unscented soap

Peeling usually starts after 3 days and takes about 3 weeks to finish. I try to get tattooed on weekends so I can get at least 1 full day of healing before I go back to work. 

We'll see if my new artist (different shop) suggests anything different. That one will be the longest sit I've done. It's the arm going numb bit that gets interesting .

Going to hit up another shop in January about a glitch style piece later next year. Got a lot on the go "lol"


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## MFB (Oct 9, 2020)

Yeah, that's similar to every one I've done so far, the only issue is I end up getting tatted during long-sleeve weather season, so then I have the lotion making the sleeve cling to the area which is the last thing I want; luckily with this next one, it's early enough that I can still wear polos or roll my sleeves up past it with my current sweater stable, but I think I'm gonna go the saniderm route where it's my first color piece in a highly visible spot.

Speaking of the next piece, I managed to find a real life flower we can substitute in place of the ones I had as reference, since the scale of them (chrysanthamums) would be straight up impossible to do; the Aster is like a middle ground between a daisy's petals and the curved ends of a chrysanthamum, so I'm gonna shoot those over to him and see if it makes his life easier.


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## budda (Oct 9, 2020)

MFB said:


> Yeah, that's similar to every one I've done so far, the only issue is I end up getting tatted during long-sleeve weather season, so then I have the lotion making the sleeve cling to the area which is the last thing I want; luckily with this next one, it's early enough that I can still wear polos or roll my sleeves up past it with my current sweater stable, but I think I'm gonna go the saniderm route where it's my first color piece in a highly visible spot.



Buy a vest?


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## MFB (Oct 9, 2020)

budda said:


> Buy a vest?



I'm already bald with a beard, if I add a vest I'm one pair of clean, white Asics away from being accused of being a dad and thinking every boy should be called "sport" or "champ."


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## budda (Oct 9, 2020)

MFB said:


> I'm already bald with a beard, if I add a vest I'm one pair of clean, white Asics away from being accused of being a dad and thinking every boy should be called "sport" or "champ."



But you want the tattoo and to stay warm, right? 

Get a treadwell vest, patch it out, enjoy .

I took pics of my arm pieces to post here, but the forum didnt like the file size. Ah well.


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## BlackMastodon (Oct 9, 2020)

budda said:


> My after care is:
> 
> - artist cleans, applies vaseline and gauze, wraps tattoo
> - 5 hours later wash clean with unscented soap, pat dry with clean towel
> ...


Any recommendations of artists in the London area? There's a couple I've been eyeing in Windsor but I'm leaning towards one or 2 in Ferndale, MI. My current plan is to continue on laser hair removal on my upper arms over the winter that I started last year, so hoping next summer the border opens up.


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## budda (Oct 9, 2020)

BlackMastodon said:


> Any recommendations of artists in the London area? There's a couple I've been eyeing in Windsor but I'm leaning towards one or 2 in Ferndale, MI. My current plan is to continue on laser hair removal on my upper arms over the winter that I started last year, so hoping next summer the border opens up.



I've only been to Dave at hanger 18 so far - two sleeves and two large sections (calf/ankle and half sleeve in progress). I really like the style at Nitty Gritty, which is my next spot. A friend had his first tattoo there and spoke well of it. There's Village tattoo co but I dont have personal experience there.


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 9, 2020)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's not going to protect any better than a thick slathering of Aquaphor and a long sleeve shirt.



I dont know, dude. I feel it's pretty well protected, especially in terms of not having to worry about fuzz, dirt, etc. that might happen if you're open healing.
That and there's basically no friction from my clothing that would irritate and pull at scabs/peeling.
But each to their own. And yeah, the convenience of not having to wash and apply lotion every few hours.



MFB said:


> I've never done saniderm with any of my pieces, but what happens during the peeling/flaking portion of healing since it has nowhere to go? Does it just sit and get broken back down underneath the wrap? Or does that not really happen as it's not exposed and heals more in a controlled state?



