The Show Off Your Tattoo Thread
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Soldato
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Life it seems will fade away, lets hope your tattoo doesn't.
Associate
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Drifting further everyday
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to liveDrifting further everyday
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
Simply nothing more to give.
Jeez sounds like a typical workday.
Fade to black best song ever
Associate
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I have a full sleeve on my right arm of a fox, wolf, panther and tigers
T-red skull on right calf
Planet symbol and crescent moon on two fingers
Another fox Im getting on my shin in less than 2 weeks
Sorry about big images!
T-red skull on right calf
Planet symbol and crescent moon on two fingers
Another fox Im getting on my shin in less than 2 weeks
Sorry about big images!
Associate
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I'm going in tomorrow for my first 'proper' tattoo - 'proper' as in done in an actual tattoo parlour rather than a glorified nail bar, where the wife and I got ours done best part of ten years ago.
What do you all recommend I should be doing before I actually go in tomorrow? Obviously I'll shower as normal tomorrow morning, so no problem ensuring the area in question (left arm between shoulder and elbow) is clean before he starts.
My first took probably just over 2.5 hours altogether and hurt a bit initially, but then after a while I didn't notice it - I guess I was either distracted or the body just ignores the discomfort after a while. I've been told this one tomorrow should take about 6-7 hours, so I'm not expecting that to apply to the same extent this time round!
I've read a lot of this thread and somewhere someone recommended taking ibuprofen beforehand - is that likely to have any effect or is that wishful thinking on my part?
As far as aftercare is concerned, I got a tube of bepanthen in Boots earlier this week. Quite happy to grab cling film in Tescos if needs be, although reading the aftercare advice on the parlour's website they recommend two methods of aftercare, one using frequent changes of covering over a period of several days and another using 2-3 changes over a 12-24 hour period, with frequent applications of bepanthen.
What do you all recommend I should be doing before I actually go in tomorrow? Obviously I'll shower as normal tomorrow morning, so no problem ensuring the area in question (left arm between shoulder and elbow) is clean before he starts.
My first took probably just over 2.5 hours altogether and hurt a bit initially, but then after a while I didn't notice it - I guess I was either distracted or the body just ignores the discomfort after a while. I've been told this one tomorrow should take about 6-7 hours, so I'm not expecting that to apply to the same extent this time round!
I've read a lot of this thread and somewhere someone recommended taking ibuprofen beforehand - is that likely to have any effect or is that wishful thinking on my part?
As far as aftercare is concerned, I got a tube of bepanthen in Boots earlier this week. Quite happy to grab cling film in Tescos if needs be, although reading the aftercare advice on the parlour's website they recommend two methods of aftercare, one using frequent changes of covering over a period of several days and another using 2-3 changes over a 12-24 hour period, with frequent applications of bepanthen.
Eat a decent breakfast, bring something to drink, bring snacks, don't be afraid to ask for a 5 minute break if you need one.
Personally I've never bothered with pain killers, they don't work. After a while the adrenaline will kick in and you'll go numb to the pain, its still not a pleasant process but you'll be able to gut it out for a number of hours. At some point you'll crash, and it will seem like hell, generally for me thats 4-5 hours in, at this point you'll just have to grin and bear it.
Where is the piece going? Certain places hurt far more than others. You can tattoo the outside of my arm all day, if you start tattooing my chest or my elbow I'll be swearing at you very shortly.
I'm not sure what the recommended aftercare is these days, always used to be Bepanthen as you said but I believe they changed the formula a few years back and now it is nowhere near as good.
I'm also in for a monster session tomorrow, outlining a sleeve cover up with chest and back plate, expect to be in the chair for a good 7 hours. Best of luck!
Personally I've never bothered with pain killers, they don't work. After a while the adrenaline will kick in and you'll go numb to the pain, its still not a pleasant process but you'll be able to gut it out for a number of hours. At some point you'll crash, and it will seem like hell, generally for me thats 4-5 hours in, at this point you'll just have to grin and bear it.
Where is the piece going? Certain places hurt far more than others. You can tattoo the outside of my arm all day, if you start tattooing my chest or my elbow I'll be swearing at you very shortly.
I'm not sure what the recommended aftercare is these days, always used to be Bepanthen as you said but I believe they changed the formula a few years back and now it is nowhere near as good.
I'm also in for a monster session tomorrow, outlining a sleeve cover up with chest and back plate, expect to be in the chair for a good 7 hours. Best of luck!
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Pain killers don't work, even the Dr Numb stuff only works for an hour then wears off and you can't reapply it as it smudges any transfers or pen. Take a gum shield and some rock music.
Aftercare, I've always just left the clingfilm on they let you go with for as long as possible that day then wash with cold water and smother in bepanthen over and over, you might want to sleep on a dark towel and if you're wearing a shirt or something the next day cling film again. I ruined a shirt as it seeped through the next day in a meeting
I always just keep smothering in bepanthen as many chances I get and I get a little peeling that's it.
Aftercare, I've always just left the clingfilm on they let you go with for as long as possible that day then wash with cold water and smother in bepanthen over and over, you might want to sleep on a dark towel and if you're wearing a shirt or something the next day cling film again. I ruined a shirt as it seeped through the next day in a meeting
I always just keep smothering in bepanthen as many chances I get and I get a little peeling that's it.
