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The ride is wild as hell the whole way but I know I will only ever get to have one back piece, I'm so happy that I could wait and make it count. There isn't a single other person in my mind I could think of that I would want to do my back, at all, other than Tomo. I have the rest of the skin real estate for anyone else but the back is special. I'm saving my pennies and dimes for April/May; I'm hoping the heavy hitters show up to Jacksonville for the Imperial Tattoo Convention again and maybe if I'm lucky I can go to the Bay Area Con just once at least.

This!! I would never laser a part of a tattoo in order to fix it. Did you talk to your artist about it?

pictures, please.

Just my 2 cents, but I think you are more likely to make it worse than better by monkeying with it at this stage.

Well, well, well. Someone got his panties in a wad. My (mostly color) tattoos are between new and 7 years old. I am constantly asked if some of oldest ones are brand new because they look so bright and fresh. I keep out of the sun, and I moisturize. In summary: Don't go to a shitty tattoo artist and get shitty tattoos. Get quality tattoos and take care of them, and they will look great for as long as you look after them.

do NOT laser it. I think we all feel a little bummed when things don't turn out as we envision it, but that's why you have to trust your artist, and trust you made the right decision choosing your artist. kirin usually look the way you describe, with the legs sticking up at the back/in the air, and the head in the front. and they're a mythological animal, so....

Natasha generally opens up her books via Instagram post every few months. Visiting the shop will always be your best bet.

I totally agree, I think this is a big issue, I love stopping strangers and starting a conversation about tattoos, but I don't always get a friendly response. oh well, I will always keep trying.

Get the tattoo you want, not the one you can get now. Like @Gingerninja already said. I'd stop in the shop one of these days and see if you can talk with Natasha in person. edit: @Hogrider beat me to it, and then some!

Don't be in a hurry. Wait for the artist you want. Send her an email, what's the worst that could happen? Do you know that your tattoo probably isn't even fully healed? A tattoo can take 4 - 8 weeks to fully heal. I don't understand the rush. There are people on this board that wait months (at least) to get a spot with the artist they want. I've been working with the same artist for years and I still have to wait to get my first appointment when I start a new project. Take your time and your next post will be, "I love my tattoo and it was worth the wait" instead of "I got this tattoo to fix another bad one. How do I fix the new one?" Just my opinion.

I've got 20 year old color tattoos that are almost as vivid as the day they were done. There are many factors that play into longevity, not the least of which are quality of the ink, the tattooists ability and exposure to sun.

How quickly tattoos fade depend on the quality of your tattooer, the quality of your skin and how well you take care of it. You can control two of the three. In your other post you say your tattoo has held up well even with a lot of time in the sun. If you are concerned with fading, keep out of the sun, it's really just that simple. Also, very simple - you don't get the best results by insulting the people you are asking for help. This IS a quality forum, but you are welcome here anyway. :-)

Assuming the definition of a scar is a permanent mark, yes. That's absolutely what it is. I was being excessively crude to make a point though. I just hate people that get defensive about someone actually considering body modification instead of just going to a basement and getting some dyslexic $20 scratcher to give them a tattoo. I thought this was a high quality forum. I guess I was wrong I have a half sleeve that is about 7 years old. Black and white. Love it. I'll touch it up if it fades. Coloured tattoos age less favorably though I hear.

If you want to get f*cked up, take the drugs and get f*cked up. If you want to get tattooed, get tattooed. Pain is part of the rite of passage of tattooing. I believe is being lost because of how accessible everything is now. Take a swig of navy rum, bite down on a leather belt and take it like a champ.

"it’s just lines, how hard can it be" ...well, clean line work is the foundation of any good tattoo. A good solid tattooer can just run right over it with a fatter solid line at the right depth under the skin.

@Oiocha one of the students at our kung fu school got a full colour turtleback from Tomo (at Silkneedle, he was travelling to Japan regularly). It was his first and only tattoo. The details and patterns are insane, got that velvet look. You're pretty lucky, enjoy the ride.

haha thank you @Gingerninja ! I've definately been thinking outside the box now with my new tattoo ideas, and i've got some more crazy ideas brewing. no laser, no coverups...i just keep piling on the tattoos and it seems to be working out in my favour. I love it. my excitement of tattooing just keeps growing and the experiences become more personal as me and my tattooists push the boundary of where you would think the concept of "bodysuit" would typically end/finish.

My sleeves are 10+ years old. I stopped babying them w/ sunscreen and lotion, good tired of smelling like a coconut. Frankly, a good well-made tattoo just looks better and better with age.

Your layers are so fascinating...you are one of the few people that I have ever seen where the layers look so freakin good. @bongsau

so...this walk-in blast-o-rama happened... by Shawn Hedley at Champion Tattoo 124 St Edmonton, AB, Canada

LOL who cares ?!?!? it's going to look like a nicely settled 20 yo tattoo. maybe you shouldn't be getting tattoos if that is a serious concern of yours. here is one of my 24 yo tattoos (never touched up)

Going to see Tomo next weekend and I'm ready to go. I also haven't forgotten about posting my Daruma: its perpetually got something that wont let me take a clean picture.