Best skin? (question for tattooers)

[CaptCanada]

I've talked a little about this to my tattooer, and he was also kind enough to lend me a book Danish Tattooing by Jon Nordstrom. Which has a narration by tattoo jack in 1971 that says

"The best skin for tattooing, that would be the Icelanders. Scandiavians are good, but the Icelanders are particularly fine, they're a rare breed. I don't belive that any doctoral dissertations have been written on skin, but there are differences between the nations' skins all the same. On an Icelander, the lines come out strong and good, while on a Negro - whose skin is silky soft - they come out so thin that you can barely see them. You cannot tattoo on a finer man than a redhead. Dark people are not so good, and neither is a blue-collar man, someone who really works. Some one whose skin is coarse. The less the sun has shone on the skin, the better - like on a died-in-the-wool clerk for instance."

Bunshin Horitoshi thinks that the daily diet is what changes your skin. Eating rice everyday will change your skin from eating bread grains everyday. He says rice creates a better skin. So we all know that sun soaked skin makes skin more leather like, but what have you found as the best skin? Is it the nationality, the diet, night shift vs day shift workers, job type?

[Shmitty]

I don't know about anyone else, but I haven't really seen a pattern as to who's skin is the best to tattoo, it varies so much from body part to body part, much less from person to person. I will say that the lighter complected you are the better color usually looks, and I like the way that black and gray works on Latino skin, but otherwise it is a kind of a "start tattooing and see what happens" kind of thing.

[Ursula]

I've been told I have good skin because of my colouring. I'm Italian but not really dark so I have pale skin with an olive undertone which apparently shows the colours nicely. I also have been told I'm horrible to tattoo because I have very dark arm and leg hair and my skin is very sensitive and tends to swell and hurts a lot even in easy spots. Usually just the shaving makes my skin start to sting. My dude tattooed a friend of mine a while ago who is very very white and has no freckles and doesn't have a lot of dark body hair, he said her skin was great to tattoo.

As far as what you read in the book, I have been told that black skin is a lot harder to tattoo because the purple stencil just looks shiny and is very hard to see and then once you start tattooing the lines look grey rather than black so it's easy to over do it I guess.

I'd imagine asian skin is good because of their colouring. Usually fairly pale and with yellow undertones. I agree with shmitty about latinos and black and grey, it does tend to look better on them than on most really white people I've seen.

[David Flores]

I was just thinking about getting some more black and grey tattoos because of how good they seem to turn out on my skin. I have had some tattooers say it's hard to pack color while tattooing my upper thigh because of the way my skin is, so they had to push it a little harder and it healed a little harder but healed fine in the end. I have heard a lot of tattooers talk about lower back being a good spot to get a good stretch and color goes in nice.

[slayer9019]

So far I've been told to get color since I am damn near translucent white, it comes with the territory of working inside, usually no windows :( . Just like Ursula I am Italian but its a joke since I am sooo pale. Only part of my body that ever got tough skin was my hands from years of working on my motorcycles, cars and off-roading.

[kylegrey]

Great topic ,I agree with your man Capt diet really changes your skin ,particulary having basmati rice as your main carb soure and eating white meat the best being fish .That is my experience with athletes at least .

[irezumi]

IMO As long as you're white and don't all day in the sun its almost all the same. I tattoo people with shitty diets and good diets and different occupations and i don't notice much difference unless you spend a lot of time in the sun or if you're olive-y skinned. But thats only my experience.

[Ursula]

This is more related to after it's healed but has anyone here has problems with their tattoos getting tiny holes in them from their hair? This might sound really weird but the individual hairs on my legs are so thick and strong that I actually get little holes all over my tattoos over time. Like the hairs are actually pushing the ink out or something. It doesn't really happen on my arms thankfully but I have noticed it on almost every leg tattoo I have except maybe the newest. Anyone else have this problem? Unfortunately it's too late for laser hair removal because you can't get it over tattoos I guess.

[AlannaCA]

This is more related to after it's healed but has anyone here has problems with their tattoos getting tiny holes in them from their hair? This might sound really weird but the individual hairs on my legs are so thick and strong that I actually get little holes all over my tattoos over time. Like the hairs are actually pushing the ink out or something. It doesn't really happen on my arms thankfully but I have noticed it on almost every leg tattoo I have except maybe the newest. Anyone else have this problem? Unfortunately it's too late for laser hair removal because you can't get it over tattoos I guess.

DUDE!! me TOO!!! hahaha i was so proud that i didnt loose any ink over the healing process and then 2 months later i noticed slight pin hole size dots where the colour was not as rich and i was thinking what the heck is wrong with my skin!!. i got that little one while i was in the middle of getting laser hair on my upper leg so the hair is not as strong as is used to be. anyway i just recently finished having the hair lasered off my upper legs and i have a tattoo appt on friday for a big tattoo. :)

BTW i have horrible skin for tattooing as alot of it is full of stretch marks but i love how the beautiful colours cover up what im embarrased about! as long as the artist i go to can stand to tattoo over them i will continue to see her!

[Stewart Robson]

I'd mostly agree with the quote from the book.

With the exception/addition that Asian skin seems much easier to tattoo.

Generally though, clients who drink plenty of water and keep out of the sun make my job much easier.

Saying that, I love the way Japanese background looks when tanned. Not the coloured foreground, just the clouds, waves etc.

[ChrisM]

I've also been told I have great skin for color. I practically glow in the dark I'm so goddamned pale. I don't think I'll ever ruin my tattoos in the sun because I've never really been able to be out in it for very long anyways.

[irezumi]

Unfortunately it's too late for laser hair removal because you can't get it over tattoos I guess.

I'm not 100% positive on this, but I think that the type of light used to lighten tattoos is a different spectrum than hair removal, which might mean it won't hurt tattoos?

Karl from Jinxproof is on this forum and would probably have real knowledge on the subject.

[Ursula]

I've read reviews from a few people online who have said their tattoo was ruined, not removed, just messed up.

[AlannaCA]

I'm not 100% positive on this, but I think that the type of light used to lighten tattoos is a different spectrum than hair removal, which might mean it won't hurt tattoos?

Karl from Jinxproof is on this forum and would probably have real knowledge on the subject.

I've read reviews from a few people online who have said their tattoo was ruined, not removed, just messed up.

yea exactly what ursula said i made sure to ask the professional doing my laser hair removal what would happen and he said is would fade it and make it look blotchy! he also told me that someone tried putting whiteout (yes, whiteout!!) over the tattoo and then going over it with the laser and it seemed to have no negative effects on the tattoo. but seeing as thats not something thats proven yet i wasnt going to try it! lol imagine taking that little itty bitty container with that tiny brush on it and trying to cover even a baseball size tattoo, it would take forever! hahaha

[Jaycel Adkins]

yea exactly what ursula said i made sure to ask the professional doing my laser hair removal what would happen and he said is would fade it and make it look blotchy! he also told me that someone tried putting whiteout (yes, whiteout!!) over the tattoo and then going over it with the laser and it seemed to have no negative effects on the tattoo. but seeing as thats not something thats proven yet i wasnt going to try it! lol imagine taking that little itty bitty container with that tiny brush on it and trying to cover even a baseball size tattoo, it would take forever! hahaha

That's the cake maker talking there!

Just pour the bottle over it!*

*Just kidding!

[irezumi]

Ah this is good to know. Thank you.