Associate
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Yeah, this is the outside of my left arm, from shoulder to just above my elbow. Same place as I had the other one, just bigger and the opposite arm.
Yeah, the music thing had crossed my mind - I'll have my phone and AirPods with me, although no doubt they'll have music on already in the studio ... seems to go with the vibe! Good shout about laying a towel on the bed - I do predominantly lay on the side that's being tattooed now that I think about it, so that's a must. Got the day off afterwards so shouldn't be any issues with weeping/bleeding at work.Pain killers don't work, even the Dr Numb stuff only works for an hour then wears off and you can't reapply it as it smudges any transfers or pen. Take a gum shield and some rock music.
Aftercare, I've always just left the clingfilm on they let you go with for as long as possible that day then wash with cold water and smother in bepanthen over and over, you might want to sleep on a dark towel and if you're wearing a shirt or something the next day cling film again. I ruined a shirt as it seeped through the next day in a meeting
I've used bepanthen but apparently the indigence has changed so I tried tattoo goo and that's greasy so now I use Hustle Butter and find it soaks in well and smells nice too 
I've had a full sleeve on my right arm and now sitting for my left arm ....
Chewing gum works for me, my limit is a 4 hour session then I get bored... plus my tattooist has a 4 hour limit per session
I've had a full sleeve on my right arm and now sitting for my left arm ....
Chewing gum works for me, my limit is a 4 hour session then I get bored... plus my tattooist has a 4 hour limit per session
As others have said, eat something filling before you go, but not junk food. Try and refrain from drinking large amounts of alcohol the night before as this can in some people,thin the blood which isn't good for the artist to work with and you may end up bleeding a fair bit. I'm a gym rat so when I go I take a USN Protein/Carb flapjack with me if its a long sitting plus a bottle of fruit squash.
Your artist will wrap your arm in cling film before you leave. My tattooist recommends keeping it on until you get home (that's really all it is for, to prevent any chance of infection on your way home although there are some methods advocated which encourage regular usage and re-application of cling film) and then for a further hour or two once you are home (4 hours max). Then remove the cling film, first wash hands thoroughly with a mild soap (I use the little fellas baby wash soap ). Then rinse hands. Rinse tattoo with warm/lukewarm water (I used a small plastic cup to do this whilst leaning over the bathroom sink) then apply mild soap to the tattoo - gently clean it. Don't be alarmed if ink starts running off your skin, perfectly normal. Rinse again with a cup then pat dry with kitchen roll. Once dry apply Bepanthen gently. Again, my artist recommends going through this washing/drying/moisturising process 2-3 times a day. After 5 days I switch from Bepanthen to a mild and natural moisturiser. Keep this going for a further week or so. The tattoo will still be healing long after you think it is 'all healed up'. Don't expose the tattoo to hot water too early or fully submerge it in a bath or swimming pool.
I know everyone has different ways of going about this but I'm currently at the end of a 7 hour (so far) Polynesian half sleeve ( 1-2 x hours to go to finish it off this Friday
) and so far I've had almost zero scabbing or issues apart from a tiny scab on my inner bicep which vanished in a couple of days. So the above works for me, YMMV. Oh and it will sting for a few days but obviously DO NOT scratch it - 'pat' it and give it a slap if it itches or stings.
It is painful but bearable. You will get used to it and zone out/plateau eventually. It's not as bad as most folk imagine. The sorest part for me was inner bicep. And I found the outlining bearable but some of the shading I had done at my second three hour sitting was pretty stingy!
I dunno, maybe I'm a masochist but I kinda enjoyed the pain aspect to a degree - it's all part of the whole tattoo experience. This was my first ink and initially I thought I was being a bit ambitious going for a half sleeve design but I'm glad I did and glad I didn't just start off with a 'little design' to begin with to see what it was going to be like because that way you really do not get a full impression of what to expect with a larger design. I'm hooked - planning on returning after the New Year for a second design.
Enjoy.
Your artist will wrap your arm in cling film before you leave. My tattooist recommends keeping it on until you get home (that's really all it is for, to prevent any chance of infection on your way home although there are some methods advocated which encourage regular usage and re-application of cling film) and then for a further hour or two once you are home (4 hours max). Then remove the cling film, first wash hands thoroughly with a mild soap (I use the little fellas baby wash soap
). Then rinse hands. Rinse tattoo with warm/lukewarm water (I used a small plastic cup to do this whilst leaning over the bathroom sink) then apply mild soap to the tattoo - gently clean it. Don't be alarmed if ink starts running off your skin, perfectly normal. Rinse again with a cup then pat dry with kitchen roll. Once dry apply Bepanthen gently. Again, my artist recommends going through this washing/drying/moisturising process 2-3 times a day. After 5 days I switch from Bepanthen to a mild and natural moisturiser. Keep this going for a further week or so. The tattoo will still be healing long after you think it is 'all healed up'. Don't expose the tattoo to hot water too early or fully submerge it in a bath or swimming pool.I know everyone has different ways of going about this but I'm currently at the end of a 7 hour (so far) Polynesian half sleeve ( 1-2 x hours to go to finish it off this Friday
) and so far I've had almost zero scabbing or issues apart from a tiny scab on my inner bicep which vanished in a couple of days. So the above works for me, YMMV. Oh and it will sting for a few days but obviously DO NOT scratch it - 'pat' it and give it a slap if it itches or stings.It is painful but bearable. You will get used to it and zone out/plateau eventually. It's not as bad as most folk imagine. The sorest part for me was inner bicep. And I found the outlining bearable but some of the shading I had done at my second three hour sitting was pretty stingy!
