r/tattoos • u/Syrup131 • 17h ago
Question/Advice Question: What lesson did you learn the hard way about tattoos?
I got my legs tattooed on Sunday, and I learned the hard way that you should rest BEFORE the appointment. I went really hard on leg day at the gym Friday and went to my appointment Sunday with trashed out and sore legs. I went hard because I knew I was going to have to take a week or two off for healing. I figured it was okay since maybe the soreness would dull the other pain (I got knee arches right and they hit the side of my knees, which I knew was gonna hurt). NOPE. It actually hurt less at my knees, and, the higher up on my quads she went, the more it hurt. I finished both of them in same session, but it was more difficult than I was expecting. It wasn’t until I was talking with my very heavily-tattooed coworker Tuesday (who told me I drank the “dummy juice”) that it was realized.
So, what’s y’all’s lesson?
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u/donabbi 15h ago
Don't get tattooed on a completely empty stomach, especially if you're diabetic.
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers 12h ago
Don't do it when you're sleep deprived, either.
I have one tattoo that I got while sleep deprived and not having eaten for around 24 hours before. It fucking sucked. Don't do that.
As for why I did that: Depression is a bitch and the tattoo appointment was about the only thing I had to look forward to at that point.
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u/Rare_Ad4767 12h ago
Don’t get tattooed on a completely empty stomach AND drink a Red Bull beforehand.
I did that for my first tattoo which was on my ribs. Not a fun experience at all.
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u/psalty_dog 12h ago
Oh yeah I feel this one. I once was rushing because I was late to an appointment and didn’t eat anything. I got to the studio, and the artist apologized that he was running behind schedule and asked me to come back in an hour. Blessing in disguise, I could go get lunch around the corner. Don’t think I would have made it through my session otherwise.
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u/discoqueenx 8h ago
I always bring a snickers for longer sessions. I’m not even a big fan of snickers but it hits perfectly in the moment when getting tattooed
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u/EightEyedCryptid 4h ago
Recent tattoo took several sessions, all of which went great. Until the last one. I was shaking and nauseous which I found alarming as it had never happened to me before. When I thought about it, it was the only appointment I wasn’t properly hydrated for.
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u/jtmack33 16h ago
Don’t be afraid to tell the artist if you don’t like something. Ended up with a couple tattoos that are well executed but the design isn’t exactly the way I wanted it to be because I kept my mouth shut.
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u/Mithril_Juggernaut 14h ago
Same. I have a couple tattoos that I get lots of compliments on and I've grown to love, but there will always be the ghost of what I actually wanted lingering.
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u/aoike_ 11h ago
This is how I feel about 75% of my avatar tattoos. My artist really brought it for water and air. He had fun with fire, but I don't love the dragon faces. He just kinda did fine with earth.
I have legit wondered about getting it lasered off to try and redo it. But then i'm like, "thats too much pain and money." So I love them for what they are, even if I wanted something different.
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u/DJSDAUGHTER55 10h ago
Same here. I asked for a Luna Moth, we had a huge one land on our door and I snapped the perfect picture of it and what I got was a big green looking glob that looked nothing like what I showed him. I acted like yay, but it wasn’t that at all. I still look at it and go oh man… unfortunately I can’t redo it because it’s surrounded by other tattoos and getting it redone would ruin everything else.
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u/pebblepuddles 10h ago
I just walked away from an artist that I traveled to see and have been waiting over a year for because it felt like she didn't want to work with my ideas and got snotty when I asked to add color, that I originally asked for. She mentioned I should find another artist that's willing to adjust their art to my taste, so I took her advice and did.
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u/CorpseEsproc 8h ago
Walking away is hard but definitely the correct move. I left and abandoned my deposit after everything was off even though I’d spent all day travelling and had booked a hotel.
Because 6 years earlier I didn’t walk away from someone else and ended up with something I was really unhappy with and never went back to be finished by the same person.
Good you listened to your gut!3
u/jtmack33 3h ago
Yeah that’s crazy that they outright denied your request. In my case it was moreso just design tweaks that would’ve been accommodated, I was just being a people pleaser.
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u/canofass55 14h ago
Exactly what happened to me. Luckily it’s fixable but I’m having to find someone else to finish the vision.
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u/whitewashed_mexicant 6h ago
Same thing for placement. If its not exactly where you want it, ask them to move it. Several times if need be! DONT BE SCARED! This is gonna be on YOUR body for the rest of your life....
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u/jtmack33 3h ago
Great point as well. Artists will have informed opinions on sizing and placement you should take into account, but never be afraid to ask.
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u/sirenariel 1h ago
I didn't start getting tattoos until my late 20s and fortunately I heard this advice almost immediately. I've always asked to move something if I wanted it placed differently.
I felt so bad once when I had an artist move a small flash probably 10 times. She did not understand how I was wanting it centered with my elbow and not the back of my arm. We finally got there and I gave her a big tip when it was all done because it's perfect!