So basically, it heals the top layer of your skin, what gets damaged the most during the tattoo process. And your body doesn't peel up or scab because your body is using the lymphatic fluids (that normally turn into scabs, but because they're sealed under plastic, it's just sterile lymphatic fluid.) to heal and keep the tattoo moisturized. After a few days, the lymphatic fluid will build up and crystalize, but it doesn't affect the tattoo at all. If anything I feel like it's helped the ink set better and cuts healing time in half.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 9, 2020)

lelandbowman3 said:


> I dont know, dude. I feel it's pretty well protected, especially in terms of not having to worry about fuzz, dirt, etc. that might happen if you're open healing.
> That and there's basically no friction from my clothing that would irritate and pull at scabs/peeling.
> But each to their own. And yeah, the convenience of not having to wash and apply lotion every few hours.



Don't get me wrong, it's definitely my preferred method, I just don't want to give the impression that it makes your tattoo impervious to the outside or that the results are something unattainable by other methods.


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## MrBouleDeBowling (Oct 10, 2020)

My after care is always what my artist would tell me to do. Nobody and I mean NOBODY would tell me the same thing. My first tat will need a few touch ups because I naively listened to a few collegues who told me I wasn't using enough cream.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 10, 2020)

AlexCorriveau said:


> My after care is always what my artist would tell me to do. Nobody and I mean NOBODY would tell me the same thing. My first tat will need a few touch ups because I naively listened to a few collegues who told me I wasn't using enough cream.



Everyone's skin has different needs, you just have to listen to your body. If it's too dry, moisten. If it's too wet, wash it off. 

It's not rocket science though. You destroy the top layer of skin to put ink underneath and the goal is to keep the ink in place while letting your top layer heal well enough to not obscure the ink.


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## MFB (Oct 16, 2020)

For those who have done saniderm, how'd it hold up with sweat/working out? I've been going back to the gym and while weights don't get me too grimy, when I do my runs I'm hitting 4 to 5 miles in roughly 30-45 minutes, which does get a nice sheen going on the ol' arms. I assume since it's all trapped underneath it wouldn't be a big deal since it has nowhere to go, it would just sit under the wrap and get rehydrated, but just curious.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 16, 2020)

MFB said:


> For those who have done saniderm, how'd it hold up with sweat/working out? I've been going back to the gym and while weights don't get me too grimy, when I do my runs I'm hitting 4 to 5 miles in roughly 30-45 minutes, which does get a nice sheen going on the ol' arms. I assume since it's all trapped underneath it wouldn't be a big deal since it has nowhere to go, it would just sit under the wrap and get rehydrated, but just curious.



It depends on the location. Anything with a joint is going to suck. If you sweat a lot it's going to be gross when you remove the bandage. 

You only wear the thing for about a week, skip the gym if you can.


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## MFB (Oct 16, 2020)

MaxOfMetal said:


> You only wear the thing for about a week, skip the gym if you can.



That's looking like the plan, I tend to go every other or every third day so it's only a few workouts to miss; just one of those things I hate where just when I was getting in to a routine, something comes up and throws it off a little bit longer.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 16, 2020)

MFB said:


> That's looking like the plan, I tend to go every other or every third day so it's only a few workouts to miss; just one of those things I hate where just when I was getting in to a routine, something comes up and throws it off a little bit longer.



You could give it a shot. Worse case scenario you just replace the bandage. The most important time period is the first 24 hours, after that you can be much more whatever about it.


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## MFB (Oct 19, 2020)

New piece is done, turns out he does a similar process to Saniderm except it's called Recovery Derm, goes on super thin and aside from the little bubbles from rotating/flexing, you can barely tell it's there.







He ended up having to reschedule for today, which was totally fine as I was already a little nervous from not feeling 100% after seeing my family the day before (which turned out to just be residual exhaustion from _my family_). Got in there, banged out the line work in like an hour or so, and then the color took another two or so, so all said and done we came in an hour under what we thought it would take - and two hours under what we booked for in case it needed longer. But hey, I'll take shaving an hour or two off instead of needing an extra hour or two. Apparently my skin is great for tattooing, takes the inks really well which saved him the trouble of needing to do multiple passes for linework and shading, so that's neat.

I'm wrapped up from now until Friday night, but he said I could also give it until Saturday morning since we finished so late, which is what I plan to do. Then from there, it's just typical treatment of wash/pat dry/lotion as needed, etc... I'll post pics in the next day or so when he drops them on line as they're better than whatever I could take


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## MFB (Oct 20, 2020)

Morning #1 - this thing looks like it wept like a son of a bitch while I slept, and all the endorphins I had seem to have run out so the pain is now present  There's definitely some initial 'sticker shock' having never done a wrap recovery, and it made me initially nervous but I'm trusting in the process; I can also guarantee that it looks worse than it is by the very nature of the wrap, it's whole point is to keep everything in, so it's all just caked on top of each other instead of letting me slowly clean that off as it's exposed.


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## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd (Oct 20, 2020)

These plus my stomach and my right quad which I don’t have decent pictures of. Been at it 20 years, no where near done. No advice, everyone’s tattoo journey is their own. Have a nice day.


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 21, 2020)

MFB said:


> Morning #1 - this thing looks like it wept like a son of a bitch while I slept, and all the endorphins I had seem to have run out so the pain is now present  There's definitely some initial 'sticker shock' having never done a wrap recovery, and it made me initially nervous but I'm trusting in the process; I can also guarantee that it looks worse than it is by the very nature of the wrap, it's whole point is to keep everything in, so it's all just caked on top of each other instead of letting me slowly clean that off as it's exposed.


It's definitely going to weep, but that's ok. Like I mentioned, it's all sterile lymphatic fluid, which will actually help heal and keep the tattoo moisturized. If the seal breaks, you'll need to wash and re-apply the bandage. Also, it all really depends on how your body heals. You don't want to remove the bandage too early because the skin you're growing will be super thin and easily irritated.

REMOVING THE BANDAGE:
make sure that you're pulling parallel with your skin, and not back, up, or away from the bandage. It comes off pretty easily this way, and there's no damage to the skin. I'd recommend doing it right after a nice, warm shower, that way your skin is nice and soft from the water and it should release a little easier.


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## MFB (Oct 21, 2020)

Yeah, across definitely seems like it'd be the less painful/tedious of the two instead of rolling/peeling it down the entire way. There's a small portion that bubbled that first night and some leaked out but I just patched it up and haven't seen any issues since; thankfully it was just blacks too, so if it needs a punch in at that one spot it's truly not a big deal and I wont even sweat it (its the outline at the top of the piece, on something that's also just fluff).

I've still got another two full days of it being under wraps, not taking this bad boy off till Saturday morning.


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## MFB (Oct 22, 2020)

There's a few spots where the ink under the wrap looks like it's dried up and cracked/split, safe to assume that's normal? I'm not that worried about it, not enough like I'm going to pull the wrap off and immediately assume the worst, just hadn't seen it until earlier today.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 22, 2020)

MFB said:


> There's a few spots where the ink under the wrap looks like it's dried up and cracked/split, safe to assume that's normal? I'm not that worried about it, not enough like I'm going to pull the wrap off and immediately assume the worst, just hadn't seen it until earlier today.



If it looks like a crackle guitar finish its totally normal.


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## MFB (Oct 23, 2020)

Wrap is off, did a quick wash and air dry before applying lotion, still looking sharp as shit. Taking that off was quite terrifying as some ink is still caked on, and I didnt want to scrub too hard tonight to get it off, but I'll give it a bit more tomorrow morning to get it all off. The worst part right now is just the stickiness at my inner elbow from one of the wraps, just won't wash off.


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## MFB (Oct 29, 2020)

Alright, so this dude is pretty healed, minimal flaking/peeling at this point. Probably won't need lotion more than once a day after this weekend (I'm doing it once in the morning and right before bed at the moment), so I think pics are in order.

My Kezia inspired, neo-traditional color tattoo


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## lelandbowman3 (Oct 30, 2020)

Right on dude! Glad it worked for you! I'm 100% a believer in using this method to heal my tattoos from here on out.


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## MFB (Oct 30, 2020)

Yeah, I was in a terrible mood from work when I took the wrap off, so I was even more nervous than the days before; but once I started taking it off I could breath easy. There was some caking that first day that required a little bit of elbow grease to get off, but honestly, the convenience of the wrap is unbeatable.

