Hospitelli

Google Shinji Horizakura.

@JasonTO I wouldn't worry about it at all. Tattooing is cyclical and even if that is the first time you have seen or come across that type of placement for that idea I assure you that it has been done before many times over. The challenge here is for the artist to take the same idea/placement and make it fresh and new without utilizing or biting off of the work that he has done on previous clients. In all honesty it's what makes tattoos so special. You can come across the same idea and even placement of a tattoo on a person and it will still be 100% different and unique.

The only time I have ever felt like tapping out was the first shading session on my ribs. After having it lined out for the first session and being complimented on how well I was sitting by the artist and the shop manager I think my ego got inflated a tad bit. My next session was scheduled for three hours and it was time for shading! Going in I didn't have a good night sleep and due to traffic I wasn't able to get a solid meal in beforehand but still fetl pretty confident I'd be okay. The majority of the work was along the bottom part of the ribs and lower part of the stomach/oblique. The first 2.5 hours sucked but I was able to get thru it and then I hit that proverbial wall. Once that I happened it didn't feel like I was getting tattooed anymore but rather carved with a knife very slowly. I was so close to saying "fuck it" and cutting the session short but I was able to pull through and finish. Somehow hearing that I had only "ten minutes left" when I had about three times that had helped me out greatly.

@sister123 Yes. Fine line tattooing and micro tattoos will not stand the test of time. I say go for it if you really do want it because being that it is such a small tattoo you could always get a tattoo over it. A dagger going thru a wolf or gorillas head should cover it right up!

@Isotope As others have echoed I wouldn't worry too much about that. Give it time to completely heal and it will look much better. I have had some ink fall out and minor blowouts of lines along my oblique area that look great after color was put into it. Sometimes it is unavoidable in that region especially if you have stretch marks.

Considering there is already a thread on here about them I'd say no.

@Isotope when it comes to scabbing there are so many factors at play I wouldn't worry about the why am I scabbing aspect part of it. The only thing that you can essentially control is the method that you use to heal your tattoos afterwards. Now I am unsure of how you heal a majority of your work but if you find that what you have been doing isn't working it might be time to try something different; dry healing or tegaderm. After a crappy scab ridden heal on my ribs I decided to give 3M tegaderm a shot for my last session because I didn't want to go thru that again and what I found out was quite pleasing. Using tegaderm I avoided all scabbing and had a much quicker heal. After that experience I am going to use it exclusively for healing all future tattoos that I get.

Steve dig a dagger going thru an eyeball on my calf at the first Pagoda convention. He didn't have any stencils or anything like that so he just drew it on and went from there. Needless to say I had an amazing tattoo after he was done and I couldn't be any happier with it. This was taken after it was completed and since then it has healed up nicely. Your def. in good hands.

The first thing you absolutely need to do is take a few deep breaths and try to relax. Worrying and driving yourself crazy with anxiety over it is only going to lead you to a panic attack. You applying Purrell is a direct result of you over thinking this. After you calm down you should seriously smack your friend upside his head for mentioning to you the absolute worst case scenario. The possibility of contracting MRSA from a gym bench is highly unlikely. A majority of MRSA infections happen in hospital type settings. Gyms are routinely cleaned and offer sanitary wipes to patrons to wipe down equipment before and after each use. In reality the bench that you laid on was most definitely wiped clean at one point or another by someone. It's not like the bench was constantly being used for months without it being cleaned so thinking logically I'd say that your in the clear.

@Ross Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear about the difficulty you are having in regards to healing your new tattoo. In my experience, I have never taken that long to heal any aspect of a tattoo that I have gotten but that's just me. The best thing you can do and what I recommend is to go back to the artist that did the work and show him to get his professional opinion on it.

After having a tough time healing my ribs I decided to give 3M tegaderm a try for the final session on them. I removed the first bandage after about 4 hours then proceeded to clean the area with some soap and warm water. I slept overnight airing it out and then put on the tegaderm in the morning using two pieces, rounding the corners and overlapping them just a tad. I had it on for close to three days and probably would of went another day but I started to smell funky which worried me a little. Once I realized the funk was coming from the tegaderm that's when I decided to take it off. I cleaned the tattoo once again with soap/ water and then went on to apply a minimal amount of lotion once or twice a day. To my surprise only a few spots flaked on me and I had no scabbing. For the most part I completely skipped the flaking phase and had some shiny new skin with close to zero itching. Overall, I was definitely impressed and will give it another try for the next tattoo.