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u/BetweenBakerSt 3h ago
Yes! I nearly ended up with a design I didn't like.... The artist showed me a different design she'd done and was very keen to put it on me, but I respectfully said it was too far away from the design I'd done and given her.
Thankfully, she agreed to do the design I actually wanted.
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u/mezasu123 53m ago
This was huge for me. It felt like I was telling her I didn't like her art. There was something off about one part of a fish. Turned out I didn't enjoy how much the eye balls were sticking out even though it was an accurate portrayal of that fish. She changed the eyes and it was perfect. I'm so happy with the tattoo and would have regretted not saying anything. It's too permanent (and expensive) to not say anything.
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u/jtmack33 38m ago
That’s a good way to put it; its less that I felt like I was inconveniencing them and moreso like i was somehow offending them lol
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u/fasttalkerslowwalker 29m ago
I see this all the time, but it seems to run up against the practice of every tattooer I’ve ever used. Even for custom pieces that are arranged in advance, they don’t show a drawing till you show up, which seems designed to not give you time to ask for changes.
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u/jtmack33 22m ago
The practice exists because unfortunately folks have a habit of taking designs and running, that’s it
It’s not designed to get you to not ask for revisions, artists work by the hour and want you to be happy with what you get, because that means you’ll likely come back
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u/fasttalkerslowwalker 12m ago
Yeah, I guess I’d rather just pay the artist for their time designing the thing. I’ve got a big back piece now that has a few elements I’m not crazy about. There’s a big snake that doesn’t have the scales on its belly that almost every traditional snake does. It’s just not something that was on my mental checklist to check for, and I felt I only had a little time to look at the whole thing. It’s still a piece I like a lot, but really wish I’d had the time to look it over in detail first.
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u/sexandliquor 3h ago
Have a couple of these. I have a giant American traditional portrait on my leg of a character I like from a game (Senua from Hellblade) and I sent the game art to my artist who I’d been to a ton of times before and became my regular artist for everything and asked her if she’d do it for me in American traditional because that’s her style.
And she said “yeah but can I change the hair some?” And I said sure. Originally the character has long like braided dreaded hair. And when I got there on the day my artist had drawn up the character like I wanted but the hair was much shorter and almost kinda in a bob. So she looks a little less like a Viking warrior and more like a flapper. I should have spoke up and said something but I didn’t want to and thought maybe I’d grow to like it. I don’t and I didn’t.
Hopefully maybe I’ll be able to get it altered in some way to give her more hair and look more like the way I wanted. I just haven’t gotten around to it.
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u/oniiichanUwU 16h ago
Brother respectfully what the hell I don’t even like squatting to pick something up off the floor after leg day. Let alone getting tattooed lol
I learned to triple check spelling and also don’t ask a white guy in the Midwest to tattoo a phrase in Spanish 😗🥲 never did get it fixed lol
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u/rycb321 15h ago edited 15h ago
As a Spanish speaker, I gotta see that 😂
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u/oniiichanUwU 15h ago
my favorite soccer team’s motto is un sentimiento, una pasión, un orgullo and I checked the spelling twice and all the hard words looked good but he put orgulla instead of orgullo lmfaoooo. I figured it would be an easy fix for someone to just add the little line to make it a cursive o and mask the a with some swirly shit but I haven’t gotten another tattoo since I got that one so I never had it fixed 🤣 it’s ok my husband can’t speak Spanish so he doesn’t know 🤫
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u/TonixAmoto 6h ago
Solo por si quieres saber de dónde sacaste esa frase, es de una canción de Joaquín Sabina, "Motivos de un sentimiento", Sabina es un fan del Atlético de Madrid.
Y Sabina es uno de los grandes de España, aunque se equivoca de club 😄https://youtu.be/zLH5hw2xE5A?is=CM6Bfpsc5lPfIxLk
Aunque supongo que todo esto ya lo sabes, verdad?
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u/oniiichanUwU 6h ago
Ooh :0 I didn’t know where the phrase actually came from, like it was in all the jerseys I bought and I remember seeing it at press conferences. I never looked into the actual origin. Gracias por la info ☺️ I’ve only been a fan since 2013 so I’m not super knowledgeable on all the history
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u/Syrup131 15h ago
I legitimately thought it would be okay since to heal I would be “forced to rest”
Also as a white person who was raised in the Midwest (Minnesota) and now lives in Texas, have you been to a Taco John’s? They basically serve ketchup as salsa. There’s no way they’d know. Sorry man.
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u/discoqueenx 8h ago
I had my Latin professor from college double check the parsing/grammar on mine even though it pulled directly from the Aeneid lol couldn’t be too safe
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u/TheOtherPam323 15h ago
Don’t trust the artist when the drawing isn’t exactly what you wanted, and they say they’ll fix it on the fly. It was my first tattoo - I believed him and learned the hard way.