Some spots still seems a little heavy and raised, not sure if just that much ink went in there and its the end result or maybe just my dumb skin underneath. It's pain free to touch it now, and thankfully also getting to be itch free - forgot how much these fuckers itch during the healing between hair regrowth and skin healing, etc.


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## SCJR (Mar 26, 2021)

I have two, they're not big but not small. Not cheap or poorly done at all.

I regret the f*** out of them.


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## thrsher (Apr 13, 2022)

SCJR said:


> I have two, they're not big but not small. Not cheap or poorly done at all.
> 
> I regret the f*** out of them.


why do you regret them?


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 13, 2022)

I wouldn't say I regret my first tattoo, but I wouldn't get it again. It's slated for cover-up but I'm not in a hurry. Lesson: don't get tattoos that have to do with people you might not fuck with later in life, be they friends, lovers, or bands you adore.

This is my most recent. Full disclosure, this started life as a simple wedding band tattoo, then I got divorced. Whoops. Lesson not learned I guess. I made a full recovery though both mentally and aesthetically and am super pleased with the recontextualization:


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## CanserDYI (Apr 14, 2022)

I got a funny tattoo story. My friend owns a tattoo studio here in town, I went and got a cover up of an old ex's name and picked out this really sick crows head with arrows coming out the bottom, I usually don't do an artist's flash tattoos, but this one really spoke to me for some reason.

Me and him go outside and smoke a blunt together, and go inside and I lay down and he starts. It's on the back of my arm so I can't really see what he's doing.

Fast forward an hour later and dudes like "okay all done....oh yeah I added a snakes tongue to the crow cause I thought it'd be rad."

I shot up so fast and hit the mirror and luckily, he was right. It looked sick. Next words out of my mouth, " dude. You really are so lucky that's badass, cause I was about to knock you out" we both laughed and went out and finished the blunt. Now I have a funny tattoo story.


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## SCJR (Apr 20, 2022)

thrsher said:


> why do you regret them?



I got them when I was 17 and thought I was going to sleeve my arms and now I have no interest in having any tattoos at all. Whenever a solid method of removal is developed I'll have them taken off.


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## thrsher (Apr 20, 2022)

SCJR said:


> I got them when I was 17 and thought I was going to sleeve my arms and now I have no interest in having any tattoos at all. Whenever a solid method of removal is developed I'll have them taken off.


ive done laser remove. it sucks but it does work. it just take a lot of sessions if you want to do complete removal, also depending on the quality of work/inks used. i only did laser for lightening up so i could do cover ups though


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## MFB (Apr 20, 2022)

SCJR said:


> I got them when I was 17 and thought I was going to sleeve my arms and now I have no interest in having any tattoos at all. Whenever a solid method of removal is developed I'll have them taken off.



I can actually speak to this one VERY well, as I just finished up 4 years worth of laser sessions back in ...October? Maybe a little earlier? 

I had strictly black and gray tattoos that were done when I was 18, one on each forearm, and they were: not well thought out, and not well done as evident by the price I paid for them, and later the guy who did them turned out to be a real scumbag (he ended up having charges on his records involving the words "a minor" that resulted in opening a new studio, so take from that what you will). The reason my pieces took so long to remove is because I was going for removal on the spots I wasn't covering which required additional sessions, and the healing process is 6/8-12 weeks between depending on where you are in the process. 

Was it costly? Yeah, I spent I think, 10x what each piece cost me taking them off vs. going in, but the peace of mind I get from not having them on me is entirely worth the cost - I didn't want to support the artist if anyone asked me who did them (I got to the point of just saying "a shop up in NH") and looking at them reminded me that they had obvious flaws by someone who was grandfathered into being considered a "good artist"; and the girls at the shop who did it were great and I've told them if they want to see me outside of just being a client they're more than willing to shoot me a text and I'll be there.


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## dmlinger (Apr 21, 2022)

I need to spend more time over here in the Off-Topic section of the forum. Always forget it exists.

