Gingerninja

Friend....it's way too early to start thinking about adding or covering up. Enjoy it as is for at least three months. Breathe. :) It's cool! Maybe think about another, different tattoo in a different place OR not getting another tattoo until you've processed how you feel. Give yourself some time. Do not, I repeat, do NOT make any decisions for at least a few months. Please. :)

Well, if I were in Norway, I'd beat a path to Marius Meyer. Badass Japanese style. He even does some traditional. Check him out! And it's a quick trip to Denmark for Royal Tattoo.... Just sayin.

Hey there and welcome! My two cents: I suggest that you find an artist to talk to about what you want. Depending upon what they say, you may or may not have to do the laser option. No matter what you do, you are going to have to go BIG. If you are a traditional guy, think Pharaoh's Horses, Rock of Ages....something big. If you are inclined to Japanese-style, you could do tiger-dragon Battle Royal or the like. Who knows, maybe one or two laser sessions would be all that you need to lighten it up? It does hurt. And's it's expensive but for the size of piece that you need for a cover-up, you may have to do it.

This is about trust.... Find your artist. Explain your ideas. Most likely you will not see a drawing before hand but that doesn't mean that you don't have input. You have to trust your artist with your concepts. Be very clear in your consult what you like and don't like. The vast majority of artists want you to be happy and are willing to collaborate but you have to trust them.

Yep, what Dan and Oboogie said. What's in your head in terms of expectations often doesn't match exactly what your tattoo actually looks like. Breathe. Let it sink it. Let the experience sink in.

That's the beauty of tattoos....you can get whatever you want. :) Just like any tattoo, you better want to live with it forever. The horror theme isn't for me but I always appreciate a well executed tattoo. What do you have on your other leg? What movie(s) are you thinking about for your horror theme?

Congrats on retirement! @pidjones I am glad that you are feeling better and booked in for something awesome.

What you are feeling is absolutely normal. :) If you get another tattoo, you now know more about placement and what it means. Enjoy your new tattoo!

That's going to be incredibly difficult to pull off both in style and placement. Your arm isn't that big and chances are it could look like a big dark blob after a few years. Dig deep into your head to find out what about the image resonates with you. Try to simplify. I think that you already know that not every piece of art can be translated into a tattoo. :) I'm not an expert on realism but that would take someone like Nikko Hurtado to even get close.

So, you want a tribal style lion's head. ? I'd strongly suggest looking at artist's IG pages rather than sites like Tattoodo. Find an artist that has actually tattooed what you want. Where do you live? Depending upon where you live, there may be suggestions for artists.

I think that it's fine. Do you know how to take care of a fresh tattoo? Make sure to follow your aftercare instructions. :)

Thanks, Mark. Have a great weekend at MMM! @Devious6

I passed a beast of an exam today (VCP6 in Datacenter Virtualization). I am so relieved that it's over and that I passed. Huzzah!

Um, yeah...find a free clinic pronto. If it's infected then you need to get yourself treated. There is no other answer.

A few options...I have a flotilla of stick-on "bras" that get me through healing and are great for backless shirts. My favorite are these: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nordstrom-lingerie-shaper-nubra/3159479?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=NUDE Very few are going to give you any support. Search the forum for "The Ladies Thread". I think this is discussed there, too! I ordered a new brand last week that is a LOT cheaper but it hasn't arrived yet.

Just keep doing what you are doing...keeping it clean and very lightly moisturized if needed!

Love Hate takes walk-ins and I think Daredevil does too. Heck, I'd still try Adorned, Saved and Kings Ave if I was there!

So, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? [emoji12]@pidjones

Give it some time! Don't over moisturize. Let it flake, scab, peel and don't pick at it. :)

The same thing has happened to me with stencil placement. My artists have moved the stencils more times than me asking them to be adjusted. It's interesting, a couple of times I was initially uncomfortable with the placement but was open about my concerns or what I was feeling. Through healthy conversation with my artist(s), I ended up loving the placement. It took me a minute to process. :)

I think that stencil placement is part of the collaboration process! If you don't like it, speak up and ask questions.

Hey there! I would find an artist that you trust and ask them. :) They should be able to make your tattoo dreams come true.

How was the party?

IMO, go simple and clean. The thigh isn't that big of an area!

Welcome to the forum! More deets on your upcoming thigh piece. :)