Since my twin and I are approaching a birthday milestone and considering matching tattoos to commemorate said milestone (my idea), I thought I’d ask if anyone had any tattoos and/or tattoo stories or opinions they’d like to share? Do you have one, do you want one, if you have one - where is it, cost-factor, pain-factor, would-you-do-it-again factor, advice. etc…?
http://www.jinwicked.com/images/pics/gbpark02.jpg
$150.00, my own hand drawn artwork (drawn and inked at age 18 – 23 now, that pic is a month old). Took about two hours, all in one sitting.
Hurt like… a naughty, naughty word that could be abbreviated MF.
But I expected it to hurt. It was self-inflicted punishment.
I have two, and if money was not an issue, my chest and back would be all but covered in ink. Pain depends on where you get it – different areas have different amounts of nerves. While it’s healing it feels alot like a sunburn. If you do get one, make sure you follow aftercare instructions to the T, otherwise it may fade pretty badly.
that looks really cool, jin – did you get it done in Houston? If so – where? (I’m in Houston also)
Yes, I got it done in town, but I would rather not say where.
Is it somewhere you’d recommend? You could email me the info if you’d like.
Yeah, I’d recommend them, but I drew the artwork so I don’t see what difference it makes. It was years ago, and I’m not saying, email or otherwise.
It was a “is it a reputable place” sort of question, not an “I want your design” sort of question, since I already have a symbol picked out. I didn’t realize it was such a sensitive issue for you – but thanks for the info anyway. Unless of course your volunteering information was just a way to plug your website (nice work, btw). Ciao.
I have several tats… My first was (is) a large winged serpent wrapped around the Harley bar and shield logo which I got done in KC, MO at Wes Grimms back in the 80s. Since then I’ve had more work done at a place in the Chicago suburbs that isn’t there any more, as well as a couple pieces done by amateurs in their homes. The best piece I have is one done this way. I’ve become a real fan of blackwork. There is more detail to be had with black than with color work. At least it seems that way to me. The next piece I’m working on is a large back piece in black ink.
As for advice regarding artists. I would never consider getting work done by someone whose previous work I had not seen.
The other thing I’m somewhat over sensitive about is needles. I want a brand new needle. I don’t trust sterilizers quite enough.
Also, don’t drink any alcohol beforehand. Alcohol thins the blood and you bleed more. You don’t want this, and neither does the artist.
After you get a tattoo, it will begin to scab. It is imperative that you allow it to heal naturally. Scratching it, and thus knocking the scab loose, lifts the color from the tattoo and you won’t end up with results as nice as you’d otherwise have gotten.
Think about your colors as well. Light colors fade more quickly than dark colors. This is particularly true if your tattoo is in a location which is commonly exposed to sunlight. White and yellow are very difficult to keep in the long run, so if your tattoo is in an exposed location, avoid these colors.
Another thing I do is I try to keep the skin moisturized well where I have tattoos. I don’t know if it really helps, but I’m sure it doesn’t hurt. I do know that the colors tend to be more vivid immediately after applying moisturizer.
Something else to consider about where you get a tattoo placed is how easy it is to conceal. I currently have 8 tattoos, yet when working as a consultant for a major power company, someone made the comment that I had to be the most straight laced person in the place. I showed her one of the tattoos on my forearm and she was amazed! Being able to hide them is important because even though tattoos are more widely accepted than ever, there are still those people who have a low opinion of people who have them.
It was a reputable place, I just don’t like telling people where I get things. I won’t tell anyone where my hat came from either. Just a weird quirk of mine, sorry.
thanks sejal – very helpful information:)
Love my tattoo. Got it about 5 years ago and I searched for several years to find exactly what I wanted. I finally gave up and drew an original artwork (a parrot) made it much more special that it is my own. I never regretted it and I am thinking of stating something new…just haven’t decided exactly what I want yet.
WARNING - they are slightly addictive. No, I don’t think it really hurts…just slightly annoying.
slightly addicting? that’s what a friend of mine told me (he’s got four or five now)!
slightly addicting? that’s what a friend of mine told me (he’s got four or five now)!
no wonder it took so long to add that reply – the Board Genies put it in twice! (oops)
I think tatoos are ugly and foolish to get.
My daughter wanted one for years and I kept telling her “when you are 18 you can make your own decision” I thought by the time she got to 18 she would changer her mind. WRONG! The day after her birthday she went and got one on her lower back. It took 3 hours to complete and $150 was the cost. It is just a Chinese design all done in black. That was a few years back. Now she is 23 and she claims she still has no regrets.
Remember tattoos are permanent. What you find attractive now might not appeal to you when you are 40.
Now the 17 year old wants a tattoo. He thinks because he wants it to say “Mom” that I am going to change my mind…but I’m not!
two tattoos: a II (Gemini symbol) in the small of my back, and a fleur-de-lis (my daughter’s name is Lilly) on my right deltoid. The one on the back hurt more, as it is in a place with less padding between the skin and the bone.
Really give serious consideration to getting the work done. While they can be removed, the process is expensive and time consuming. Consider it permanent.
Considering that I’m a month and a half away from 40, chances are I’m going to find it just as attractive then as I do now! 
Isabelle, who naturally has every right to her opinions, illustrates nicely why I said that you should consider where you get it very carefully.
Isabelle, FWIW, I got my first when I was 19, am 35 now, and still have no regrets.
Three tats here: “24601” on my lower back, a crescent on my shoulder, and “dirait-on” written on my ankle.
Pain factor: nil on my back, pretty excrutiating on my ankle. But yeah, they’re addicting. I want a fourth, but with all of mine, I’ve got up THAT morning and said, “Hey, this would make a good tattoo” and then got it that day, so I’m just waiting for the next one to pop up in my head.