@Cork Awesome Kirin and can't wait to see it finished. Did Johan say when he'd be back to NYC again? - - - Updated - - - @Cork Awesome Kirin and can't wait to see it finished. Did Johan say when he'd be back to NYC again?

Phenomenal start @sophistre. When I first seen it I was like holy crap that's a lot of lines! Bravo for sitting through that. - - - Updated - - - Phenomenal start @sophistre. When I first seen it I was like holy crap that's a lot of lines! Bravo for sitting through that.

For me, the best thing I found to do after a session on my back was to just hop in the shower and clean the area tattooed with a new bar of soap. Make sure the water is luke warm and set the shower head to a mist setting so there is barely any water pressure. If you find any clothing sticking to you just shower with your clothes on and once it's wet it will be easy to remove. Once you see the water going into the drain is clear it's time to hop out and gently pat yourself dry. From there you can follow whatever after care method you find best suited for you.

Was. Now I am located in Old Bridge. - - - Updated - - - Was. Now I am located in Old Bridge.

Man.... isn't that the truth! Living in NJ and working in NYC I feel like a majority of tattoos that I see are flat out bad which to me is mind boggling considering the quality of shops that are out there between the two states. Then I remember that for virtually every good tattoo shop there is about 3x as many bad ones. A drive throughout my town you'll see the Unwritten Inks, Teddy Bear Ink (not kidding) and a house that just has a neon sign up in the window that says TATTOO. When I traveled to Portland to get tattooed it was a breath of fresh air to see a ton of people on the streets with work that was very good and a majority of what I saw was american traditional. A few times I found myself wanting to stop people dead in their tracks and ask for a closer look and where they got them done. It was definitely cool to see a style of tattooing thriving in a city for sure.

I couldn't agree more with this and will say that every session is different than the last. Sometimes I would find it helpful to chat and other times I would just listen to music trying to zone out. One of the most challenging aspects of getting your back done, besides the pain, is just how long it takes for it to come together. Your dedication to getting tattooed will be tested especially in the beginning. I remember early on I did two days back to back for a total of 7 hours and while a lot was accomplished I remember seeing what was done and thinking "Oh shit.... only another 40+ hours left." Any where else on the body you'd be on your way to either finishing a tattoo or having a really good portion of it completed but not your back. There is no instant gratification with a back piece. It is a slow, long, and painful process that you must endure. In the end though you will have an incredible tattoo and will say it was all worth it. Just remember that it isn't a sprint but a marathon. Go at a pace that is comfortable for you and a session length that you know you can handle. In my honest opinion, the extreme session length times are not needed unless you are traveling far to get tattooed or the artist is doing guest spots. Long sessions are not only taxing on you but the tattoo artist as well! 4 hours is a good session length especially for the back. Also... forget about the hours or the money spent. I don't keep track of it because it serves no purpose to you in the long run. Once it is done, it's done and you will not have to worry about it ever again. Just keep chipping away and eventually it will all come together. If you ever find yourself tired and needing a break, please do so.

Oh man I'd love to see that back! I have a 12:30 - 5 time slot.

Consultation with Mike Rubendall March 15th in NYC and then I start on April 2 in the Massapequa shop. I'm super stoked and can not wait for it.

Welcome to LST. Great start to your collection. Love that griffin.

I took a brief trip to Portland to get tattooed by greggletron. Cool shop and a nice guy as well. The knee was quite the experience!

@ironchef That is a thing of beauty my man!

Not 100% sure on that. People have been signing from all over though.

Please everyone take a moment to read and sign the petition. https://www.change.org/p/andrew-cuomo-david-carlucci-kenneth-zebrowski-new-york-state-department-of-health-change-nys-bill-s1421-2015-to-allow-the-use-of-disposable-ink-caps-in-tattooing

Congrats @bongsau on finishing a killer backpiece. Must be surreal to finally finish it all up!