Post #95691 by Tikiwahine on Thu, Jun 10, 2004 12:08 PM

I got mine 8 years ago, and here's what I remember:

Go original if possible, or alter slightly(unless there is an image you just LOVE and don't care if others have)

Remember, the tattoo artists are not called artists for nothing. If you give them pictures and ideas they can probably come up with something super cool and original for you. Or better yet, draw it yourself! Make sure it's big enough for people to tell what it is, and that over time it won't fade to look like a blob. The cool machines they have can enlarge or shrink it onto the blue carbon paper.

Where I went each artist has a book filled with all of the tattoos they've done, so you can see what their style is like. They should be happy to have you hang around for a few hours and ask questions. I found out ALL about the world of body piercing and got to check out a very detailed book on different locations. Quite interesting.

Steer away from shops that aren't friendly, some seem to prefer that you pick a picture off the wall :roll:

I also started to feel faint at the beginning, a lollypop fixed me right up.

The pain for me was only when the needle was actually touching the skin, as soon as it was lifted away there was no pain at all. For some reason the wider needle used for filling in was less painful than the sharper one used for the outlines.

Here is what a local shop says:

Do not soak in bath for two weeks, showers O.K.
Do not swim in salt or chlorinated water for two weeks.
Do not sun tan or fake and bake for two weeks. (Exposure to Sunlight / UV rays can irritate a healing tattoo. Long term exposure can eventually fade established tattoos that are left unprotected.)
Do not listen to "Tattoo Experts" in bars for two weeks.