I work in sales for a large corporation. When I am in the office (rare) or traveling for work (more common) I always wear a suit. If it's casual, a long sleeve button down and slacks.

Not too long ago, I was at our HQ for some meetings (blah), and forgot to button the small buttons on my shirt sleeve and coworker could see my tattoos poking through. I have both arms sleeved. They made a commotion about it and some coworkers came over. I don't like attention, but they wanted to see them so the sleeves got rolled up. 

I have to admit, it was a relief for my coworkers to think they were "cool" and not uptight about it since our industry is pretty conservative.


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## JK-PA (Apr 22, 2022)

An old coworker of mine started tattooing a while ago and I let her practice on my hand yesterday


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## CanserDYI (Apr 22, 2022)

JK-PA said:


> An old coworker of mine started tattooing a while ago and I let her practice on my hand yesterday
> View attachment 106564


Yes. I like this a lot, yes.


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 22, 2022)

JK-PA said:


> An old coworker of mine started tattooing a while ago and I let her practice on my hand yesterday
> View attachment 106564



Brave soul, letting someone practice on your hand. Looks like she did a really nice job though, this is a great design. Have fun explaining the cross to your coworkers, people love to ask about mine.

When I got my hand done I went to the sketchiest looking body mod scarification face tat juggalo artist I could find, figuring, this guy knows wtf he's doing. I had to sit through some light conspiracy talk but he did a knockout job on my knuckles.


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## thrsher (Apr 22, 2022)

i would love to tattoo my hands, just dont feel secure enough in work and life to do it


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 22, 2022)

thrsher said:


> i would love to tattoo my hands, just dont feel secure enough in work and life to do it



Take your time. It was 5 years, maybe more, from when I decided I for sure wanted my hands done to when I settled on designs I was happy with. 

Also FWIW I work in public schools and have never had an issue having numerous visible tattoos and wearing black nail polish. I was nervous about it at first but nobody has ever said anything negative and the kids love it.


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## thrsher (Apr 22, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Take your time. It was 5 years, maybe more, from when I decided I for sure wanted my hands done to when I settled on designs I was happy with.
> 
> Also FWIW I work in public schools and have never had an issue having numerous visible tattoos and wearing black nail polish. I was nervous about it at first but nobody has ever said anything negative and the kids love it.


I'm 37 now. About 80% of my body is done and I currently work in banking. Have not had any problems but I know that hands/neck stigma is still out there though. That's great to hear you being in the public school system with no issues


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## odibrom (Apr 22, 2022)

... am I the only one here without tattoos? I do have my scars here and there, some made by doctors, others self inflicted, but no tattoos.. who else?

... but I love drawing, to see drawings and images and tattoos are generally inspiring on those ends... keep the photos coming please.


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 22, 2022)

odibrom said:


> ... am I the only one here without tattoos? I do have my scars here and there, some made by doctors, others self inflicted, but no tattoos.. who else?
> 
> ... but I love drawing, to see drawings and images and tattoos are generally inspiring on those ends... keep the photos coming please.



I definitely understand this. I don't have any interest in piercings, never have never will, same with most other elective body mods, but I love getting tattooed, both the process and the lasting effect.

I could see myself doing some small branding/scarification but not to the extent I get tattooed. I can't exactly explain it but I don't have to think very hard about it to know what I do and don't want in terms of body mods. I think most folks are this way and that's totally fine.


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## thrsher (Apr 22, 2022)

This is my back


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 22, 2022)

odibrom said:


> ... am I the only one here without tattoos? I do have my scars here and there, some made by doctors, others self inflicted, but no tattoos.. who else?
> 
> ... but I love drawing, to see drawings and images and tattoos are generally inspiring on those ends... keep the photos coming please.


I don't have any either, yet. I waited until I could finally decide on a few designs that I knew I wouldn't regret instead of jumping at the chance as soon as I turned 18 just for the sake of having a tattoo. No offense to anyone who did this, I just knew I didn't want to and frankly am better off for not letter 18-year-old-me decide on a tattoo.