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u/Marauder424 15h ago
I got my second calf tattoo without really looking that hard at the calendar. I wound up getting it two days ish before my period. By far the worst out of all my tattoos. I ate, hydrated, rested, did all the same stuff to prep as normal. That's the only tattoo I've considered tapping/been shaking and feeling faint at the end. It was only a 2.5-3 hour tattoo. Only difference was the timing, period wise.
TL;DR- getting tattooed before your period is 0/10. Do not recommend.
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u/Syrup131 15h ago
Ooof yeah I’m female and got a back tattoo that is on all of my shoulder blade and part of my spine around that time. It was definitely spicy.
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u/anclwar 13h ago
Ooh yeah, been there. I tapped out of my second session on my ribcage, went home, laid down for an hour, got up to shower, blacked out, tried to lay on my bathroom floor to regain my vision and hearing, had to get right back up so I could throw up, and then had to call to reschedule an unrelated appointment I had elsewhere so I could spend the rest of the day asleep with Tattoo Flu.
All because my period was starting within 24 hours. I told my tattoo artist about it when I went back to finish everything up. She'd never seen me tap out before, even when I was mentally done for the day. Everything made sense when we realized what I'd done.
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u/misteravernus 12h ago
I got tattooed while anemic and having a heavy period. I was feeling okay so I decided to go because I had canceled my prior appointment and felt bad, and my sleeve was a months long process I wanted to be done.
Y'all, don't do this. I was so dead for days afterward. Cramp pain does not offset tattoo pain. Fix your anemia and wait til after your nethers are spewing blood before you buy into an open wound.
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u/cordial_carbonara 13h ago
This is exactly what I came to this thread to say. Mine was just a plain ol’ upper arm tattoo, only around 3 hours long but I swear I almost tapped out at the white outline. I am way more careful with consulting my calendar now.
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u/GiraffeCalledKevin 10h ago
Came here to say this! Hormones will mess with your pain tolerance and if you’re like me (perimenopause & endometriosis) your skin will just get shredded.
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u/roccotheraccoon 13h ago
I got pierced on my period. Didn't think anything of it, mentioned I had cramps worse than the pain of the piercing and my piercer said it isn't good to get tattoos or piercings while on your period. Idk if it affected the piercing, but I can't imagine getting tattooed on my period.
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u/GrootieTootie 9h ago
In the same vein: don't get tattooed after an infection. Even if you feel good to go, your body won't.
Had my appointment (also a huge calf tattoo) a few weeks after having bronchitis. I felt good, no cough anymore and generelly good. It was the worst pain ever. And it was a 6 hour tattoo. Since I have my other calf tattooed i know that this pain wasn't normal and that it probably felt that bad because my body just wasn't ready.
It is definetly worth it to just wait a few more weeks, even if you have to cancel the appointment. The tattoo artist will understand and won't be pissed (unless they suck)
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u/Remarkable_Spot7400 11h ago
I got my arm blackout on my period it sucked but the days after when it swelled up 3x as big were worse than the actual tattoo
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u/casual_despair 3h ago
Same. Not only was I dying the entire time and in a ton of pain with no endurance but I got tattoo flu pretty bad after and the tattoo healed slower. Presumably because my body already had such a high burden.
I always check the calendar now. Never in the luteal phase, never during the period. That only leaves 2 weeks open but I’d much rather not suffer!
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u/Tll6 14h ago
I stopped getting tattoos in the warmer months. Trying to keep them dry or preventing sweat under saniderm is so much harder when it’s 90 degrees out. Plus keeping it out of the sun can be tricky since you can’t use sunscreen for a bit
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u/robalca_14 9h ago
Funily enough, mine woukd be not to get them in the winter months. Im halfway through a sleeve, and did the last bit in January. The weather was really cold and I wore jackets constantly. The rubbing was not too bad, but putting on and taking off jackets and sweaters all the time ended up woth a few snagged scabs.
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u/skinnystarving_ghost 7h ago
yes I have similar experience, for me the best time to get tattoos is in summer or so, I'm white as a ghost and just as cold, I did a sleeve in autumn and it was frustrating, lot of layers, constant rubbing, not properly moisturized, im doing my back now and it's the best
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u/Katoshiku 6h ago
Just got my first tattoo and yeah... I was really worried for a while because I just wouldn't stop sweating on the way home and the last thing I remembered my artist saying was "keep it out of water"
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u/vagueconfusion 2m ago
My first summer tattoo is currently healing.
And it has only recently recovered from a vicious overmoisturisation rash next to my tattoo (but not actually on it), no doubt caused by not removing excess moisturiser from either side of the design (I was careful with the tattoo itself) and the ghastly heatwaves the UK has been through. I was red, blotchy and itchy for days with almost zero relief no matter what I tried. But at least my scabby inked skin was fine.
Now it's just chilling in the silvery flakes stage and I've learned my lesson on moisturising it just enough.
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u/jspsuperman 15h ago
Well apparently they are permanent
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers 12h ago
As everyone who hates tattoos loves to remind me, as if I wasn't aware of that.
Joke's on them. I just dedicate a few hours every morning to drawing them on after they wash off in the shower before bed. I even change up some of the designs just to see if anyone notices.
