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I guess I got lucky 9 days after 7 hour half sleeve (on 2/3/15) and all peeling is gone. Was only tender for 2 days, started peeling on day 4 did not itch bad at all. 2 washings a day and lotion 3+ times a day. All of the color now looks good and no dry spots. Base on most of the responses, I expected much worse.

Im on day 6 of a 7 hour arm piece. So far so good. I'm almost shedded, I was a bit paranoid with the lotion as I felt i was "messing" with the peeling as I was rubbing it in. Most is gone, except a few small spots, that feel a tad hard to touch. i hop I get out of this with messing it up.

My last session was 7 hours. I took a break when the artist took a break. I take an antihistamine right before I go in and a tylenol. This last time it was very manageable until the 6 hour mark, then I was gritting my teeth a bit, but music does help. I always imagine that it must be more difficult for the artist than for me, after all, I just sitting, he's the one working. My butt hurt from sitting bothered my more than the tattooing.

I think for large pieces there needs to be a reliable, predictable and trustworthy relationship between the artist and collector. That being said, communication is also important, if you were the one always initiating conversation and little effort from the artist to meet deadlines, them yes, I would be concerned. Keep in mind than that artists that are in high demand not only have to continue their craft, but have lots of timewasters and divas as customers, thus sometimes in an effort to make people happy they over promise. This is typical in many industries. It really comes down to what your gut tells you. My artist has been on several Spike TV shows and is in high demand. The 3 times he has seen me, he has ran late for appointments and/or rescheduled, but has communicated that. I have been very understanding and flexible because I know he is pulled in many different directions. So in summary, communication is key.

It depends on the style. depending on style, there are different artists to recommend

My 2 cents is that traditional type tattoo look like traditional tattoos. It's more of a style than the individual artists style. I feel they will last longer. That being said, for modern (not realism) size matters mine lines and details can work, but make sure the piece is large enough the with a little fading or line blurring, it will still be recognizable. Of course the collectors skin has alot to do with how the tattoo last.

If the black is faded, you would be suprized what a good artist can do over it. Is the blackout because you dont think it can be covered? Anyway, I'm not sure your location, but in Dallas there is an artist named Mark Thompson, that IMHO is one of the best at Japanese

2 bad decisions don't cancel each other out. The decision to build this device is on par with the choice of the original tattoo.

That looks faded enough that it can be covered, but expect to do it with something at least twice its size and some detail to break up the pattern. Color is your friend. I just had this done, I have 1 more session but almost done

Thanks SeeSea and Mick.. Mick, I can not even imaging the amount of time you have logged under a needle. Your gallery is impressive!

Much braver than I sir. I'm okay on the arm, but I would be terrified of that. I from Dallas as well, there is tons of talent here in town.

In 1993 when I was a young Marine with little money, I walked into a tattoo parlor and chose a stock tattoo from the board in my price range. After a few short years, I realized that the tattoo had no personal importance to me and it didn't match my personality. Nonetheless, tattoo coverups just weren't common then and I had few option to add or modify it. Fast forward 22 years...After seeing seem some incredible artist nowadays and some unbelievable coverups, I decided it was time to see what my options were. I went into the consult without any expectations as to what could be done regarding design, colors, shapes, etc... I was surprised to be told that it wouldn't be an issue and I just needed to let him know what I wanted and he would make it happen. The big day was tuesday and while I need to go back for a few more hours in a few weeks to finish, we got alot of work done this session and are at a good stopping point. All I can say is that I am totally blown away beyond expectations, to the point that all I can think about is more tattoos. PSA, Please do be impulsive about your first tattoo. Please do not settle because money is limiting your options. Be patient and don't do what I did. So, here is the work in progress: