HaydenRose

That's great that you're helping him research and want him to get a good tattoo! I wish I had that support when I got tattooed at 18, then maybe I would have traveled or waited until I found the best shop. I'm sure people on here will recommend great artists/shops in that area. What type of style is he looking for? Also, 18 is usually the minimum age, so I doubt you will have trouble finding places that will accept him. I've rarely heard of shops that have older minimum ages.

@Graeme, don't worry. Brace yourself for massive instagram spam.

@iowagirl, not sure yet. We just want to get the *right* dog. Definitely getting a rescue puppy though. @Dan thank you!

Cool but not cool! Haha I've been working on my "personal statement" for the past... million weeks. Ugh, I hate trying to talk myself up/writing personal essays. I'm hoping whoever reads it has a sense of humor or I'm fucked lol As for me, my now husband has passed the 90 days sober mark (longest stretch of time to date) and it's amazing how much my life has changed as a result of his sobriety. We've been going out more, spending our (his) money on mutual activities and just soaking up (real) life. He's also agreed for us to adopt a dog this summer (the last one didn't work out for a bunch of reasons) so I'm sooo excited for that because I haven't had a dog in years.

I'm not saying I personally care about your opinions, I'm saying that a lot of other people do and therefore, you should be careful how you say things on the internet. Like I stated in an earlier post that wasn't directed at you per se, it took me a long time to get slightly comfortable with my body. And the fact that you're so nonchalantly passing off body image issues in others, just shows how differently the topic affects men vs. women. I don't know how this isn't obvious and why I have to spell it out since you've clearly pissed off a lot of people. I was really hoping you would respond with even a half-apology, and maybe this could become a more meaningful conversation. It's really difficult for me to not sound bitter and maybe that's the reason you're responding the way you are..

Interesting. I think some of those tattoos are definitely "hipster" but a lot of them are really well done and super traditional. I hope I'm not turning into a hipster by getting tattooed... haha

@The Dude OK I'll give you that you didn't say that you didn't like heavily tattooed people, but I still think you're caring way too much about how others get tattooed. And with that, you are definitely saying some women should get tattooed less and I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but that's not going to sit well with some people. I'm trying to be nice now and explain this to you, because you seem capable of reason. I'm not siding with some of the people that are giving you shit, so... don't put words in my mouth either. The reason you're getting backlash is because (like I stated in my initial post) body image is a big fucking deal to women because men have made us insecure and scrutinize our bodies throughout history to where we now have an unhealthy disposition to hate our bodies passed down to our daughters and granddaughters and so on. So even if it's not your intention to single out women or agree with the OP or stir up a ton of drama... you did. The damage is done. I'm just trying to help you see how you could have come across as well, a douche. So that maybe you can continue contributing to this forum in a meaningful way because I have faith that if you stick around you'll see this place is pretty rad and people are genuinely nice and respect each other. Does that make sense?

I don't know about other people and I agree this thread should just die a boring death but... @The Dude the point everyone is trying to get across is that you can't dictate to others how or how much they should get tattooed. You don't like heavily tattooed women and men? Fine. Then my suggestion is that this forum is not for you.

Coherence for the win! I've abolished the word "sleeve", hurrah! haha

Explain to me how this is not offensive. I'm really curious how you don't hear the douchery in your statements.

Oh no! My post definitely wasn't directed at you. It did spark my brain to post what I said, but more because it seemed like a lot of men had been rallying for women the past 4 pages (which is great!) but I felt what I said needed to be said in general so that people don't do the whole "well since I think women shouldn't be victimized for their bodies I'm helping the problem by saying so." It's like racism... there's a difference between saying your not a racist and actually stopping racism. We can't just assume level-headed women are always immune to this type of slander. I remember seeing a short documentary on rape and one of the interviewees said that she had never met a women who truly loved her self and her body. And that is, unfortunately, so true. And now I'm jumping off my podium. Commence the troll-bashing! Who the hell starts a jack-ass thread and then abandons it? WTF?!

Goddamn @Eilin I think you have my favorite "collection" of tattoos on here. So good!

The problem is... (and I hate to admit it) but you'll find women with a lot of tattoos will exude and air of confidence and not give a fuck what anyone thinks. However... the more close-minded men that pervade realms of society whether it be the news, TV, movies, etc. with these ideas about women, the more women will be raised into a world that holds that mindset and ultimately, will care. Yes, I have, over time come to accept myself and my body, but I can also say that it took me the majority of my life thus far to reach that point. And even my love for myself is teetering on a delicate tight rope because women are constantly fed (even by eachother) how to feel, act.. what to say and how to say it... what we should or shouldn't put onto or into our bodies. It's disgusting and repulsive when you peel back the mask on what is happening all around us, but it is also so difficult to ignore and not be affected by it when you are raised into the ideals of men. Sorry to get all feminist on you all, but my point is that most heavily tattooed women do not get tattoos to feel attractive, but don't assume we are above feeling "less than". Or experiencing hatred towards our tattoos and our image and being hurt by it and falling into a world of shattered self-esteem. Everyone experiences it in the world we live in and no one is truly immune. Some just learn to roll with it and take it in stride.