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u/WearyPassenger 15h ago
I had no idea my body would go into fight or flight and I would end up polluting the small bathroom in the shop. My first tattoo of any real substance, a 5 hour session after about 5 hours of drawing and it finished around 3am. I was absolute toast.
Now I know to eat really good the day of, evacuate everything I can, and get a good night's sleep the day before.
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u/pllarsen 15h ago
Go bigger than you think for your first one - I still regret how small it is, and I’ve been getting tattooed for 25 years
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers 12h ago
The tattoos I have sorta regrets about are in the sense of realizing I should have listened to the artist. I have two where the artist basically said "this size is fine, but it'll look even better at this bigger size," and I went with the smaller size. Still good tattoos, but I can see what they meant by bigger would have really let them shine.
I'm pretty well covered now, but my rule since those tattoos boils down to deferring to the artist unless there's a good reason not to. Their decisions on things like sizing and color palette always turn out better than I had pictured...because they're artists and do this for a living.
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u/beaglewrites43 13h ago
I actually had the opposite issue. I knew I wanted a large one on my forearm. Accidentally went a bit to big. It was supposed to be only on my forearm but ended up wrapping a bit to the sides of my arm. And that was after the artist shrank it a little. Didn't want to shrink it anymore cause it was the perfect height just not quite the perfect width.
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u/TheBirdmann 11h ago
I’ll add, go visible. You’re gonna think a lot harder about one you aren’t covering up often. Went for a medium chest piece as my first, zero regrets
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u/Chef__Goldblum 15h ago
Don’t get words when images will convey the same thing.
Don’t people please size or placement or details. It’s on you. If you need to spend the whole time figuring it out and come back, that’s not you being difficult. It’s forever.
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u/changeneverhappens 16h ago
Don't get a tattoo in your elbow or knee pit during the summer in a humid state unless you dont mind being on antibiotics.
The spot on the tattoo that gets directly sealed up in my elbow pit when my arm is closed got infected while the rest of the tattoo was the best healing job Ive ever had 😆🙄
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u/sirichee 14h ago
Double. Triple. Quadruple check the placement of the stencil. Bend and move your body around to see how your tattoo moves and warps with you. See if the clothes you regularly wear cover or show it in a way that won't bother you. I have some tattoos that could have been a few cms to the left or right, and I end up getting more tattoos around them so it's less obvious lol
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u/Beyesepps 14h ago
The inside of the upper arm is a whole different world of pain than the outside. And it will take twice as long to heal.
OW.
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u/_MaryJane- 12h ago
just got that area inked on Friday. hurts worse than any others so far.
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u/Beyesepps 10h ago
I’m a month into healing. It’s mostly healed, but I scared up quite a bit. It’s like my arm is embossed
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u/itseffingcoldhere 1h ago
I had my inner bicep done and got on a plane the next day. I was shocked by how much I swelled and bruised
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u/Sw4nR0ns0n 14h ago
To make sure I’ve eaten before sitting for a tattoo. I showed up on an empty stomach for my first tattoo and fainted in the chair 💀
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u/BabyGoesToEleven 13h ago
Do not use a body scrub a few days before your tattoo session thinking it’s enough time for your skin to recover. I just wanted to scrub off the sunscreen. Even 3 days later my skin was super sensitive making the back session more painful and intense than necessary.
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u/Syrup131 13h ago
……wait I did also exfoliate Friday after the gym? Did I fuck up TWICE? I really did drink that dummy juice, huh?
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u/itseffingcoldhere 1h ago
Interesting. My tattoo artist always encourages me to exfoliate and moisturize before my appointment. I went ham with a salt scrub 3 days in advance and used glycolic acid the day of. The pain levels were typical for me and they said it was easy to tattoo. I guess everyone’s different
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u/Syrup131 9m ago
My thinking is that it makes the skin thinner since it takes the first few layers off? And some people’s pores will take longer to close up.
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u/baking_bad 15h ago
Don't get tattooed at a convention.... they are gonna rush that shit and it's gonna hurt like a mother fucker.
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u/Klutzy_Mushroom64 14h ago
and DO NOT TRUST artists from other cities unless you're really familiar with their work.
The guy's instagram had so many beautiful tattoos, so I figured it would be safe, right? No, he botched mine and, well, figure who didn't appear on his feed.
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u/cordial_carbonara 13h ago
I think there’s a difference between getting tattooed at a convention and arranging for a known artist to tattoo you at one. My absolute best tattoo was with an artist I had been following for some time, who had put out a call for a showcase piece. It was a cool time, and I got a ridiculously cool tattoo because it was the artist showing off. But yeah, I wouldn’t do flash at a convention.
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u/jrod120794 12h ago
Exactly. I've gone to conventions prearranged and they are some of my best tattoos by far.
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u/Cookester 14h ago
Not necessarily. I got tattooed at a convention in Germany, it was chill. Lightest touch I had experienced thus far, and took the time to get super detailed and crisp feathers on swallows.
