Suiren

Very cool and great tattoos!

I've always preferred the darker side of things (though I don't wear full time black). Goth subculture always appealed to me, even as kid and I was very desperately wishing I could do magic ^^.
In the early 90's tattoos became interesting. I spent a fortune on temporary and henna tattoo designs as a teen. I was also liking piercings which were getting more popular at the time.
At 11 I got into the occult, and then with 15 added metal to my musical taste. The last step to being who I am now was probably adding Medieval Reenactment as a hobby. And I guess you could say my tattoo choices reflect a little bit of everything for the most part, as do my piercings.

Yeah in a way I am thinking it can't be that bad if we don't see tattooed people dropping dead everywhere, but I would prefer companies would disclose the ingredients. Ancient ink was made with simpler ingredients as far as I know like pure ash, indigo or even with breastmilk (!!) :p
It would be interesting to see how colored lines or font fade. If it simply turns lighter but doesn't look blotchy that is great. I was thinking of adding certain colored tattoos also to soften and break up the overall look, stick with a certain color theme of black, blue tones and maroon maybe...but that is just an idea of mine. Not sure it is realistic.
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I apologize if toxin was the wrong term. I wanted to use a word that describes any harmful substance. In German that would be "Schadstoffe", so the word that first came to my mind was toxin, but I guess harmful substances would be more correct.
I am thinking of substances that are foreign to the human body and cause a reaction...Not directly of course as in the tattoo will make you fatigued, I am talking about a reaction to a function in the body like the endocrine system for example, which in turn could cause other imbalances. Or carcinogenic substances that don't directly cause cancer, but speed up cell division and lead to an increase of cancerous cells (cells like this are normal to the body, but when they increase in number it can become a problem etc.)
There was one site that spoke of heavy metals in tattoos...sadly not the music kind. But the body can detox from heavy metals, so hard to say if there is a longterm effect.
I am interested in all this because I dealt with many chronic health issues the past years, plus cancer and it took me about 5 years to rid myself of all of it. So if anyone would tell me the color purple has a high concentration of carcinogenic substances (f.ex.) I might reconsider.
In Germany tattoo colors were tested (though I can't find anything about dark blue, purple or maroon), and some brands were labeled as unsuitable. It seems though that German tattoo fans question these tests, because there seem to be no fool proof methods for accurately measuring levels of X. Very confusing...
http://www.testberichte.de/kosmetik-und-pflege/3286/tattoofarben.html
Please blame typos on my phone. I can't even see what I'm writing :/.

Thanks for all the help.
A lot of great tips in this thread, I think the season one will play a huge part. Since I am thinking about gettin the tattoo this summer.

So... which subcultures and special interests did you enjoy as a kid/growing up?
Do you believe that it paved the way for the passion you now have for tattooing?
- If so, how?
- Can you see similarities in the attitude, themes and aesthetics of those subcultures in the type of tattoos you like now?
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The reason I thought of this is because over the past couple days I had a major trip down memory lane and revisited some of my favorite stories and art pieces tied to the Warhammer 40k table top game. I used to be obsessed with the game and the whole universe, lore and backstory from about when I was 11 to probably 15. Short but intense. I didn't really play all that much since only one of my friends cared enough to start collecting and painting with me.
Ah, those days. A lot of time spent in our boy rooms, listening to the radio, talking shit and having our eyes transfixed on various pieces of plastic. I actually think that Warhammer 40k was why I learned English so well early on. I read those thick books through and through. I also had a brief romance with the Warhammer Fantasty spin off game Mordheim which was super cool in my world. From the art of the game, I remember specifically laying on the floor while my parents watched television, drawing copies of the art in the rulebooks. That art was really captivating, wish I could see it again and also my probably not as fantastic copies. That's when I started to learn how to draw, and to have the patience for it. It was also the first sci-fi and fantasty themed stories I became interested in. Along with the world of Tolkien it's the only fictional universes that I cared about, and still have fond feelings for.
I can easily see how the themes of the WH40k universe with all the grim dark, death, war, aliens, crazy demons and space stuff, religion and different ideologies sparked my imagination and interest for the same themes in other artwork AND in the history, religions and sociologial stuff in our own world.
For those who can relate and want to do some reminiscing I can recommend these two starting points:
Vaults of Terra on Youtube - Lots of listening material compiled about the lore of WH40k
WH40k first generation art work gallery, 113 pieces When I came into the hobby it was second generation so I had never seen these until today, really cool
When I came out of the Warhammer 40k craze I discovered music, especially punk and rap. So that shaped me a lot. Both when it comes to style and themes of the lyrics, and political ideas. I also started skateboarding around that same time. I started sketching graffiti pieces in all my school books, but didn't take it to the streets. Some years later I started to read comic books and going to hardcore punk shows. I don't really know when I started to notice tattoos, it kind of snuck up on me around the time I was 21 and suddenly I had my first tattoo. I didn't know anything about it until then and hadn't been longing to get tattooed either. That came later.
I do believe however that the visual styles of these subcultures, and the themes usually explored in them, has shaped me a lot when it comes to what I enjoy to look at and what moves me. I got into tattooing sort of by accident and I am really happy that I did. I love it now and it has also opened up the doors to many other things that I now enjoy and take interest in. To me it's really fascinating to think of all the lucky accidents and random contexts you find yourself in through life and how some of them sows seeds for who you become and what you care about much later.
End of another long winded, somewhat coherent, original post. Talk about your experience or nerd out totally in some obscure interests I've never heard about before, it's your thread now.

