El Dolmago

Spent about 6 1/2 hours at Memoir with Kim yesterday and I think we finished this arm. She did a little more outlining and shading all over, and added a little misty shading background. I love it.

Will post healed pics in a couple weeks.

Amazing! That must feel so good to be done!

Ok, so now that I'm back to another gross goopy phrase, I forgot another good shirt option - technical exercise shirts like the kind for running, especially the cheapo ones you get after a race. They are thin and not cotton (so not the fuzzier UnderArmour brand) but usually polyester-based. I still stick the first couple days (and they are "moister wicking"), but again, they are a lot easier to soak off quickly in the shower.

Bamboo fabrics, though not cheap, are also excellent soft, non-irritating fabrics to have on the skin.

Just because @CultExciter asked - one more of the boys: - (no idea why they are upside down?)

I'd second @Pugilist on the re-wrapping when you sleep (or just keeping the wrap on overnight depending on how late in the day you are being tattooed. I dry heal so flaky is part of the deal - though I've never had easier heals regarding sticking to clothes ect...

As for the moisturizing question - I would just leave the skin alone the day of - I'm not sure the skin being moisturized is actually helpful to getting a clean tattoo - plus anything that's absorbed in the skin ie fragrance .... could potentially react with the tattooing experience. If you really need to I'd use something like an unfragranced galaxial-based moisturizer

As I just spent like, 20 minutes trying to find tights opaque enough to cover my leg tattoos for work, I think that is a worthy topic for discussion too, as ladies' clothing tends to cover up less tattoo-wise. For those of you who don't show tattoos as work, strategies for making sure backs, legs, etc. are covered are helpful! (For example, my collection of shrugs has massively expanded since I did my back.)

This was my LIFE when I lived in Japan - I was a teacher and a school administrator and I had a weekly ritual of covering the tattoos on my leg and back. The worst was a very old, small, fuzzy tattoo on my ankle that I had cover up with a large bandaid every week - one of my coworkers just about died when he realized that it wasn't an injury that I had to keep covered for 5 years :).

More orange cat pics. All day. Everyday.

Oh yes! That can be accommodated ... We have a lifelong supply and the boys love to model!

Welcome @el domago!!

I <3 you tattooed couples here on LST!

Hello!!! Thanks - this has been an adventure.

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Hello from montreal!

Hello from TO! One if these days it might just be spring!

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Yay! Hello!!!

Yay right back at you - can't wait to meet at the Berks!

Yay!!! Welcome!

Thanks a good idea, too. Boy, I may have one of those in a box somewhere that can wrap around the waist and leave the back totally open. Maybe I didn't think of it because I started my back in February and have been thinking "fleece" rather than "summery dress"!

I bought mine from American Apparel - it was really handy and I was totally unconcerned about getting ink on it.

Hey! I know you! Welcome to LST!

Hey! I certainly hope so!

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Yay, another couple on LST! My hubster is on here, too.

Thank you! Well I figured I had been reading over his shoulder long enough!

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Welcome!

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Hi back @BrianH nice to see you here!

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Welcome!

Thanks @Graeme ! It's nice to be here.

Honestly this thread cemented my decision to join the forum (though I've lurked a bit over @Mark Bee 's shoulder previously)

I've always scheduled my appointments so I wouldn't have my time of the month during a tattoo as I lose all my ability to deal with pain then (no waxing ect... ).

As for clothes I have a couple of cotton/ jersey dresses from that have a kind of extended halter can be wrapped a myriad of ways (halter, strapless, one sleeved) that I've used while getting my back done. As for bras I cannot go without one - with my shoulder/ back piece I wore a bra with a removable strap and just used one strap to keep it all secure - I also used a super old soft tank top and wore it under the bra while things were still raw - it kept the elastic off my healing back.

Just popping over to say a quick hello from Toronto - I'm a graduate student doing her PhD in history, married to the lovely forum member @Mark Bee . Both being tattooed has meant we have an arsenal of solely post tattoo/healing bed sheets and spent part of our honeymoon at the opening of the Great Lakes Shop in Chicago.

I got my first tattoo from a street shop called Rocky's in 1990 and my most recent was outlined by Dan Innes at the Pearl Harbor last Saturday!