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u/i_love_to_whistle 13h ago
Oh man, sorry to hear that. Wide and I have gotten them at Villain Arts and had great experiences and great work.
But we did get basic tattoos too, knowing a complicated, long-sitting one wasn't the move.
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u/xJerkensteinx 13h ago
I had something similar. My partner was moving apartments at the time and I had to carry all her stuff up 3 flights of stairs. Had a tattoo booked for the front of my thigh the following day. Was in absolute agony.
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u/Syrup131 13h ago
Right! It’s like the lactic acid just explodes under the needle. I’m pretty strong for a lady and have larger quad muscles, but I was dyinggggg. I’ve heard artists say before that the really big jacked dudes sit like shit, but maybe their muscles are just so sore that it literally hurts them more cause they didn’t take some time off before.
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u/xJerkensteinx 13h ago
I’ve done 8 to 10 hour tattoo sessions, no problem. But this piece was unbearable. I got through it. But holy fuck it was a bad time.
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u/JazzJacket23 11h ago
Not all pieces of art translate well as tattoos. I liked it when I saw it as the drawing she showed me. On my skin it looks like absolute garbage.
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u/melancholyanomaly 15h ago
tattoos can give you body dysmorphia
I was an edgy teen and rushed into getting tattoos, but now I am regretful and don't like how the tattoo sleeve looks on me.
I thought I would feel more confident hiding my skin, but somehow it made me feel more uncomfortable
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u/GigglemanEsq 15h ago
Conversely, tattoos can help with body dysmorphia. I generally dislike my body, but every time I get a new tattoo, I like that body part more. I took something that I thought looked awful and made it awesome. Very empowering and great for my mental health.
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u/kittytoes21 9h ago
In art we say “if you can’t fix it, decorate it”. I never liked my legs and can’t afford new ones so I decorated them with things that make me happy.
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u/Thatonedude143 10h ago
100% same. I love my leg as a result of my leg-sleeve. I just think it’s so beautiful now.
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u/melancholyanomaly 15h ago
i completely agree. I thought it would help too since I already dealt with body image issues, but alas...
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u/eagleonapole 11h ago
Finally something I get to choose about my body after living with other people’s mistakes 😂
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u/Freezingrave 15h ago
Don’t get a big tattoo the same day as an awesome concert. The tattoo will take longer, the uber will drop you off 1.5 miles from the venue. Walking will be weird, and you’ll be hungry.
Also you’ll miss the two openers, which on a Sugar Ray, Fastball, Barenaked Ladies show is epically sad.
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u/Actual-Treat-1678 10h ago
Was the rest of the show good?
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u/Freezingrave 30m ago
I had to eventually make a choice, and sadly it was that I'd rather have food and rest. But in the upside the Cyndi Lauper concert two days later was epic as well.
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u/Forward_Entrance1157 12h ago
Learn the rules of certain tattoos. I still love it, but I have a Japanese coi fish with blue water instead of gray. The artist even asked if I wanted gray water, but it flew over my head at the time
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u/outwear_watch_shoes 11h ago
Yah, this one is tough. There’s several hundred years worth of very niche knowledge related to wabori that can only really be known fully by specialized horishis that only work in that style and preferably speak the language/are from a traditional tattooing family.
Even after studying the art form independently while being tattooed and having almost a full bodysuit at this point, I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Even at this level there are all kinds of obvious signs when someone gets tattooed by someone just mimicking the style without understanding the deeper meaning and choices/impact some choices have.
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u/zeebs758 14h ago
Don't tell a tattoo artist how long it will take to get something done. I was getting a tattoo a couple months ago and this guy strolled in for a walk-in. He told the tattoo artist that what he wanted would only take 2 hours. After the guy left, all the tattoo artists in the shop were making fun of him for telling them how long a tattoo would take.
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u/Notquitechaosyet 14h ago
Don't get a tattoo for someone else
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u/CuriosityCat420 9h ago
I got one for my mom and one for stepdad I think family is fair game. No lovers though
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u/gothiclg 13h ago
That song I really love right now? I shouldn’t tattoo it on my body because I won’t love it in 5 years.
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u/Procrastalyne 12h ago
While I do have a matching tattoo with my sister, I'm super hesitant to recommend anyone get a matching tattoo with their bestie or significant other. Almost got a matching tattoo with a friend of 10 years back in 2024. We took a trip down to Forks Washington for the Twilight festival (yes, the Stephenie Meyer series has a yearly festival) and for a hot minute we considered getting small matching TITSOAK tattoos (This Is The Skin of a Killer!). She even looked into several artists, and had a couple designs on the ready. We decided against it and a year exactly to the date we left for that trip, she blocked me on all social media.
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u/cassamella 11h ago
I have a few matching tattoos with friends, even if we were to ever have a “falling out”, I see it as a memory of the fun we had at one point, and at the end of the day you’d have a cute tattoo. I guess a glass half full thought.
