Sunshine32

I recently got my 3rd tattoo and I have no idea why but for some reason this one has made me super anxious. It's not my biggest tattoo but it is my only color tattoo and in the most visible location (outer forearm.) It is also my only tattoo that was not a custom design - I picked it off her Instagram just as a fun one in between bigger tattoo sessions. So maybe that's why I'm having a bit of tattoo regret. Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. My phone is a bit of a potato. Also the only way for me to take a picture of my own outer forearm is to rest it on my knee so in order to show the tattoo upright the rest of my body in the background appears upside down 😆 Sorry for the confusing perspective! When I look at it objectively I do think it's rather cute and I love the colors (she custom mixed them just for this) which was really fun! I'm about a month out from last touch up on it and I guess I just need encouragement on how long it took you to get over your "new tattoo panic". I have another one coming up (custom design for my daughter) in March on my right forearm in a black and white style and I'm nervous if I'm regretting this one I might have the same issue with that one. Any thoughts??

I've also wanted to get "Against The Wind" text (for the Bob Seger song) so maybe this would be a great opportunity to do that. Then I'd even have it in time for my last Bob Seger concert in October :)

I think I might be confused on what a "small tattoo" is. Basically how they said it is under 3x3 OR doesn't take over a half hour. By the those standards wouldn't the ones in the link be considered small? Neither of them look to be that big. At any rate, you're right that if I'm doubting it I probably shouldn't. I don't want a fun experience with my friend ruining options for me in the future. I think I'll go with the ankle instead and maybe simplify it a bit. Or come up with a new idea for a fun small tattoo.

I can still only post in Initiation so that's why I'm posting here :) Hi all, I'm wondering if you think that small back-of-neck tattoos have the same "stigma" as large neck tattoos on the side or front? My friend and I are thinking about getting tattoos at a local shop who's having a promotion for cheap, small tattoos. I realize how bad that sounds lol but the shop is a well known, popular, local shop with excellent reviews. I haven't been tattooed there personally but I have friends who have and have a lot of mutual friends with the artists there. Once a year they do a "$60 Sunday" walk-in only where they do small tattoos for $60. It's kind of a silly "basic white girl" tattoo but my friend and I thought it would be something fun to do together. I'm thinking of getting a cat silhouette with some sort of simple pattern in it on the back of my neck. It doesn't have some huge deep meaning really, more of a fun just because tattoo, but I grew up with cats and have 4 cats now and am known a bit as the "married crazy cat lady." Anyways, though I work in an office, I work in a manufacturing plant and my job has no issues with visible tattoos. (I have 1 tattoo currently on my calf but plan on getting half sleeves eventually.) I do have short hair though (pixie cut) so it would be visible virtually all the time. Is this a bad idea? I'm 26 y/o so it's certainly not a sure deal that I'll for this company the rest of my life either. Something kind of like this is what I'm thinking but a silhouette of the cat from behind, not sideways (like the silhouette of the last picture): Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet Should I consider a different location? I don't know where else would be a good spot for a small tattoo other than maybe ankle?

Very true!! Thanks everyone for your input!

The paranoid newbie is back with more questions (sorry haha!) I decided to try the good old Saniderm method and it seems to be okay - I didn't have trouble getting it on and it doesn't really hurt or anything. However, I was expecting all this weeping, goo, plasma and stuff but it's completely dry under the Saniderm. It's a little red and puffy, but dry. Should I be concerned? The tattoo was finished 6:30pm last night (about 22 hours ago - not sure about timezones on here) and the artist wrapped it with saran wrap and aquaphor. I waited about two hours, cleaned the tattoo with unscented soap, patted and let air dry, and then applied saniderm. Should I be concerned if it's really dry and the saniderm is stuck to the tattoo? When I take it off in the morning to put a new sheet on should I put some ointment on it first?

:( Shoot. I initially planned on it being a little bigger but he suggested this for the size. I assume there's no way to fix something like that so is it something I need to worry about looking absolutely horrendous or just rock it and go with it? I mean, not much I can do about it now lol.

So I got my memorial piece for my Grandpa that I've been planning and wanting for years. However, I'm a little concerned about the tree. Other people said it looks fine so maybe I'm freaking out and over-analyzing it since it's my first one? Also, I know tattoos aren't perfect and trees aren't perfect but I just think it looks a bit off.. or poorly done or something. I also paid $200 for it so I'm wondering if I paid too much if I end up having to get it fixed by someone else (if it would even be fixable). It's fairly small (a little bigger than palm - a little smaller than hand) so I get that it was hard to get a lot of little details in there.Just wanted to get some opinions! Here's the link to the album in case the uploads don't work:Imgur: The most awesome images on the InternetSorry the pics aren't the best - very difficult to take a picture of your calf!

I posted in initiation too because I thought I couldn't reply anywhere else but I just now realized that I just can't start new topics. Oops! I'm wanting to try Saniderm healing but am getting some mixed directions on it. According to some sites, including Saniderm's own site, you can leave it on until completely healed. So 24-48 hours for the first sheet, 6 days for the 2nd sheet, then another sheet as needed. This is what I'm interested in doing as I'm leaving for a camping trip 4 days after I get it and it would be great to have it covered and protected. But using the search bar here I'm hearing people say that they remove it completely after 3 days and follow traditional aftercare from then on? Is it bad to leave it on for a whole week?

Haha sorry! I guess I should have specified that part. We live in the rural midwest and just got a camper this year so our camping is more like "glamping". The intention being to relax, have fun, and potentially drink as much as possible haha. We have a sink and shower in the camper so keeping it clean won't be an issue. And I was hoping to leave Saniderm on the whole camping trip to keep it protected from dirt, sun, lake water, etc. I plan on wearing pants the entire weekend too so it won't be in the sun.

Hi All- I'm getting my first tattoo on my calf on May 23rd and I have some questions! I'm going camping the following weekend (tattooed on Tuesday, leaving Friday) for Memorial Day and do not plan on swimming and submerging it at all but would like to be able to paddle my kayak around, etc so may get some splashes here in there.First, I did ask my tattoo artist right off the bat and he said that it would be fine to do that Saturday or later and that it would be healed enough by then to be okay as long as I apply a lot of aquaphor before hand and wash it thoroughly afterwards. I know he is the professional and all but it just seems awful soon... that will only be 4 days. Everything else I've read says to wait at least two weeks to go "swimming".. especially in a lake or river.So I was doing some research and found Saniderm. It seems like the perfect product for a situation like mine. Does anyone have experience using it? I mentioned it to my artist and he said he couldn't personally recommend it as he's never used anything like it.The more I look into Saniderm the more I'd like to try complete healing with that instead of traditional methods? Any experience or advice? I'm getting some mixed instructions on the Saniderm as some people are saying leaving the first piece on 2 days, then the 2nd piece up to 5 days. That would be perfect for me as it would be covered the entire camping trip. But then some people are saying to only leave the saniderm on for 3 days and then switch to traditional aftercare. That wouldn't work as well. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!