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So, this turned out way better than I could have expected. Got it finished in two sessions with the second one at Allstar Ink in Limerick, Ireland. Chris Stuart was guesting there for a day prior to the London convention so I was lucky enough to grab the spot. A great experience again. I couldn't speak highly enough of Chris and the atmosphere was enhanced with the liked of Nagle, Peck, Topper, Noble, Arment all working there on the same day. Anyway, I'll let the pic do the talking ? Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Also, maybe once you're feeling more confident from looking online, don't hesitate to look at portfolios in a shop! The pictures are so much better even if you've seen some of the same images on Instagram, plus you can get a sense of whether your prospective tattooer will be kind and helpful for your first tattoo.

My general rule of thumb is to act online how I would in person. I might as well be a decent person.

Healed many many tattoos now over the last few years with tegaderm. The only time I've had the red irritation issue on the edge of the tegaderm was when it was applied too stretched in the first place, or at a weird angle on a spot that moves a lot. (This is yet another unfinished piece, more coming shortly to finish in a last session for background, etc.)

I'm very clumsy. Said clumsiness and propensity to run into things and get bruises has never affected any of my tattoos. Quit worrying.

Our shop has a $200 down payment, and we just leave it there b/c we keep going back, so it stays on the books so we don't have to mess w/it each time we call for an appointment. My husband's new artist is right next to mine, so that was nice last time. The other times we've been tattooed "together" he's been a lot farther away. When I initially contacted them about an appointment, I emailed and got the details on how they handle them w/people who live a ways away before calling. They asked for pictures to be emailed first, so they could look and see what ideas I had and pictures of the area, since it was for a cover up. The idea for the cover up actually came from a poster here, who I don't think posts anymore. I sent them all the pictures, told them the idea and what I like, and asked who they thought would be the best fit. Worked out great b/c the artist they suggested is the one I liked the best off the website portfolios. He is booked around 3 months out, so that's been hard at times but holy hannah it's so worth it. And it started as a "cover up and maybe can you incorporate this peony I already have into it" to..ummm can you extend it to go around my frog? to, wellll maybe can you just extend it across my back and down the other arm? ha. The general idea came from here--Japanese/water. I asked for another peony and could it be darker shades of purple and then pretty much the entire thing has been whatever he feels like doing, colors too. That "laid back" thing is something I started working on from comments here, and it's been *incredible*. "listen to your artist" "trust your artist" yeah. it's amazing what you can get when you take that to heart.

Amid all the discussion we've had of late about how we interact with new members and people wanting advice, this is the epitome of a perfect interaction. Advice sought, open to suggestions and the advice given and grateful for what is provided. Whether or not any of it is used, we all come away feeling good. Nailed it.

There are some cool ideas there but don't design your own tattoo. Find an artist whose work you love, present your ideas/sketches/etc. and let them go to work. That's how you get a good tattoo. Spend those next two years saving your money and looking at artists on Instagram and elsewhere instead. Seriously you've done enough. I'd ditch the quote though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Big decision! Too many people get stuck in a rut, waste their lives doing what they are told is the right thing to do!

One of the things that I like about LST is that the regulars are like-minded and share a genuine enthusiasm for tattoos. I know some people are uncomfortable with the notion of a tattoo “community.” However, in a sense I think that this is a “community” in that it is a group with common interests and experiences, and information to share, without judgement. Whether we like it or not, we have an interest in a practice that a many of people find pretty weird. So, there is something to be said for having a group of people available to you who do not find tattooing weird, and in fact find it quite wonderful. Even if we have people around us who don’t judge or criticize, there is still a gap between tattooed and untattooed people that you can’t bridge. You really can’t talk to them about tattooing and expect a response that is enthusiastic, supportive and understanding that you would get from another tattooed person. And you certainly can’t discuss the technical aspects or ask for advice. It is probably no different than, say, being interested in restoring old cars. People may accept your hobby, be curious about it, enjoy seeing your restored ’35 Chevy. But but the depth of conversation is limited, and at some point you wish you could talk to other car restorers so you can get into the intricacies of 1930s Chevy carburetors. It is fun to be able to “talk shop” with insiders in your field of interest, and it is fun to be one of the insiders. Speaking for myself, I’m planning a back piece and sleeves, but have almost no tattooed people around me. So LST is sort of an oasis, where I can “hang out with” tattooed people, where it is ok to be tattooed, to like being tattooed, to be heavily tattooed, and to be excited about your next tattoo. You can just talk about tattoos as much as you want. I like to read the discussions, hear how people feel about tattooing, gather information, ask questions, and chime in, knowing that I am welcome. It is the only place where I can do that. On the other hand, maybe some are happily tattooed and don’t feel any need to have like minded people to interact with. So how do you feel about LST as a community, or about the concept of a “tattoo community” in general, and does it play a role for you in you tattooed life?

Hi Guys, sorry for not responding to this thread sooner. This issue was caused by a server caching setting I had enabled to speed up the site. I turned it off as soon as I noticed what you describe above. Let me know if you still see it happening?

Reaffirmed my Catholic faith.

I like the second one. Really fun little tattoo.

Unfortunately he's gone already. He was only there for a day or two prior to the London convention. Good chance he'll be back next year! Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Did any of you read her post? She's not looking to cover them nor is she insecure about them. @Jamie the best bet is to talk to a tattooer about your idea. If you let us know where you live, someone here can point you to a great black and grey artist who can work with you and let you know if your idea will work.