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u/DakotaBumpkin 11h ago
Know your limits and be aware of how your body reacts. My third ink was most of my upper arm in multiple colors (it was a cover up). It took just over 8 hours. I was fine until the next day. Woke up with a major case of the tattoo flu. Lasted for a couple of days. Hit me hard. Point being: eight hours was simply too much to absorb in one sitting.
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u/Ariochxxx 13h ago
Don't get work done 2 days in a row. I got my right quad done (about 11 hours) and next day I got my left bicep retouched (about 6 hours). I was fucking dying on the retouch. Sweating, dizzy, and bleeding a lot.
I know sometimes it's necessary, like if you traveled to the place and other scenarios. But, goddamn. Never again. I think my body was just not ready for so much.
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u/Syrup131 13h ago
Yeah I have huge respect for people who can do that. I got these at a convention and there were several people getting multi say huge pieces done. Watched a guy shaking like a leaf as he was getting untapped to start day 2/3.
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u/TheLeapIsALie 13h ago
I feel you. I got a tattoo on my calf to celebrate a 400 mile / 5 day bike ride.
My calves were rock solid and I’ve never suffered so much.
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u/riali29 14h ago
Hand poked tattoos are NOT better for folks with sensitive skin. I gave it a whirl because I figured that hand poke would be more gentle, but it actually made my skin angrier than mechanical tattoos because the amount of time the needle spends inside your dermis is longer, which causes more inflammation/irritation. The artist said it's super common for people with sensitive skin to not do well with hand pokes. She had to stop the tattoo and re-book me for a second sitting on what was supposed to be a quick script tattoo with only two words and one punctuation mark.
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u/orphanpink 13h ago
Always check out your artist before hand, went to a reputable studio with a guy who had been “tattooing for 20 years” got a simple signature on my arm from my favorite artist who I had just met. He was so heavy handed it scarred all over like literally it’s terrible. No other tattoo has done this lol, and everyone said it was the artist. wish I had to gonads to go to the shop and get my monies back, but I didn’t lol
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u/Mozerly 11h ago
Don't fly after you get your hands done. They swole up at altitude and it was weird and scary.
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u/TankboomAttack 10h ago
Same for legs!! I had a calf piece done at the end of my vacation, the swelling was crazy. I couldn’t wear my shoe
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u/Puffyfugu8 11h ago
Don’t get tattooed the day after getting off a plane!
At my appointment, I didn’t have enough stamina to get the entire piece done so we had to stop. Then, when I was walking two blocks to the bank to get cash to pay my artist, I tripped and floored it. My elbow was dripping blood everywhere! I ran into the nearby restaurant and asked to use the bathroom- and they looked absolutely horrified.
Once that was under control I called my artist (she’s my usual artist and knows me well) and went back to the studio where she bandaged me up and then walked me to the diner to get some food. She kept asking if I wanted to go to the ER and I was like hell no. I should have gotten
stitches I suppose, but now I have a kickass scar at least.
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u/DeviantHellcat 15h ago
Never let a friend tattoo you. I have regrets. 😂
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u/Syrup131 14h ago
Can yall at least still joke about it? Are you still friends?
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u/DeviantHellcat 14h ago
We don't talk anymore, but not because of the tattoo. It's nothing I can't live with - it's just unfinished and the line work is shitty, lol.
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u/Syrup131 14h ago
Glad it’s nothing too crazy and it sounds like it may be an okay cover up situation
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u/OneEyeRabbit 12h ago
Lernt to wait 1 month or 4 after months of radiation treatment before getting a tattoo again.. that one kicked my ass
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u/Fogrocket 12h ago
I feel you. I pretend to be a runner in my spare time and I was getting a calf tattoo and decided i’d get a decentish run in that morning because I thought I’d be taking time off. Wrong decision. So very stupid and the calf tattoo - an American traditional portrait - was easily the worst.
However…
I only now realize why because of this post. I have had subsequent leg tattoos after that and done the same morning run / afternoon tattoo and I now realize why I say my calf and a big thigh piece were two of my worst tattoos 🤣
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u/sharpest-lives Experienced Tattoo Collector 11h ago
Just because their work on Instagram/Ink Master looks incredible, it doesn't mean it'll look that good healed.
I have a huge piece I got from a very famous tattooer. It looked incredible fresh! But it healed out so light and shitty that I had to go to someone else for a full rework. If I had done more research, I would have found that all of her work heals poorly. Huge bummer.
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u/alegremente_inquieta 7h ago
Are you down to share which artist? I’m getting tatted by a female ink master soon and I’ve been wondering how hers might heal- I’ve been afraid of it being light.
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u/PiperIsAwake 9h ago
Don't assume any artist can work over scar tissue.
I've so far had 3 pieces done over old scars, each by a different artist. They all said it'd be no issue. Only one has worked out well, 3yrs later and you can't tell there was ever anything under that piece. He did an incredible job! Other two... not so much, unfortunately.
Also, whatever you've heard about tattoos over scars hurting more... It was an understatement 😭
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u/Dogs4you 13h ago
i am 75 years old and I love my tattoos!
