# I got my tattoo! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005 "2009-03-10T21:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/1 "2009-03-10T21:03:28Z")
A continuation of my previous thread, **“[thread=505760]Help me prepare for my first tattoo.[/thread]”** First off, pictures: [Here](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/ActualTattoo1.jpg), and a closeup [here](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/ActualTattoo2.jpg). In the above-linked thread, various posters tried to describe the pain from a tattoo application. After going through it, I’d say “carving” is close, but it felt very much like a little needle jabbing into the skin repeatedly. It was both more and less painful than I anticipated. The easiest parts were lower down, but up higher where bone was closer to the skin it was particularly hard, as were the times the artist dragged the needle across places to fill. I had to tense up to deal with it, and I couldn’t really talk. I just read the label on the latex gloves box on the windowsill. What I didn’t expect was that the pain stopped when the needle wasn’t on the skin. With a cut or burn, the pain lingers. I didn’t get any color, so that might be different. Thanks to Trev at Skin Deep, Lahaina, Maui. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/2 "2009-03-10T21:10:22Z")
It looks nice, I like it! > [@garygnu](#): > > What I didn’t expect was that the pain stopped when the needle wasn’t on the skin. With a cut or burn, the pain lingers. I didn’t get any color, so that might be different. This is my experience with my smaller tattoos. Not much pain afterwards, and some itching, but not bad. I have a much larger, full color one that was a whole different story though, I couldn’t even wear a regular bra for several days after (it’s on my upper back, where bra straps go). Then when it stopped hurting, it itched like hell for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/3 "2009-03-10T22:46:08Z")
Wow **garygnu** - that’s a great tat! So glad you decided to go through with it, and it looks superb. Hope you’re doing the after care! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/4 "2009-03-10T23:22:33Z")
Looks good and I don’t comment on tattoos unless I really like them. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/5 "2009-03-11T03:14:47Z")
Very nice work; simple, bold and very individualized. Are you already thinking about getting another? ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/6 "2009-03-11T03:24:06Z")
Very nice ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/7 "2009-03-11T03:31:28Z")
Very clean lines. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/8 "2009-03-11T14:24:41Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > Very nice work; simple, bold and very individualized. Are you already thinking about getting another? My wife asked me the same thing as we were walking back to the car. I think I’m good for now, but I might get another sometime in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/9 "2009-03-11T14:28:03Z")
I love that style of tattoo, I nearly got a mermaid with a similar look! ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/10 "2009-03-12T04:36:57Z")
Very nice, I love the design. Sounds like you had a pretty good experience, I’m glad it turned out so well! ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/11 "2009-03-12T07:33:35Z")
Love it! It’s bigger than I expected, but much more striking. Congrats on your first…maybe someday I’ll take the plunge! If I do, a shark is high up on my list of designs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/12 "2009-03-12T15:31:36Z")
Ooh, that’s a nice design. I had more or less the same experience as you WRT pain: some of it hurt quite a bit, but afterwards, I just felt extremely hungry 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/13 "2009-03-12T15:42:10Z")
Nice tattoo! Simple, clean lines tend to look the best, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/14 "2009-03-13T00:57:12Z")
That is pretty awesome! I love that design, simple and clean yet you can instantly tell what it is from a distance. Now make sure you care for it until it’s well healed! ---
**Author:** ![Gorgonzola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@Gorgonzola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgonzola)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/15 "2009-03-13T04:26:56Z")
_I’m a man man man man man man eater, But still you’re surprised prised prised when I eat ya._ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/16 "2009-03-13T04:50:43Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > What I didn’t expect was that the pain stopped when the needle wasn’t on the skin. With a cut or burn, the pain lingers. I didn’t get any color, so that might be different. > > Thanks to Trev at Skin Deep, Lahaina, Maui. Oh, yeah, forgot about that part. Strange isn’t it, no needle, no lingering pain. I always tell people the best part about getting a tattoo is how nice the cold damp rag is that they use to wipe away the blood feels. Carving is right, I normally say it’s like a burning hot razor blade tearing your skin off. Though I’m sure in actuality that would hurt a hell of a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/17 "2009-03-13T09:20:08Z")
that is a very cool shark, I like that minimalist look. 2 of my 3 tats are larger and all are filled (color or b/w) so they did hurt for a bit afterwards but I do remember that there really wasnt to much pain. with a large filled tat you are essentially getting a large scrape so it stings on the surface. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-my-tattoo/489005/18 "2009-03-13T10:39:06Z")
That was much nicer than I expected.