ChoWai

It's actually starting to look nicer now that it's not so scabby and peeling! I was really stressing out there for a moment haha. Definitely because it's my first tattoo. 

Sorry for the silence! I got over this about a day after I posted it! I live the tattoo. Wouldn’t dream of covering it up.., cheers all 

Tell her you had it drawn like that just for her!

That's really rude to do that to someone. To do it twice is just gauche. I'd tell her to knock it off. As @scottyg said, if someone has a enough of tattoos and you look hard enough, you'll find something phallic.  

Dude...it doesn't look like a penis. Slap your friend. 

jesus, if I had a dollar for everyone who thought some obscure part of a tattoo looked phallic!
sometimes a rose is just a rose

This!! I would never laser a part of a tattoo in order to fix it. Did you talk to your artist about it?

do NOT laser it.
I think we all feel a little bummed when things don't turn out as we envision it, but that's why you have to trust your artist, and trust you made the right decision choosing your artist.
kirin usually look the way you describe, with the legs sticking up at the back/in the air, and the head in the front. and they're a mythological animal, so....

Just my 2 cents, but I think you are more likely to make it worse than better by monkeying with it at this stage.

I started my 3/4 Kirin recently. 

I started my 3/4 Kirin recently. 

LOL who cares ?!?!?  
it's going to look like a nicely settled 20 yo tattoo.
maybe you shouldn't be getting tattoos if that is a serious concern of yours.
here is one of  my 24 yo tattoos (never touched up)

@Hogrider This is where we disagree. You are way more tattooed than me but I still have 150+ hours of needle time, so I feel like my perspective is at least educated. I think there is a time and place for numbing creams. If tattoos always hurt you and you can't stand it, then maybe tattoos aren't for you. If you always rely on something to kill the pain, that's not what I am saying is a use case, IMO.
However, in situations where someone has traveled to get a tattoo in a multi-hour session, and the pain becomes unbearable, then why not? What if the artist suggests it? Some tattoos just hurt more than others, too. If the artist is okay with it, numbing allows him to do his work, and the client is obviously in extreme pain, why not?
 

@Hogrider He is using DMX in OFF LABEL doses. 
Does not sound like a thing a regular tattoo artist would know about.
It is not in conjunction with a doctor. 
He is experimenting with dosage amounts - he does not mention any instructions the DMX comes with. 
You could get yourself hooked onto painkillers this way.
His tattooist DID NOT KNOW and would have declined if she knew. 
This is what is irresponsible/dangerous. 
I hope you can see how this is very different to buying a household, bottled cream over the counter, complete with instructions which many other ppl have used over the years AND tattoo artist knows. 
 

I think it's dangerous to mess with drugs like this unsolicited, unguided. Especially with your tattoo artist NOT knowing? You don't know what you don't from a medical point of view. 
It is foolish to open oneself to unknown and unforeseen risks experimenting with drugs like this, and all to avoid tattoo pain. 
I hope this post does not encourage other ppl to experiment with drugs like this all just for avoiding. 
However we are adults so we can do what we want! 
But to answer, I don't look to avoid pain. Tattoos hurt for me and I just sit till I can. 
Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with using numbing creams but this seems to be another level. 
I am sorry my post is not supportive. I am just more concerned more than anything. 
 

I started my 3/4 Kirin recently. 

As mentioned, tattoos heal differently, inks are different, application is different. Think about all the various shades of black! If you want brown tattoos, go for it but they will most likely all be different (but still brown). Go for it!

What's next, anesthesia? What ever happened to earning your tattoo?

No. I don't use meds while getting tattoos unless they are prescribed. Next.

Yeah, I am not going to touch this topic. While I am not opposed to using numbing cream(s) if you feel the need and your artist agrees, venturing off into any drug discussion that references tripping isn't for me. I am much more interested in your back piece.

Hi
Just thought I'd say hello as I've been lurking for a few days reading various posts. I've just got my first tattoo (attached photo was taken by the artist just after he finished, it's currently in the peeling stage), and am already planning my second (but will probably wait a few months at least). I'm based in the UK and come from a family that definitely frown on tattoos.
 
Really happy with my first and I'm glad I waited and that I got something that was a decent size and can be added to in the future. 

"It's just lines."
Drawing accurate, consistent lines isn't easy. And you had it done on thin, delicate skin prone to blow-outs. And in a very visible spot. And you had concerns about the artist before you started. No way that could go wrong.
I would look for the best artist you can find to see what they can do about that. Look at this as a very valuable lesson - don't cheap out on artists. And take your time. I've seen many people rush out to fix something they didn't like and wound up making it worse.

This side is kind of "done" because Tomas's dots cap it all off. The other side feels empty.
 

I got a new one done yesterday. Thought, in my opinion, it is done extremely well, I'm not super excited about it not looking like what I wanted, upon going in. I brought more of a neo traditional reference to my traditional artist, so he made changes putting his twist on things. Any of you ever, I'm sure it happens, get some work done and come out like... Ehhh, should have thought this through a little more!?

I'm a bit in the same boat as you. I love big cohesive aesthetics, but I also have so many artists and styles that I admire. So my compromise is that I'm reserving my upper body for large scale cohesive stuff with my truly favorite artists, but I'm using my calves and thighs as my "collector's area," with smaller pieces of meaning, styles that I only want to dip my toe in, or specific artists' work. That way, I get some huge chunks of synergy up top, but still get to collect bits and pieces.
Any approach has ups and downs. Whatever your plan is, at some point you just have to pick a direction and pull the trigger.