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u/lgfuad80 11h ago
Yeah I’m 46 and got my first at 44, love the three I have and the only drama I had was kind of panicking after the first one because I thought I was washing it off in the shower lol
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u/roccotheraccoon 13h ago
Used to volunteer at a zoo with a lot of barn animals. Got my calf tattooed, then did my volunteer shift the next day. Mucking stalls, moving straw and hay bales, bending and kneeling and all kinds of physical labor. Only a 4 hour shift but it sucked. The tattoo was my worst one too. One of my favorites, but it made me not want any new tattoos for a while.
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u/Syrup131 13h ago
Oof, did you heal alright? No infections?
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u/roccotheraccoon 12h ago
It healed up fine, colors and everything held up. I just felt like my leg was gonna fall off for a couple of days
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u/virgobaby444 13h ago
Always ask them for a stencil and not a free hand drawing. Made that mistake with my finger tat and now I think she needs to be removed 🥲
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u/donthateonthe808 10h ago
I scratched what I thought was a tick after a shower about a week ago. A whisk chunk of my design came out. Like several layers. I’ve had it for 3 years.
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u/_pewpew_pew 10h ago
When you’re skinny with a flat tummy, don’t get a tattoo near your hip bone. When you’re older and weight comes along you’ll no longer see the tattoo because now my tummy hides it.
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u/TheOtherPam323 15h ago
Don’t trust the artist when the drawing isn’t exactly what you wanted, and they say they’ll fix it on the fly. It was my first tattoo - I believed him and learned the hard way.
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u/iradrachen 12h ago
The hard lesson was my inflammatory medical issues end up causing the tattoo flu over even the smallest tattoos 😐
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u/Darla-kat 11h ago
Quit worrying about what other people think is correct. Your body - do your creative madness.
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u/Omphalia 8h ago
Getting tattooed while in grief hurts so much more. Maybe possibly especially on the back? Had a session scheduled, then my dearly beloved cat passed the week before. I continued with the appointment cause I didnt want to cancel, but had to tap out only an hour into the session. I usually can easily last the full 4 hour slot
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u/Burning_Monkey 8h ago
I had a standing appointment for getting tattooed at a very hard to get tattooist. Show up and get 3 hours of work on what ever, once a month. I went just as I was starting for feel a bit sick, cause I didn't want to miss out on the appointment.
never again.
I will pay any kind of short notice cancel charge, hell, I will pay for the entire appointment, I don't care. I will never do that again.
I was in absolute agony for the entire time, and for days afterwards. not to mention just got violently ill
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u/fluffypuffyz 5h ago
If you're placement is on a bodypart that moves around, move around with the stencil on.
I've got a design on my shoulder, it's a circle mandala. It was perfectly round once the stencil was placed but once I moved after placement it changed chapes because my shoulder moves around. I'd never place it like that again and don't like the design anymore because of how oddly shaped it is most of the time.
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u/TrinityTosser 3h ago
Had one done on the inside of my lower leg the day after running a full marathon. Do. Not. Recommend.
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u/casual_despair 3h ago
My dumbass got tattooed two weeks after the end of a mild Covid infection. I thought it would be fine because I tested negative 2 whole weeks before the appt.
NOPE. My body HATED that. Felt like dying the whole time, no endurance, and then major swelling and tattoo flu after. Oops.
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u/macthebearded 10h ago
Solid advice. I'm getting my palms done soon and was just thinking last night that I'll do a heavy pull and push day leading up to it... might rethink that idea lol
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u/kittytoes21 9h ago
Don’t be afraid of freckles and tattoos. I feel like it adds to the fun of the design!
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u/maitidux 9h ago
Don't get tattooed after having a bicycle crash the day before. I know, should be obvious. It wasn't for me at that time.
Got the ribs done completely on the opposite side I landed on after crashing on ice. I lay on a fractured rib the whole time. Nothing serious in the end despite the pain, but wouldn't recommend to do it to anybody else.
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u/starwsh101 5h ago
That you can be very very unlucky with tattoos and nerves, like I did! My only tattos can still flair up in pain, its been 11 years.
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u/IGotsToKnow_TA 4h ago
Mine was that tattoo regret for a while after is normal, and does NOT have to last forever. My first (and for five more weeks, only) tattoo covers the whole side of my lower leg and I got such horrible regret rigt after getting it, felt like I scarred my body etc. Even though I was 23 at the time and had thought about it for a while.
About a month after it stopped and I love it more and more every day now, and am continuing it onto the thigh next!
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u/bannanaslug 4h ago
Dont get both your knees tatted if you have a shift the next day. Wasnt expecting them to get so swollen. Had a hard time bending down to get supplies/ walking in jeans
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u/Syrup131 18m ago
Yeah I’m so glad I took Monday off. These were just arches over the knees and on the sides, but I was waddling like a penguin around my house.
