Kai Lo

My original comment came from my "constant panic" side of my personality. You're right, experience in something will prepare you for what will come. In term of a tattoo being permanent? It's why I've waited around 7-8 years before getting one, because I wanted to choose something that 1. meant something to me (I know not everyone does it that way, but it's what works for me). 2. Not regretting the decision. I found a few designs I like, and waited 5 years. A long time? Yes. But have I regretted them? Not. At. All. I love them, which is what I was wanting. Yes, I 100% panicked when I thought something wasn't right and then proceeded to stay in that little state of panic for a while longer which is where part of those answers came from. I guess I just didn't understand why a hand tattoo would be refused, but obviously I'm new and there's a certain state of ignorance there (also where the comments come from). Just trying to figure out things now that I have them, and since I got 2 hand tattoos and didn't have issues and I really like them, I wasn't understanding where the side of artists not wanting to do them came from, that's all.

I was talking about it because that's what my original question/post had to do with on the tattoo.

@J.Stell I'm guessing that when you mentioned the "jargon", you mean me using the term blow-out. I'll say, it's the only word that I "kinda-ish" have an idea of what it is because when I first got on this forum someone saw what I was dealing with and said that it looked like blowout and to look it up. I'm not going to pretend that I had any knowledge of tattoos or terms or any of that because I didn't, and still don't, know 99.99% of any of it. I will say that when I first went to get a tattoo, I finally got over my anxiety enough to get offline and go in to talk to an artist about what I wanted. I showed him, told him size, and had him look at it, look right at me and say "no". For one, it was Pinterest (I know, I know, I already got scolded on that for both piercings AND tattoos. Like I told them, I'm 100% cool with it NOT being exactly like how the picture is, but it's for "inspiration", because I'm honestly just not that creative by myself), and he stood there with me a while showing me his tattoos, where they were placed, and why he would or would not do a tattoo placement. However, he is also the one I talked to first about getting a finger tattoo as well and never mentioned anything. We did however go over the tattoo I wanted, why it wouldn't work how I wanted it, made changes to style and placement. I haven't had it done quite yet.. I want to though! I was first interested in a tattoo when I was 16-17, but waited until I was past 24 before going in and getting one for the exact reason of not wanting to make a mistake. The 2 I got were ones I've been interested in for the past 5 years, so I decided to get them done. I got the first small one done because I didn't want to commit to something big in case: 1. I couldn't "handle" the needle (they freak me out despite having a bunch of stuff pierced and now tattoos, but those 2 are very different things and I didn't want to commit to something I couldn't finish). 2. In case after a short time period I regretted getting one at all. Which honestly is where the sleeve commitment comment came in. I wouldn't want to commit to something like that just to regret it which I think I would since I'm just not into sleeve tattoos like that on myself. They look sick on other people, just not for me. Also, I just want to say: If anyone has taken my comments as rude, I do apologize, they are not meant to be. I'm just trying to figure out a number of these things for myself and as I said before, am not part of the community so there are new things coming up that I'm obviously not aware of and trying to figure out. Such as the tattoo in one location preparing you for another, not getting a hand/ other tattoo done until being more experienced.. trying to work through understanding some of these things and by doing so I'm saying "out loud" what's in my mind, which may have come across as blunt/confrontational/ rude. Which is really, really not how I'm saying it in my head as I'm typing, so I just want to try to make this clear. Again, if it was taken that way, I do apologize and I really appreciate everyone's advice.

@J.Stell Okay, so maybe this is me being picky on what I'm reading... but if I'm reading correctly, then anyone who is an actual artist would not tattoo someone on certain body parts first because it goes against a "rule", and the only way they would have given me this tattoo is if I agreed to do a full sleeve first. No offense to the culture but personal I find that a bit disappointing. I mean, I understand making sure someone knows what will/may happen with the the tattoo, doing aftercare.. but honestly you'd think no matter WHERE on the body a tattoo goes, it's going to be a little different so even getting a tattoo on your arm will not be the same as on your finger.. so that won't "help" prepare a person in any way if the blowout will be more intense. Then if someone just wants a small finger tattoo.. they all of a sudden can't commit to that without having a sleeve they don't actually want because of a "rule"? Seems a bit extreme. But like I said I'm new to all of this and I don't know the culture. Where I'm at everyone is very accepting of tattoos. Of course, they will always (I feel) be jobs where it's preferred to have tattoo covered but outside of that it's not a judging. In the end to me? A sleeve/rib/neck/face tattoo... will not prepare me for a blowout on a finger. And the blowout itself did NOT bother me. It's because when the first section peeled before the others, that section of blowout looked more extreme then the rest of how it looked on the tattoo, so I had a little panic moment because it looked like the rest wasn't going to get quite the same look and it was going to be a bigger blob of ink in the middle of the tattoo. Luckily that did not happen as the rest started to heal and peel. (and I'm not saying any of this as an insult, I mean obviously everyone here that is replying is experienced. I'm just saying what I feel for myself, since I know that even if I end up tattoo'd more places.. I'd still panic if I think something went wrong on one.)

