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Bumping this thread for mother's day.

Congrats on setting the appointment. Make sure you are well fed, well rested, and not overly caffeinated for your session, and bring a snack and plenty of water with you. Tell your artists about the spasms before starting the tattoo. If you can sense them coming then ask him to stop before one hits - you'll both be better off. I think most tattoo artists understand that they are working on humans and that our bodies all operate a little differently. Ask for breaks if/when you need them to eat or drink (or to just take a deep breath), and enjoy your (soon to be) new tattoo!

@Suiren - Find a competent artist whose fine line script you like and let them do the rest.

Jesus...

Obviously this is entirely your decision, but since you asked: I would wait. Not necessarily because of the reasons you listed, but so you have time to really think about the tattoo. This isn't something you want to rush into. Get to know some artists' work (in your area and abroad), look for inspiration not just on the internet but in tattoo shops, books, etc. Then go and get the tattoo. /grandpa EDIT: Oh, and welcome to LST!

@leggon - we don't talk about prices here.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing with us, and welcome to LST!

@Mitch Wood - saw that on Instagram, so awesome and so f'in glad it's on an LST'er!!

Sounds like you've got your aftercare under control. I imagine that you're just seeing a part of the natural healing process where lines blur and ink/dead skin lifts up and eventually peels away. Welcome to the forums! What's your other tattoo?

Rather than obsess over the minute details of these tiny tattoos you have now, why not get just get more tattoos? I have some script on my arms that isn't as clean or even as I might it to be now, but rather than try to re-work the existing stuff I figure I'll just get cool tattoos around them! Nothing's perfect, but focusing on getting better tattoos is, in my mind, a better use of time and skin than seeking out a way to marginally improve a tattoo that you otherwise like. I was getting tattooed some time last year and I overheard another artist talking a client out of covering a tattoo and instead getting a better one next to it so the one could make fun of the other. I think that about sums it up.

Welcome. What are you getting?

This is a real LST problem...

This thread is a killer RH Wells portfolio... I've got the words "Tighty" and "Loosey" on my right and left inner biceps, respectively.

Holy cow, @beez - that is stunning!!

Sounds like a great plan. Who's the artist?

^^^Love that panther design. Nice!

From the deep sea of weird-ass intro threads and bizarre requests for "help" emerges this awesome story. Welcome to LST, and congratulations on making your first tattoo! I look forward to seeing it and hearing more from you.

@exume - the placement of that butterfly/girl's head is phenomenal! Rose is clean as hell too...

Update: I drank a ton of beers immediately after my last appointment and have yet to feel the tattoo blues! So either alcohol really is a miracle drug, or I've just been too stressed about everything else to even think about it...

Not baby related (but congrats, everyone)... Got this rainy dude from Tron last week when she was at Atlas in Portland. Awesome experience and glad to fill this weirdo spot on my leg.

@marley mission - did somebody step on a duck? @Isotope - cool tattoo, and awesome story. Congrats on your dissertation!

Welcome. Find a skilled tattooer who excels in Japanese style work that you like and bring your idea to him/her. If you really want to get into this, I second the idea of going for something big that you could potentially add to later.

Definitely talk to a reputable and qualified artist about all this, but... I think the blast-over look could be pretty cool with a traditional Japanese theme. Something with a lot of black to obscure the old tattoo without completely erasing it, and then have a cohesive sleeve around/beyond it. And photos of the area in question would certainly help.

@SeeSea definitely knows a thing or two about the back as prime real estate...

WTF is a snake and dropcrop tattoo?