ghostknife

As a millennial, I gotta say that 99% of the hate I get for my (permanent!!) tattoos comes from folks who are older than I am, not those in my generation. Not to say that millenials are super awesome, but...do with that what you will. Obviously this idea is stupid. Especially when stuff like TattooYou exists, and you can get really cool temporary tattoo designs made by proficient artists. I would be curious to know about the safety of the ink and the removal solution, too.

I agree and do the same--if you know the tattooer well it's fun to give a personalized gift on top of a cash tip. I have done most of the above, particularly prints (ukiyo-e is my go-to), but I also frequently give tattooers reference books that I think they'd appreciate, whether it's on a particular style/region or a different medium/art form that I think they'd like. It's always hard to predict what's already in their library, but based on chatting with them I try to get books on art that they're stoked on that I think they might not have yet.

A dream catcher seems like it would be a tough fit. I'd imagine flowers would be totally doable. Like others said, do your research and go to a reputable shop.

I get psychogenic shock (fainting due to blood pressure changes) and have been prone to it for a while...has happened on a few occasions getting tattooed, and when I really badly sprained my ankle as a kid. There are cues you can take note of...for me my field of vision gets lighter, I sweat a lot, and my hearing changes, so it sounds like everything is far away. I have also had a tattooer point out that my skin is getting cold/my temperature dropped. That's when I know to say something/do something. Figured out ways to deal with it...lying down (always works and helps, reduces the strain on my cardiovascular system), taking a short break (usually it won't happen again after it happens once), over hydrating (usually I am well hydrated but I find I really have to overcompensate with forcing myself to drink even more water), and eating hella candy. I always eat large meals on tattoo days but having sugar during the process helps avoid this. Doesn't mean anything bigger is wrong with me medically, just the way my body responds to trauma/pain. Tends to happen on really painful bits or over long periods of time. Hope it went well!

It is way in the bowels of his instagram. That is a good thing to not have comparisons! I have mad respect for anyone with large work from Greg for that reason, haha.

Love the turtleneck idea! At work I cover them, so I don't really think about it then, but out in the world I do the same thing, solid colors and things that don't clash too much. White and black are great for contrast. I have noticed that my clothing preferences have actually changed a lot! I have ditched crazy prints for simpler things since my arms are so colorful now :D I also wear a lot of either short sleeves, half sleeves, or sleeveless...3/4 sleeves interrupt the flow of the tattoos so I tend to avoid those. I think a fair amount about placement but I also want to resist planning out every last detail of where every tattoo will go because then it takes a bit of the fun and spontaneity out of it for me. So far I have been building as I go and I like how it looks. I have set aside different themes for different body parts (right arm is smaller traditional pieces, left arm will be a neotraditional "sleeve" of sorts, legs have some Japanese work and little bits and pieces, thighs are larger panels, etc.) so there is a bit of planning ahead. I suppose if I happened to be in the same place as an artist I like my previous plans could all go out the window, but that's what makes it fun.

Different person and different body section, obviously, but to give you an idea, my s/o had his chest done by Greg (the Kali riding a lion chest piece) and Greg lined it in around 4.5 hours (!). If there is one blessing it is that that man is a speed demon, like you said. He also is pretty heavy handed in my experience, but there's the trade off! :) I remember at struggle points he was always very encouraging. Eat lots of lollipops. Best of luck, stoked to see what you get!

Thanks! I am eternally grateful to Aron for rescuing my back...the lotus tattoo was actually originally a little crooked and the two symbols under the crows interrupted great real estate, so I am so glad he was up for the challenge and could turn it into something so awesome :)

I honestly think that everyone heals differently, and different techniques are better for different sizes and placements. Plus everyone has different skin! I feel like there are a lot of voodoo magic myths about healing..."if you do x y and z, it'll be great!" When healing it any of the different ways would have probably been fine anyway. I have also totally babied tattoos and they scar up a little because the skin got overworked. No one's fault per se, just the way it goes. For me, when I get anything done on my legs I swell like crazy so sometimes I wrap it for the first few days to avoid friction if I have to wear shoes/pants. When I get super detailed tattoos I tend to leak more lymph because there is more trauma to my skin, so wrapping for a few hours at a time when I am out and about can prevent it getting gross and crusty from letting lymph dry on it, and I wash it and let it dry out a little when I get home. Other times and places, I just use lotion and let it air dry and it heals like a dream. Not a big ointment fan myself because it clogs my pores but others swear by it. Basically, Dr. Bronner's, unscented Aveeno, and the occasional plastic wrap wrapping if it's called for. I also dry with paper towels for the first few days instead of a bath towel because I am paranoid about infection. Keep it clean, moisturize it a little, don't swim, don't stand around in the sun, don't scoop the cat box naked, and don't wear anything that rubs on it and I think it's usually fine! :)

I am totally necro-ing this but I have noticed that since I started getting more into tattooing I am sometimes the one staring when someone walks by with a great piece...then if I get caught staring I want to clarify and say, "wait, it's just because it's awesome!" and actually talk about it. By then usually the interaction is over and I just feel awkward. I always hope that my looking is not interpreted as being a menacing/disapproving stare. The weirdest thing is when you think you see an artist's work that you know. I have yet to approach someone and say "hey, is that so-and-so's work?" because I feel like that would even more so freak people out, especially if I am right. I have excellent resting bitch face and live in a pretty accepting city so thank goodness no one has touched me yet, knock on wood. I think if they did I would almost certainly snap at them. I have definitely endured staring (though as I believe someone else said most of the time I don't notice and other people point it out to me), strange reactions, and creepy comments along the lines of "but you seem like such a good girl" *shudders*. Most of the time when people ask nicely and respectfully I will indulge them...maybe that's due to social expectations. It often leads to good conversations, so there's that. I think in general people feel entitled to women's time, space, and bodies...as a tattooed woman you are visibly deviating from social norms and are thus singled out for attention. Often times I think people just inquire about them in order to shame you for getting tattooed, particularly with questions about price.

Thanks everyone!

Hi! I decided to bite the bullet and register since I have been lurking for so long! I got my first tattoo when I was 17 (which is covered now, thankfully) but got seriously into getting tattooed and the whole collecting thing over the past few years. Looking forward to filling up my empty spaces and meeting awesome people along the way. I am currently a social worker but have also spent time teaching and doing various other things...hope to further diversify in the future. I am definitely in the long sleeve forever club, which in Southern California can be upsetting but it's also worth every second of enduring the sweltering heat. I have uploaded some of my collection to my gallery...mostly the stuff on my legs or stuff I already had good pictures of. Once I enlist help with photography I will upload the stuff on my arms (or upload them in respective threads). I take pretty bad pictures, so my apologies in advance for that. My most recent addition was by Johan Svahn, and it's still healing...before that I got tattooed by Chris Conn. Both allowed me to cross something off my bucket list! Hope to see you all around, excited to be here!