If it's not an infection, let the tattoo heal more... give it some time. Healing tattoos can do all sorts of wacky stuff before they are fully healed. I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that it takes 3 months to completely heal a tattoo. Usually after a month it's mostly healed and you will know if you need a touch-up. Have some patience! If you're still worried, contact your artist or the shop where you got the tattoo.

Our office just instated a new "work from home" policy where we get one a day a month to work from home (big whoop... lol) BUT now I don't need to take a day off the day after a tattoo... I can just hobble around my house instead :) ...and save vacation days for something better HA

Welcome! Cool tattoos! I'm getting tattooed by Kim in May, her work is amazing! ...So many exclamations!

I love the quarter next to the miniscule bird tattoo. Why would you want to boast about making a tattoo that small?

That's so true. I think the best heal I ever had was my first tattoo because the artist gave me a print-out of instructions and I followed them to the T.

^Like the above said, ask your tattooer about fixing it, for sure. Also, as far as other people's suggestions to "get more tattoos". That's pretty solid advice. In the event that your tattooer can't fix it, and you don't want to go through laser treatments and cover-ups, adding more tattoos around it can help a lot. A regular poster on here @TrixieFaux I believe has a similar tattoo and added around it rather than covered it up and it's a good example of how well crowding out a less-desirable tattoo works.

Sorry! Random... but HOW does this thread have 103 pages? ...:confused:?????

@ian everyone has already given you due props, but thanks for this thread! I think all of us (even those who do a good job of being nice) need reminders to be kind and decent. It's very easy to slip into close-mindedness and a "holier-than-thou" perspective. To be honest, I think when people get defensive and *slightly* hostile is when "newbies" bite back or criticize our efforts to help. I wish you smooth sailing for your divorce. That can never be an easy thing to go through...

I'm not sure what the etiquette is either, but like others said I think if you are kind, courteous and pay for the time they are spending on redrawing AND tattooing--then it's no worries. Most of my tattoos have been a result of guest spots. One of them, I had to ask the artist to redraw a few times. The reason being I had been communicating to her through the shop prior to the appointment, so it was a natural case of banana phone. The tattoo wound up being much larger in my head than hers and the level of detail got skewed through the 3rd party communication. Thankfully, the shop booked a longer slot than they thought I needed. She did the initial sketch prior to the appointment and two redraws before I sat in the chair. I felt really shitty for asking for tweaks and add-ons, but she was really cool (the shop too) and basically said she wanted me to get the tattooed I wanted. A good artist that is in it for the right reasons will wait. I would be cautious of artists that give anyone a hard time, because then it's clear they are just in it for the money.

I'm bumping this thread because I recently had a conversation with a coworker that I always seem to struggle with... I work at a local branch of a large non-profit organization (trying hard not to reveal where I work! haha) and when we volunteer at outside events we have to wear the same t-shirt design or at least a shirt with our "brand". Anyway... I asked if they have anymore long sleeve shirts because they are easier for me to hide my tattoos when working an event. (My coworkers and supervisors know I have tattoos, and it has been discussed that they are fine with them. In the summer I'm able to wear t-shirts in the office, which is great!) Anyway, one of my coworkers asks why I'm concerned about covering them at events? I replied with "I think it's unprofessional, and I don't like the negative attention I sometimes get." To which she replied, "Then don't get tattooed." I tried to reiterate my point by saying that while I generally don't care how people feel, I have been disrespected in public for my tattoos and the last thing I want is for them to jeopardize my ability to network with outside agencies and damage my professional appearance. However, the conversation kept reverting to "Then don't get tattooed." Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I shouldn't care if they show while out and about at work events. But I feel like I'm not abnormal for wanting to have tattoos, yet knowing when to be modest, yet still not giving a shit about what people think. Because I don't care, but I do... when it may alter someone's judgement of my professional abilities... There has been a lot of discussion about tattoos and the workplace and I know most agree to cover up when in a professional setting, but how do you walk the fine line between work and everything else? Do you ever feel like you're being untrue to your commitment to being "a tattooed person" by hiding them sometimes? I don't know why but I keep coming back to these conversations and this conundrum... Just seeking a small discussion on the matter.

If you have spent a lot of time looking through the forum, but still feel like your question hasn't been answered, then you definitely should ask it. If it is a question related to a thread that exists, but you'd like a personal approach to your situation, then simply post it in the related thread. If not, create a new one. I think the great thing about LST is more often than not people new to tattooing have come here and asked questions that more in-the-know people may consider dumb or self-explanatory. Yet all of us rally together to educate, inform, and help the poster without judgement or ridicule. That is the mission of LST and it's sad that a member would feel unable to ask a question without facing bullying of some sort. We can do better, guys.