@J.Stell If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean on the comment: unfortunately not all people adhere to rules or the "road" in tattooing, IE; finger or hand tattoos on people that aren't fully sleeved. What is the difference between just getting a plain finger tattoo or having it with a sleeve..? and now that it's actually starting to heal it actually looks pretty friggin' fantastic. I just had a panic moment when it looked part blow part not and I thought it was going to be all... wonky. It's looking beautiful now, getting more healed and awesome.

At least it seems normal and it wasn't anything that seemed weird. I'm probably weird for thinking it was weird, that's okay. Well.... even if it has a tendency to fade/ blowout where it is I just love how finger tattoos look so I'll work with it. Thank you guys!

@Hogrider I say "prematurely" because one part started to peel before the other (as in, the middle of the tattoo peeled before the rest even looked close to a peel) so it seemed strange to me. Now my other one was even more simple than this one, and it's only my second, so I don't have a lot of experience with what is "normal". I did go to the tattoo artist to ask his opinion but I also know he's really popular and doesn't have a ton of time to reply so I decided to also go to a tattoo forum to ask the opinion since I wasn't really getting an answer out of my research. I have done research, but in all honesty I'd never read anything that had to do with "blowouts". It doesn't "ruin" the tattoo in any way necessarily, but definitely doesn't make it quite what I was going for (which in the end doesn't bother me that much. I'm not quite that picky.) Given that I'm the type to research something almost to death, I'm really surprised I never heard of a blowout, but hey. What you don't know. Really a lot of stuff I've found for tattoos is ideas for tattoos (doesn't help me) healing process (which basically says don't touch it let it peel, which I know so that also didn't help me), and not much else. But also if I don't know quite what to look for it's hard to find. I've never seen a tattoo show, so I honestly have no idea what they do or don't have as an "expectation". I know talking to a few of the artists at the shop I go to they gave ideas to me on what would or would not work for me, which was really helpful. Honestly I feel like in trying to "research", I've just been getting a lot of random websites of people who like promoting tattoos, but have no real opinions or advice to give which is why I came here. Off of seeing other people's tattoos, I have noticed what I now know is called "blowout", but honestly until you get one you don't really know what it means for you and how it will affect what you get. Does it ruin it? no. Does it change the idea of it? no. Is it 100% what I expected? nope. But I also don't feel as if there is anything wrong with that. It's just the overall question to a group of, what I was hoping and do seem to have, experienced people within the tattoo community over general questions that I don't feel really get answered in plain old research. I hope that makes sense. And I do appreciate the response. I'm honestly glad though that even if it's not 100% what was expected, the unexpected shit is not that bad at all.

@Gingerninja I have 2 tattoos, but part of for me why I get worried about the healing is because you get a tattoo for it to look a specific way. If it doesn't heal right, that goes away. I got worried because my recent one after following the same care I got a part of the finger that seemed to peel prematurely on its own, and didn't look right. I had someone say it looked like blowout that can't be helped.. but now I'm bummed because it only happened on one section and now it doesn't quite look the same. I'll give it a few months and then have it touched up and see it it can just be "edited" in size a little bit. May work.

I posted my first question, kind of curious as to opinions. Tattoos make me all nervous, just off of how they heal and different things that have worked for different people. I always feel if I look at it wrong it won't heal properly..

My other tattoo was on the finger and healed fine. I'm not saying it is healed, I was asking to anyone who has had something similar if it looks normal. It peeled on its own but looks... off. But I haven't had this kind before.

Okay, So with my first tattoo I read all about how it will peel on its own, not to worry, and it peeled really nice only needed a tiny touchup but was beautiful. Went back to the same guy for the next tattoo, and I didn't start to peel like the other one, despite doing the same process (keeping it out of water, dabbing, keeping it moisturized with a tattoo "serum" when needed). It seemed a bit drier, and also that it was more raised. Well the other day I notice that it peeled in 2 small sections on its own.. and looks horrible. Does it look normal? Because it peeled itself I just pulled the excess skin off (maybe shouldn't have done that, but I did with the other and it was fine), but now I'm wondering if it's ruined.. advice? I got it 5/22/18, now 5/31/18 for reference.

Hello, New to the site and overall tattoo life. Despite people I know and family not being fans I love it myself. Came here with the intent to ask some questions, got distracted by reading forum posts! So posting here now. Excited to read some stories, get some answers, see some inspiration!