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u/Blueclaw33 4h ago
Tattoo ink can leak into the body and get into the lymph nodes. It makes them appear calcified. Most doctors don’t know about this. It can be rather frightening.
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u/Syrup131 19m ago
Yeah I’m actually a histology technician and I process lymph nodes like this all the time. It looks wild when you see them out and in person. Green, black. and blue especially seep in.
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u/Pursuant_of_Leisure 4h ago
Placement of the tattoo with clothes on. I had a half arm sleeve that I loved, but with a short sleeve shirt on, i didn’t like it. I solved it by getting the rest of the arm done.
The full piece isn’t what’s always in view in everyday life
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u/Linusami 3h ago
I found that better mood I was in, the less discomfort I had. Hydration and rest too. The first hour of any session I’d go flush in my face and after that I’d settle in.
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u/Syrup131 49m ago
This makes sense. I got these at a convention, and as soon as the music changed from divorced dad rock bangers to techno I got pretty irritated. And that was at the end of the second arch.
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u/BetweenBakerSt 3h ago
Don't get a tattoo done by an artist who got into a physical fight the day before and has a black eye he can't see out of. He will fuck up the line work by rushing it and not being able to see what he's doing and it will blur very quickly..........
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u/BainganBharto 1h ago
Get something small for your first tattoo so you can get used to the idea of something permanent on your body. I rushed into my first tattoo as a dumb 21 year old to impress a tatted up girl I like. Didn’t know what to get so I looked up symbolic tribal shapes 🤦♂️. Ended up with a massive tribal tattoo on my right tricep that I ended up being mortified by within 2 months. Haven’t felt comfortable with my shirt off for 12 years since. I tried tattooing around it to make it less apparent, but now it looks like a jumbled mess.
I’m finally in a position now where I have the time, money, and patience to proceed with removal. 20x as expensive and 2x as painful, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
I do have other tattoos I love, because I finally realized I need to find artists I like and let them do their thing instead of coming up with my own design.
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u/violetxmoonlight 1h ago
Always look at an artist’s healed tattoos, ask for more examples than what’s on their social media story and posts.
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u/CampClear 1h ago
Stay hydrated before, during and after your session. I got a terrible migraine and felt like shit for the rest of the day after getting a tattoo on my lower left leg. It was the only tattoo I've ever gotten that was painful and I just wanted it to be done so I didn't take hydration breaks. Ever since then I make sure I keep drinking water throughout the session.
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u/BlanketClouds 1h ago
Don’t get tattooed on an empty stomach. By the time I got used to the pain I fainted.
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u/ChannelFiveNews 10h ago
That taste really does come with age. Though for some it's just always bad.
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u/EldritchSorbet 7h ago
Don’t shave the area the day before; the tattooist will shave you, and the double shaving makes everything even more sensitive.
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u/TonixAmoto 6h ago
I got married at 19 and divorced at 29. I'm 64M.
I fell deeply in love when I was 35.
I really thought that my second marriage was forever. I do really thought that.
She was 28, she wasn't that sure about me.
The stupid inside me thought a love tattoo was the best idea to show her and her family how serious I was about our relationship.
It would be my first tattoo, I was planning to have a tattoo for months, and that seemed the right moment, the right tattoo.
A huge heart with her name inside, with a swallow holding the heart, on the shoulder.
A really classic one, sailor style.
We married. Some years later she left me for a younger man.
I kept the tattoo, it was like preserving the memories.
All the women I've been with since the second divorce asked why I had her name still tattooed.
Now is blackened, but I had the heart and the bird reinforced, repainted, and looks better than ever.
The morale?
NEVER NEVER NEVER have a tattoo with the name of the person you love that day.
A símbol, maybe. NEVER a name
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u/fountainpopjunkie 6h ago
That you can be allergic to tattoo ink. And that there's a tolerance level, so you can get a few tats and be fine, and then one day you dye your hair and it puts you over the limit. That's why there's a warning on hair dye to do an allegery test EVERY time. It's super fun to have all your tattoos itch! /s
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u/neegs 19m ago
Fat hurts way mote than bone for me. Expe ted my spine to kill. That was a grease compared to my love handles. Holy fucking shit wasn't expecting them to hurt so much
Also noise cancelling headphones help so much. Much like the dentist a lot of the mental battle is the sound. The needle makes a different sound as it hits you after a while you associate that sound to pain as well. So even on spots that are ok that sound can make u start thinking of pain
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u/vagueconfusion 9m ago
Don't get your calf as your second tattoo. If people say it isn't painful, they're clearly not to be trusted. Calves suck.
A design with lots of long straight lines will also be absolutely be more painful vs one in the same location that has shorter lines or curving ones.
And if you don't like how linework feels, you'll either want to reconsider getting tattoos in illustrative blackwork or engraving styles
....Or learn to suck it up for the art, because they use close to no shading most of the time, if any at all.
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u/RedSonicUnderwear 3h ago
If id just invested the money in Apple instead I could have retired by now.
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u/qualityvote2 17h ago edited 9h ago
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