I started getting laser hair removal on my upper arms before I got any tattoos because I'm a sasquatch and figured it would get darker/hairier as I get older so I might as well take care of it before so I don't have to shave my shoulders and upper arms. But then Covid happened and completely fucked all oof that up.

I think I'll finish the laser hair removal as I probably only have 4-5 sessions left that I can do this fall/winter, and I've found a couple artists in my general area where I could easily make a day trip, or even overnight.

So no tattoos or piercings but that'll likely change soon. 31 isn't too old for my first tattoo.


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## odibrom (Apr 22, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> I definitely understand this. I don't have any interest in piercings, never have never will, same with most other elective body mods, but I love getting tattooed, both the process and the lasting effect.
> 
> I could see myself doing some small branding/scarification but not to the extent I get tattooed. I can't exactly explain it but I don't have to think very hard about it to know what I do and don't want in terms of body mods. I think most folks are this way and that's totally fine.



Oh, you probably understood me wrong, my self inflicted scars came from life accidents, like falling from the sk8board when as a kid.

As far as body mods, I got rid of wasn't working, like my tonsils /amygdalas (?), a cyst in the ass the 2 bottom wisdom teeth and in this year it seems I'll get rid of my vesicle (beneath the liver)... oh and I just finished putting my teeth in order... at 44 trips around the sun...




BlackMastodon said:


> I don't have any either, yet. I waited until I could finally decide on a few designs that I knew I wouldn't regret instead of jumping at the chance as soon as I turned 18 just for the sake of having a tattoo. No offense to anyone who did this, I just knew I didn't want to and frankly am better off for not letter 18-year-old-me decide on a tattoo.
> 
> I started getting laser hair removal on my upper arms before I got any tattoos because I'm a sasquatch and figured it would get darker/hairier as I get older so I might as well take care of it before so I don't have to shave my shoulders and upper arms. But then Covid happened and completely fucked all oof that up.
> 
> ...



... age is but a number...for what really counts, that is...


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 22, 2022)

thrsher said:


> i would love to tattoo my hands, just dont feel secure enough in work and life to do it



It's a big jump, but it's great. Makes my sleeves feel so much more complete. 

As always content and quality are usually what folks see, even if they're not into tattoos. I've had fairly conservative "I'll never get a tattoo" or "I'll never date someone with a tattoo" types comment positively on mine because they just think they look pretty and aren't offensive. 

I think perceptions, even in conservative office environments, have shifted a lot. I got my first tattoos in the 90's (don't worry, no tribal  ) and comparing feedback then and now and every time in between is night and day. 

Heck, even the dinosaur company I work at rolled back corporate tattoo policy like six or seven years ago and they were SUPER strict. 

But then again, I have facial tattoos, so I'm probably not the best role model.


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 22, 2022)

I tried to make these smaller and obviously failed so enjoy my pores. 

This was just flash art, but I was born on Friday 13th it was a Friday 13th special on my 33rd birthday in 2020 which seemed an auspicious occasion for such a thing. This was just before lockdown hit, one of the other flash arts was a corona virus hahaha. I saw a couple people walk out with that one.





Sabotabby. Do you remember when beating the boss to death with a shovel in front of his family was on the table as a union tactic? Sabotabby remembers.






Squirrel Nutkin, pre-tail-removal. A kindred spirit who would rather dance and be cute than go to work, but who also ultimately paid the price for his impudence. Lessons and reminders abound. This one is a big winner with the ladies. Tee hee.


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## JK-PA (Apr 23, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> Brave soul, letting someone practice on your hand. Looks like she did a really nice job though, this is a great design. Have fun explaining the cross to your coworkers, people love to ask about mine.
> 
> When I got my hand done I went to the sketchiest looking body mod scarification face tat juggalo artist I could find, figuring, this guy knows wtf he's doing. I had to sit through some light conspiracy talk but he did a knockout job on my knuckles.



She really did a great job, especially since she wasn't even prepared to do it on the hand. 
We originally wanted to put it on my leg but when I arrived for my appointment I asked her if she would like to try a hand.

I work for a pretty open minded company, lot's of inked people there. I don't think I will have to explain much about the cross.