@Padji Not sure how long Josh Arment is there for, but you should get tattooed by him! The tattoo he put on my leg a year ago gets so many comments from other tattooers.

For what it's worth, my dermatologist once advised me to avoid getting a tattoo over moles...

Maybe a one-time joining fee would be helpful.

My little birthday present from me ;). "Borrowed" the pic from the artist's Facebook since I 'dermed it as soon as I got home and didn't think to photograph it first. Hand poked (by a licenced tattoo artist at a professional studio). I found the technique super relaxing & interesting, and this will probably not be my last although I'm craving some colour next.

Thanks for the advice and artist suggestions guys! I really appreciate it!

i'd resist the urge for a touch up - to me a one off is just that - a marker in time - thats just me though

if it were me - i'd keep an eye on this guy: http://instagram.com/julianbast also this shop http://instagram.com/absolutearttattoo you can check the interview section too to listen to Mike Rennie and Brian Bruno from Absolute talk tattoos

If tattooing just worked by placing a pool of ink under the skin, then the force of impacts could force it to move like squashing a blood-filled tick. But it doesn't. The ink placed in the epidermis during the process is mostly consumed by macrophages which are sent by the body's immune system to deal with the intruding ink or absorbed by skin cells - fibroblasts. The majority of the macrophages and fibroblasts remain in the epidermis and retain the ink which is why the tattoo remains visible. Over time, some ink does break down and gets carried away which is why they fade over time. But, the cells don't get moved about when you get hit. You may have bruising as the body reacts to the trauma...much like when you got tattooed, but the cells don't get rearranged and pushed out into other areas on the epidermis. I learned this by watching a TED video.

If you don't have a smile on your face most days when you go to work you're either in the wrong job or at the wrong place! Congratulations on taking charge of your life and your happiness!!

I guess this could either be an awesome or shitty thing depending on how you look at it, I'm choosing to look at the positive side: I'm quitting my full time job (with benefits, gulp) in social work and taking a part time job at a copying and printing center, with plans to go back to school for graphic design ASAP. It's fucking scary to lose all this pay and my insurance and all that but something needed to change. My co-workers suck (there's a rumor I've been dealing with for months that I'm an alcoholic and come in to work drunk all the time), my bosses suck, and our schedules are about to start sucking when they make us all work 12.5 hour shifts starting at the end of this month. I knew I needed to get out because this place was going to drive me crazy. I've wanted to do graphic design since I was in high school but I let various people (guidance counselors, my parents, myself) tell me I wasn't good enough for it, so I chased all these other career paths and now I'm thinking "Fuck it, I should have done this in the first place." So this copying and printing center gives me some entry level graphic design experience, gives me a chance to network with local businesses that might use us, and gives me the time to go back to school and work on an art portfolio. In the short term, it's going to be financially tight and more stressful, but in the long run, I really need this. I'm just glad my boyfriend is doing really well at his job and can help with rent and bills, he's also thrilled I'm quitting because he knows how much of a toll this job has taken on me over the years.

i think to summarise, if it would scar untattooed skin it would probably fuck up your tattoo.

If punches could damage tattoos, the UFC would be out of business.

i don't think you have too much to worry about. I have been in car crashes, bike crashes, i spar with martial artists much better than me every week. People always comment on how fresh and new my tattoos look. You need to live life my friend!

Your tattoo will probably fall off. Really though, we are not scientists here. I have hit my tattoos hard and even scraped them and they are still there. You're not going to get much more information on this subject.

i mean why are you going through your day being worried about getting hit on the tattoo

your tattoo is alive brotha - its not art hanging on your skin - it is your skin - anything and everything that can and will damage you - like living - can also have the same impact on your tattoo - stop thinking so hard - live your life and enjoy this shit

I would recomend a scientific approach to finding out if this happens. The first step is to have a professional topographical survey done of the two full sleeves on both your arms. After that you will have to keep close track of any impacts that your arm's sustain. The g-force measuring equipment is heavy and hot, but in the name of science I feel you should person-up and wear it for the cause. Finally after each impact above the small bump level (impact force in kilonewtons as yet to be defined) you will need to re-survey both your two full sleeves on both your arms daily, perhaps twice, to look for fading. External variables, such as light exposure and aging will be hard to account for, but hopefully the measuring equipment will provide some sun protection. Best of luck in this scientific endeavor! I salute your bravery and willingness to devote your life to the furthering of our tattoo longevity factor knowledge.

My shop was closed on Wednesday, and I was tattooed on Tuesday, so my artist gave me the saniderm to put on. I wasn't particularly successful, even though I followed his directions closely. Reminder to self: Don't get tattooed on a Tuesday. I need him to apply it because I am not good at it.

@a_beukeveld I'm sure it will all be fine. The tattoos look great in the pics. This is just my experience but I do not change the tegaderm out once I put it on. Some people do, but I haven't. I get bandaged as per the usual method after getting tattooed and leave that on overnight (no matter at what point of the day I get tattooed. I always leave bandage on overnight). Then shower that next morning and remove bandage and clean the tattoo. Then, since I have no confidence in my skills, I walk back to tattoo shop and have the tattooer give one last wipe down with green soap and have them put the tegaderm on. Then I leave it for 5 24 hr days. If fluid builds up I leave it. Once it actually leaked out but then sealed right back up. I have not tried changing out the tegaderm to a new piece. Sucks enough removing it once. The derm always has stuck to my tattoo by day 5. It just won't stick to a fresh seeping one. I just pull it slowly with gentle soap and tons of water. And I try to remove in the direction of the hair, not opposite.