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easy enough to cover, even or especially with the same theme (Japanese flowers). Trick will be to find the right artist this time. Where do you live?

James Cumberland made me this Kirtland warbler sitting on a rowan branch:

Got back from a holiday in Jamaica and upgraded my tan. Dragon Ball by Scott Rusnak at Lucky Strike Tattoo, Edmonton, AB. FYAH BUN came pretty close to passing out on this one, stressful spot for both me and Scott, but we did it !

At the ripe old age of 59, and I can hardly believe I'm that old, I can tell you that what people say about regretting the things you didn't do more than the things you did do is 100% true. I don't have many regrets as I try to find the good in all my experiences, but the few I do have are regrets about things I wished I'd done. I was in a motorcycle accident 10 years ago, almost lost my leg, was inconstant pain for about 5 years and was in physical therapy trying to walk without a limp for 7 years on and off. I could cry about that, but my wife at the time asked me for a divorce the week I got home from the hospital and I wound up meeting the love of my life. In my book, even the accident worked out pretty good! Life is all about how you view it.

I got my first tattoo in my early 20's and I didn't even consider what my parents would think. I know my Mom doesn't really like them and my Dad told me he always wanted one but just never got it done. TBH, to me it doesn't really matter what others think.

Welcome! There is lots of info here. Search the various threads, watch the videos, check out the pictures for ideas and ask questions.

As, SStu stated, the design could be covered. But you truly want to find someone who is experienced with cover-up work and has the talent to create a piece that meets your expectations.

Welcome to the forum! Is this a new tattoo or is it new and still healing. You would certainly have options to laser or even do a cover up. The best approach is always to find an artist you trust and who does quality work to help guide you.

I saw that the other day. Seemed like the writing had been on the wall with that for a minute. I got the impression he'll be tattooing out of Seventh Son, but I forget where I saw something like that.

Yeah, that's definitely one for the experts. Make sure you get to ask your doctor, and hopefully your artist is familiar with the subject and can advise you further.

I got my first tattoo last month at age 67. I didn't expect my mom to be thrilled, but I was disappointed with how negatively she reacted when I sent her a photo of my panda. I realize that she's part of a generation in which "nice" people, especially nice girls, didn't have tattoos. When I went to visit her a couple of weeks ago, she looked at my arm briefly and said "Oh." That was all--just a disapproving "Oh". She finally said that she guessed one tattoo was okay. I got my second tattoo last week, and I've booked several more appointments with my artist (it's true what they say about tattoo addiction). Lol. Fortunately friends have been very supportive of my tattoos. Family, not so much

Hummm...I have no expertise to offer but what a conundrum. I'd talk to your artist...

I know a guy that did 17 hours over two days. He used numbing cream for the last four hours on the second day. I'm totally okay with that situation...

I think it would be interesting to explore design options that have an organic shape, like twin panthers, snakes, mermaids or something cool to wrap around your existing piece. I'd find an artist who's work that you like and explore the options with them. Good luck!

this guy is pulling y'all's legs.

Not about my first tattoo, but rather all of my most recent. A little back story: I was somewhat eager to show my parents my first couple of tattoos, but once I really got the bug I was somewhat embarrassed to bring it up. So I just didn't. Fast forward through 7 tattoos, and I just decided enough was enough - I was tired of keeping something that I cared about a secret! Because I could just never bring myself to start the conversation on the phone, I drafted an email and sent it off one night about a week ago. Like so many of you have realized, it takes more than just some ink under the skin to really disappoint your parents. While not thrilled, they seemed receptive to the idea (and I made it clear that I would be getting more tattoos in the future), expressed their concern for any neck/throat/face tattoos, and then basically dropped the subject. It feels pretty damn good getting that off my conscience, and I'm glad they (somewhat) approve (not that it would have made a big difference!).