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## Heretick (Dec 12, 2022)

I'm officially an Naoto Shirogane stan for life now
Few months healed, I got in in October


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## SexHaver420 (Jan 2, 2023)

Me and my best friend got these matching tattoos last year cuz she wanted a tattoo and found that idea on a video called matching tattoos for mentally ill best friends. A couple of months ago I asked my friend if she'd give me a black and gray floral sleeve so my bee has a home cuz he was homeless and that's sad. This is what she came up with and it looks super rad even though it isn't finished yet cuz she has to do all the gray still. It has a lily or something, some orchids, some poppies, and 2 big roses. She's done about 15 hours of tattooing on it. She did the outline in a 6 hour session, a 6 hour session of solid black work, and a 3 hour session of black to finish it all up. It's rad and I like it and I'm gonna have her tattoo my whole other arm next 

It's kinda hard to get a good picture of it all though lol


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## wheresthefbomb (Jan 2, 2023)

The sleeve is turning out great!

I'm feeling the itch again, time to save up some money and book a session.


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## odibrom (Jan 2, 2023)

wheresthefbomb said:


> The sleeve is turning out great!
> 
> I'm feeling the itch again, time to save up some money and book a session.



... don't, save up for new year gear...


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## wheresthefbomb (Jan 2, 2023)

odibrom said:


> ... don't, save up for new year gear...



I appreciate you looking out, it's already determined that Life Pedal is coming before new tattoo.


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## Winspear (Jan 2, 2023)

A pretty busy year or so of tats for me, but it's going to be a while before I can get any more..all big projects from pricey artists in future !















Also got the Mourir logo up on my pec which you can see part of in the first pic, and a mandala on my other cheek/ear , but I can't find a convenient online image of them right now


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## wheresthefbomb (Jan 2, 2023)

Winspear said:


> A pretty busy year or so of tats for me, but it's going to be a while before I can get any more..all big projects from pricey artists in future !
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The black and red one on your chest is _really_ crisp, that artist did a knockout job. Also dig the elongated glyphs on your fingers, I don't think I've seen a design like that before.


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## MFB (Jan 2, 2023)

I have a session booked on the 10th of February to do the Mastodon piece of my patchwork half sleeve, should be good


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## BlackMastodon (Jan 2, 2023)

MFB said:


> I have a session booked on the 10th of February to do the Mastodon piece of my patchwork half sleeve, should be good


Colour me intrigued. What's it gonna be?


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## MFB (Jan 2, 2023)

BlackMastodon said:


> Colour me intrigued. What's it gonna be?



Disembodied hand turning into smoke, with a flaming eye in the palm (taken from the lyrics of either Divinations or Quintessence, along with loving Paul Romano's 'Crack the Skye' art [whichever one I say it's going to be the other one])


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## BlackMastodon (Jan 2, 2023)

MFB said:


> Disembodied hand turning into smoke, with a flaming eye in the palm (taken from the lyrics of either Divinations or Quintessence, along with loving Paul Romano's 'Crack the Skye' art [whichever one I say it's going to be the other one])


Hell yeah, I love the Crack the Skye artwork and am thinking I may eventually want the bear or one of the barons that's on the cover art. Look forward to seeing how yours turns out!


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## MFB (Jan 2, 2023)

BlackMastodon said:


> Hell yeah, I love the Crack the Skye artwork and am thinking I may eventually want the bear or one of the barons that's on the cover art. Look forward to seeing how yours turns out!



Yeah, CTS is probably in my top 10 of All Time, and all the Mastodon artwork is top notch so I knew I wanted to draw inspiration from the lyrics but take some hints from that. I would've done something from "Ghost of Karelia," given the whole '9 eyes gaze/human skulls filled blood" but I already have a skull on that same arm.

It's neo traditional style by this guy, so it'll be cohesive with my Protest the Hero one. My Coheed guillotine will be black and gray, same for my Thank You Scientist tree carving one (but that's going on the butt). Other/last neo traditional piece will be for Gojira, but there's is pretty hard to nail down.









Cam Sevigne — Great Spirits Tattoo







www.greatspiritstattoo.com


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