Gingerninja

Nice! @oboogie

@marley mission Love your new tattoo. Plus, it gets me excited for the new Bouncing Souls record!

Oh, no! That's right down the street from the Hard Luck. Hoping that everyone is okay.

Mark, above all, thank you for your service. I'm in the 50+ club, too. It literally took me decades to figure our what I wanted. Now, I'm all in trying to get what I want done completed in the next two years. The upside is that since I'm older, I can afford to get what I want and by whom (if they'll have me). :) @Devious6

Orange and green together look awesome. My Garver piece is predominantly orange and red with green highlights. I'm fair skinned (red head) and was a little twitchy about how the orange would look but the palette looks great.

All of these awesome new tattoos are killing me. I am so excited for Pagoda!

I adore summer. I grew up in Texas and for a large part of my career worked outside. For a ginger, I do the heat very well. Now that I live in Pittsburgh, I cherish every day over 80 degrees! I'd so rather be hot than cold. I guess that I should add that even during the summer I hit the steam room three times a week.

I buy the 8x10 sheets then cut them to size. I'm very curious about a roll of Tegaderm. @Kurgana

I'd totally do both. Go for it! Like the other's are saying, simply be sensible. How did the tattoo come out? Photos? @Tatgirl97

Are you open to color? @StrictlySonic

My tip for removing Tegaderm which I learned from an ICU nurse: put pressure on the area directly in front of where you will start to remove the bandage then pull directly out (not up). This method seems to work very well so far. I also found that using smaller pieces with overlapping edges works better than large sheets which have lifted or gotten wonky over three days. I tested this out when I had my right ribs done. For the outline I used smaller pieces patched together and it worked very well. After Mike did the color, I used just a few large sheets that lifted a bit. I guess it may have something to do with the movement in the area but thought I'd share my experience.

@Devious6 That's tough news...I am thinking about you and your mom. Sending you positive vibes. @Dan Welcome to #teamcolonoscopy! My hubby is an absolute trip when gets out of the procedure (and yes, I laugh at him). I was sleepy but he's a wide awake, silly drunk.

Bottom line - you have to wear it, forever. There's a ton of wisdom in this thread by people who are very heavily tattooed, who know both the art as well as the technical aspects. Take your time and reflect on what has been said in this thread. There are good people giving you great advice - don't take it personally that feedback hasn't been overwhelmingly positive. Really think about the placement and placement. I'm the owner of a shitty wrist tattoo that I thought was awesome at the time. Now, I have to laser it and plan for a cover up!

Hahaha. DId you make an appointment already? :) @Cork

I think he's at Redemption most of the time now. @marley mission

I've been with my guy for 26 years - over half of my life. I was always crystal clear about my desire to be tattooed. My husband doesn't have tattoo's nor will he ever. But let me just say this...my tattoo's are proving to be better than Viagra. Huzzah!

It's an unique opportunity to see some of the great artists, get a vibe and just check out the scene in general. Most of the folks are booked in advance and only a few are doing walk ups. If you are on Instagram, check out their feed. pagodacitytattoofest. I think that you're perspective may shift after seeing some of these folks. Go slow and choose the right artist.

Here's another option - August 5-7 is the Pagoda City Tattoo Fest in Reading, PA. I think that's fairly close to you and would be a great way to see great artists doing what they do. You'd be able to get a sense of different styles. It's a small convention and pretty intimate (as far as conventions go). Check it out!

Teniele Sadd and Emily Rose Murray in Melbourne and Tan Van Den Broek in Victoria have done killer work on my friends.

Or the nasty crap from your lips in a fresh wound. @rufio

I bring a wad of cash. Give me art. Take my money. Make another appointment. Repeat cycle.

I wasn't into ladyheads for the longest time. And now, I totally want one.

I'm nailing the flower theme with roses. I only have one skull but have a sugar skull of my boxer but want more skulls. Did you all see the skull peonies that Rubendall posted the other day? Yeah, I want some of those!

That's a good idea! @pidjones I can guarantee this was full on Chapstick. It was the cross-contamination that grossed me out.

Kiku at Invisible NYC? You won't be disappointed. His work is so beautiful and distinctly Kiku. Bold, simple, stellar line work. The shop has a great vibe! Make sure to bring some candy (or sugar of your choice) to munch on/drink after an hour or so. Your adrenaline will most likely crash because you're so excited. :) Enjoy the process!!! @rayray115