I have two three quarter sleeves and just started my back piece. I am in my late thirties. My parents, whom I love, have never seen my tattoos. They are traditional and I know would not be OK with them. I wear long sleeve t-shirts around them. It's not that I care what they think about them- I don't in the strictest sense. It's more about self-discipline for me. Any reaction I get out of them would be if it's very nature a selfish endeavor. I am too old- and they are too old, for me to upset them for no good reason. So I stay covered up and they have no idea I think it's the right thing to do.

My mother has been of the mindset that I should do what makes me happy, and has been even more supportive than usual lately since my Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis last October. My father, on the other hand, wasn't as supportive. He felt it would be something I would regret, and for the month prior to my tattoo, made sure to let me know that I would regret it. I went through with it anyway, and love the tattoo. My first was this past November, and my second was a little over a week ago. I don't know if I'll ever regret them later in life, but I sure as shit don't regret them at the moment.

Maybe consider "fixing" the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) instead of "fixing" the misplaced dot on the tattoo?

I've come to learn, if you're a perfectionist then tattooing may not be the hobby for you :D

I have a friend, she's 63 and has a small tattoo on her ankle, still hides it from her mom who is around 90.

There is no doubt that this is the 1st time I've ever heard those words uttered, verbally or in writing! Awesome tribute.

dont catronize me.

Perhaps we should say it is purrrfect.

Please tell me that 'mice' is a deliberate play on words ?

dang thats mice. Makes me want to get a cat tattoo aswell

Hahaha, nice topic. I had my frist tattoo when I was 18, but I never hid it. I left from home when I was 18, so far from home. I lived in an Island and I took a flight to go to another part of the country, the peninsula. So, I never hid it, but I didn't tell them the same day. I told them about it like one month after doing it, just because I thought it would be more kind to tell them before they just realize seeing some Facebook pictures or whatever, hahaha As I left home, they realized I could do whatever I wanted to do (as I was capable to), so they didn't complaint about the tattoo. They didn't told me any opinion about it neither. It was when I moved again to my island when I started to get more tattoos, and then the opinion of my parents got out, hahaha They just didn't care about small tattoos (they already thought I was crazy, so me revealing my tattoos was just one more proof of that for them, so, they didn't care so much). My dad was the first one to see the big tattoo on my back, and he was so surprised and at first he didn't like the idea, but he's kind of open mind now after a few years after me leaving home, so after a few minutes he admited it was a really cool tattoo and a nice piece of art, so he was okay with that very soon. About my mum... Well, I aready knew she didn't like tattoos, and for her it was just like the worst thing I could ever do. She didn't care about my other smaller tattoos, but she didn't like them neither. But, for this one, she was super scared. She was like one week telling me horrible things like "you will regret it", "you're fucking crazy", "you don't know what you're doing", "you are a shame". Hahaha, worst reaction ever. Ayway, I live on my own, and I just see her some weekends when I feel the obligation to visit home and also to see my brother, so... They are not a problem, fortunately. Also, my brother loved my last tattoo, and he was so excited (he's 19 now) that he's going to have his first tattoo done very soon, hahahaha. My mum is going to deal with a lot of displeasure.

Thanks GOODNESS! I'M NORMAL!!! I have read nearly all the posts in this thread, as I'm currently pondering ideas for a new piece and wanted to feed my own curiosity as to whether i was a good client or not. Turns out I was! I researched artists, emailed and consulted with my chosen artist months in advance with lots of visual references, paid a hefty deposit well ahead of time, I arrived on time, was polite, I washed, I brought my own entertainment (iPad, book, music), I kept my mouth shut, I didn't rubberneck, I lay still aside from the odd involuntary twitch (calf/side leg/ankle tattoo - apologised and was assured that it happens in that area) despite being twisted in all manner of awkward positions (necessary), and as a result i got a perfectly detailed and wonderful customised tattoo. A customised thank-you gift is on order for her as well as my future cash-money-business. EASY!

