Tattoos

I have recently had some questions from various friends regarding tattoos, so I thought I’d post a blog on them and my answers.


Is a tattoo right for me? – This is entirely up to you. But I think that if you find yourself thinking about it a great deal and really wanting to try it, you should put more thought into actually doing it.  My personal suggestion though is to never get one just for the sake of getting it.

Does it hurt? – Well, there are a few needles stabbing you repeatedly at once and injecting ink into your skin. On top of that, there are thousands of people who use this as an opportunity to rid themselves of inner pain, so I should hope it would hurt at least a little. To me, though, it feels like a scratching. I can best describe it as the way a thin-line pen (not ball-point) feels against your skin. The after-effects, however, I describe as the feeling of a cat-scratch. If a cat scratches you, there is a heated “burn” feeling afterwards, and that is true with tattoos as well. I really recommend using a thin-line pen to draw on yourself (or better yet, have someone else do it) where you want your tattoo so that you get a feel for it. Have the person dig the pen in slightly as well.

How do I choose what to get? – I generally spend months deciding what I want. I never get something tattooed unless I know for sure and certain that it’s something I want, and that it actually MEANS something to me. Otherwise, there’s no need in getting it. There are those people who just randomly go to get a tattoo just for the sake of getting it. I do not recommend this, but can somewhat understand the reasoning behind doing so. Again, so long as it is something that the person likes a lot, I don’t consider it to be bad. Just really make sure it’s something you like beforehand. If you have a friend or family member who is good at drawing, I recommend asking them if they would mind sketching something up for you, if you an idea of what you’d like. You can also tell the tattooer what you’d like and it will give him/her the opportunity to create something new.

How do I choose a tattoo artist? – Well, I have some friends who would prefer to go the route of the relative or friend because they can have the tattoo done for free. I do not recommend this unless that relative/friend is involved or has been involved with a tattoo shop in the past or is presently. I personally choose my tattoo artist based on the cleanliness of the shop, if other people seem to be recommending their work, and how willing they are to do a tattoo that they themselves haven’t drawn before. If it is a larger-scale piece, or one that I’ve created myself, I want them to be willing to do a draw-up or sketch of their own to put some of their quirks in it.

Color or black and white? – Color is (usually) more expensive, and I've heard some find it more painful. It can also take more work and more sittings to do. It really depends on you. I like some color, but it’s probably most accurate to say that black and white is where it’s at for me. I think that the colorful ones are really nice, yet consider them to be gaudier at times.

How much do they cost? – It depends on the tattoo shop and/or the tattooer.

What do/did you use to help it heal? – I used the lotion, ointment, and soap given me by my tattooer. I recommend using whatever your tattooer tells you to use, unless they tell you to just take regular soap to it.  Regular soap = not good for new tats. Furthermore, I would ask the tattooers first-hand (before tattooing) what they suggest/recommend.

So that’s that. If anyone has any other questions, please feel free to ask, and they will be added.