I dunno, maybe I'm a masochist but I kinda enjoyed the pain aspect to a degree - it's all part of the whole tattoo experience. This was my first ink and initially I thought I was being a bit ambitious going for a half sleeve design but I'm glad I did and glad I didn't just start off with a 'little design' to begin with to see what it was going to be like because that way you really do not get a full impression of what to expect with a larger design. I'm hooked - planning on returning after the New Year for a second design.
Enjoy.
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Associate
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Thanks gents, all good advice and taken on board. Must confess I have had a bottle of beer tonight, but just the one and no more.
This isn’t something I’m doing on a whim - I’ve wanted another tat for years but just never got round to actually doing it. The breakup of my marriage at the end of August has proved to be the catalyst and I’m seeing it as a bit of a personal statement, marking my return to single status and the new beginning it entails.
Next will be getting a cover-up done on the existing tat on my right arm - it’s not that I don’t like the design so much, I just wish I’d had it done larger and with more detail. Easy to say that now - at the time it was a case of sticking a toe in the water.
My 18 year old niece has recently had the inside of both forearms and her calf done, so I’ll be enormously disappointed in myself if I turn out to be a big girls blouse!
This isn’t something I’m doing on a whim - I’ve wanted another tat for years but just never got round to actually doing it. The breakup of my marriage at the end of August has proved to be the catalyst and I’m seeing it as a bit of a personal statement, marking my return to single status and the new beginning it entails.
Next will be getting a cover-up done on the existing tat on my right arm - it’s not that I don’t like the design so much, I just wish I’d had it done larger and with more detail. Easy to say that now - at the time it was a case of sticking a toe in the water.
My 18 year old niece has recently had the inside of both forearms and her calf done, so I’ll be enormously disappointed in myself if I turn out to be a big girls blouse!
Outside arm is about as painless as it gets.
The inside on the forearm gets a little sharp down near the wrist and on the head gives your headache due to vibration
.
Chest and over the collarbone is a surprising breeze.
Outside forearm i think i could actually fall asleep while that's done while up by the armpit would keep you from dropping of
I hear the lower abdomen/groin area is a bit of a b==ch.
Kinda like the feel of a tattoo but it may just be me.
The inside on the forearm gets a little sharp down near the wrist and on the head gives your headache due to vibration
.Chest and over the collarbone is a surprising breeze.
Outside forearm i think i could actually fall asleep while that's done while up by the armpit would keep you from dropping of
I hear the lower abdomen/groin area is a bit of a b==ch.
Kinda like the feel of a tattoo but it may just be me.
At a family party recently, a cousin showed me a photo on his phone, saying, “What do you think of this Jean?”
It was a young woman, from the back, sitting on a bed, with just her knickers on, and her back was completely tattooed with a lion’s head and face.
I said, “Well it’s beautifully done Steve, looks almost like 3-D, but I’m not a tattoo fan, why show me?”
He said, “It’s my eldest daughter, Yvonne, she’s getting married next June, I told her that I’ll never stop loving her, but if she wears a backless wedding dress, I won't walk her down the aisle.”
His daughter looks like a 23 y.o. version of Alana de la Garza, the actress from U.S. TVs “Law and Order”, but all I could say was, “Bummer Steve, I’m glad that I only have sons.”
He said, “Bigger bummer Jean, I don’t have any brothers, nor does my wife, smart money says Yvonne will ask you to give her away, she’s always liked you a lot, and your wife and boys.”
I said, “Stevie, I love you to bits, but if you think that I’m getting in the middle of this, you’ve got another think coming, I can feel a holiday coming on for next June, save me a piece of cake.”
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All done, 5.5 hours all told. Stung a bit when it got near my bicep or tricep, but otherwise no big deal. I know tribals are a bit passé nowadays, but it’s big and bold and I love it:
Worst bit was continually getting a numb arse from being sat down that long, but tattooist was perfectly happy for me to get up and stretch my legs every half-hour or so - he did the same. Turns out he’s a total Star Wars nerd as well, so there were two grown men nattering about it like excited children. He’s got some fantastic SW-themed designs up on the wall near his work station - already considering one on my shoulder blade ...
Worst bit was continually getting a numb arse from being sat down that long, but tattooist was perfectly happy for me to get up and stretch my legs every half-hour or so - he did the same. Turns out he’s a total Star Wars nerd as well, so there were two grown men nattering about it like excited children. He’s got some fantastic SW-themed designs up on the wall near his work station - already considering one on my shoulder blade ...
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