My husband and I had been married for a few years when he asked me if I would consider getting a tattoo. He said that he found tattoos on women very attractive and sexy, and after a lot of thought I decided to get one. I will spare the decision-making details now since it i already posted them here: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/546-relationships-tattoos-page32.html#post72275 I decided I wanted a peony on the front of my hip. Although I was happy to get the tattoo, I considered it very private. I was uncomfortable about getting anything that might show, so I picked a location where it would never be visible in public (accept maybe in the locker room at the gym, where I planned, of course, to go to great lengths and convolutions to keep it covered). The day arrived and I showed the artist my idea. He suggested adding some background to peony - some cherry blossoms, foliage, and decorative elements to give it a Japanese style. That made it much bigger than I had planned - It would be about 4" x 6", which I thought was gigantic at the time! I almost said no because I wanted to keep it small, but it did look much better with the added portions so I said, "Go for it." Part of it was over a bone, and the artist warned me that it might be more painful in that area. I remember staring intensely at the needle as he was ready to make the first line, and I prepared for the feeling of the needle because I wanted to have a vivid memory of the moment that my skin was changed forever. The needle first touched in a soft area, and the pain was not as bad as I expected, and as he worked for the first few minutes, I thought that this was going to be pretty easy. Then he started working over a bone, and OW! The pain was indeed pretty intense there. But except for the flashes of pain over the bone, the experience was not that bad. It took about an hour to complete, maybe longer, but I'm really not sure how long it took because I was concentrating so much on what the artist was doing. This was going to be my only tattoo and I saw it as a pretty important life event, so I wanted to mentally absorb every aspect of the experience. About halfway through the session, even the pain over the bone started to melt away, and I started to feel a little euphoric, and I was almost enjoying the feeling. As I watched him add the color, the tattoo began to take a recognizable form, and I started to realize that it was very beautiful - even more so than I had ever imagined. I was glad that we made it bigger than I originally planned. It started to hit me - "It's part of me. I'm tattooed, There's no turning back." I was so glad I had decided to get it - I was almost giddy. When he finished I looked in the mirror, and I was nearly speechless. I remember saying "Oh Wow...Oh Wow! Its so beautiful!" over and over. I loved it, and I was so proud of myself! Afterwards we went to a restaurant and and as we ate, I was floating. I was just babbling on and on about how much I loved it, how happy I was that I decided to get it, and how glad I was that he had suggested it, and how pretty it was, and how realistic it looked, and how the pain really wasn't that bad, and how I liked the colors, and how I wondered how the girls at the gym would react, and on, and on, and on... finally when I ran out of breath and words, I blurted out, "I want to get another one!" That was how I got started! At the beginning of that day I thought I was getting my first and only tattoo. I could have never imagined that I would someday have half sleeves and several tattoos. I'm at eight and counting, and have big plans for much more coverage.

Getting tattooed for all the wrong reasons... 1/2 the fun is having them under wraps and showing them to whom and when you want. Rob

You would think it would make more sense business-wise to pay extra attention to the tattoo newbies who walk into the shop with lots of empty skin (like myself) because if you provide them with a good experience they will keep coming back for more work.

day after i turned 18..1995..parents were outta town for a few days..i went to the only shop i new of in my area...i want to say it was called artistic impressions, dude named paul hayden.puled up there was a badass nova parked out front..walked into the "waiting room" which had a pool table, a couple of couches, a bunch of ashtrays, and hardly any lights on...all i heard from the other room was.."what the fuck you want!" i was a young, naive, good little church boy at the time(kinda..haha)..man i was scared shitless..ended up getting "forgiven" on my backl in old english..thought it was sooo big and badass..hahaha..it was like 1 1/2 inches tall by maybe 6 long...sinc has been covered up by my backpiece of a huge severed samurai head...

Have you ever drawn up a picture of them holding the image up to you on their phone? Just say this is what you showed me? Could get some good laughs?????? Thanks for sharing.