I have many tattoos on my hands. Two words on the knuckles of each hand which are about two years old and look just as good as they did when I got them, the sides of my I guess palms with a phrase on each and are around the same age as the knuckles and have yet to be touched up and only have minor fading which a simple touch up could fix and then along the outside of each pointer finger which is about a year old which has faded a bit but nothing a touch up could not fix. However unlike most people I ride a motorcycle so I rode to the shop with riding gloves not cruiser style but motoGP style gloves and as its my only mode of transportation throughout the entire healing process I was putting on and taking off these gloves man times a day and also sweating as they were done during the middle of the texas summers. I do take good care of them and simply by the nature of wanting to keep my hands from being all dry and cracked i keep them moisturized constantly.
If you want them get them, as long as they are done by someone who knows what they are doing and you care for them properly you should be fine. Yes you'll probably need to get them touched up but don't you also have to go get say an engagement ring etc checked once a year and possibly cleaned to ensure it looks its best for eternity?!

Good question! I just read something saying new tattoos are more prone to sun damage. Maybe someone can confirm? Can you wear high neck shirts or a thin scarf when in the sun?
As far as sunscreen goes, chemical sunscreens (mainstream, non organic brands usually) are said to be less effective because they penetrate the first skin layer and react with the skin in a way that can even make it more prone to skin cancer and certain sun damage.
"Physical sunblock", containg Zinc Oxide for example is said to be better and healthier protection. Though many brands make your skin look chalky and the safety of Nano Zinc particles is debated. Some brands deemed fairly safe are Badger or Devita and Juice Beauty. I have used all three and Devita feels nicest when it comes to application, but it does contain Nano Zinc particles. The upside is it does not make you look chalky.
Not all products with a high SPF necessarily provide good protection from UVA and UVB rays. Google Cosmetic Chemicals database, there is information about the strength of the sunscreen as well.

My friend Céline Aieta interviewed me about collecting tattoos and my photography project tied to that, when we both got tattooed by Guy Le Tatooer in Toulouse this March. She is running the new, all year 'round-blog for the Paris convention, Mondial Du Tatouage.
Have a look:
Joakim Mathiasson – Le tatouage intégral | Le Blog du Mondial du Tatouage
It's all in french, but try google translate and it converts it to english pretty well.
Was fun to be a part of this!

It's pretty mixed over here with regards to attitudes to be honest. In the big cities if you're walking around for the most part people don't really take much notice particularly if you look foreign (non Asian anyway). In the countryside it's usually pretty rare to see anyone publicly displaying tattoos and most people tend to keep them covered whenever they are outside.
The majority of Onsen (hot springs) still don't generally allow tattooed people to enter but they are private businesses. There are similar places called sento which are public bath houses and they are much more accessible thankfully. I visit sento semi regularly, I'm pretty heavily covered and to be honest i usually end up chatting with people who are curious about my work.
Gyms, water parks and swimming pools are pretty much all no go zones unless you have tattoo work that's small enough to be covered with sticky plasters or strategic clothing. Also one that's kind of interesting is that Tokyo Disney has a no visible tattoo policy and you'll be asked to cover up if you visit.

Hm...to be honest...all these people passing judgement so easily, I would not want to be on good terms with them anyway. What you are experiencing imho only filters the good people from the judgemental shallow assholes. So you don't need to waste your energy on them. More time for the good people.
As far as a job goes, we all need money to survive, but how much do we really need to be happy? I used to work in a well paid job in Manhattan, but that wasn't my world and instead of selling my soul I now work a simpler job. Less money, more peace and happiness.
Even without that many tattoos I have been sort of a loner all of my life. I guess I come across as a weirdo to people naturally...I really don't know. But my experience is the mainstream usually avoids me but if I do make friends in the right places (Goths, Metalheads, Medieval Reenactment), people absolutely love me.
Quality friends over everyone liking you and the image you have.

But I only recommended it as a more natural antibiotic without the side effects to achieve the results the OP asked for.
No word about how pure it is but it would have helped with being asymptomatic.
Yes, I know about all the chemicals in everything. I worked for a chemicals company, studied sciences including biology and chemistry...but I recommended what I felt would give the quickest and best results given the situation :)

Oh, I do hope so! At 62 I can use any help I can get!

Two days ago my son felt like cleaning off my tattoos...
So he said "I'ma get you wipeee mommy for you tutu..". He kept rubbing and rubbing and could not understand why it wasn't coming off ;)...continually staring at the wipe in disbelief.

Just wanted to add something to the "sleep around" advice.
If you plan to be with a female in the future, which I assume, keep in mind that many aren't fond of a man having slept around just like a man would not prefer that their future woman slept with a lot of guys.
Just to add a different perspective.

Yeah the sleeping around part is not good for me. My friends tell me the same thing but I just cannot bring myself to do that. My friends make fun of me and tell me that I am a lover which is true. I just need some time. Just really hard to have someone in your life for three years then not be able to talk to them at all

i think something to keep in mind is that many factors impact how you heal and if you scab, etc so it might not be your care that influences this process
i had same artist recently do a thigh and shoulder piece
shoulder was thin peel done in a week
thigh will be much longer for a full heal - more in the 6 week range
i also have an artist i barely even peel at all
anyway

Go to a tattoo artist that does nice lettering and let them figure it out - that's what you are paying them for anyway.

hahaha so cute!

Two days ago my son felt like cleaning off my tattoos...
So he said "I'ma get you wipeee mommy for you tutu..". He kept rubbing and rubbing and could not understand why it wasn't coming off ;)...continually staring at the wipe in disbelief.

I am sorry that you feel this way.
I have seen several people say the same thing, and it really stinks that people are declining to post pictures of their tattoos because they think they will get yelled at, or because traditional is felt to be more popular here. (BTW - I have no traditional or Japanese tattoos).
It may be because these styles are thought to have more longevity in terms of content and readability over time, so that gets more air time, and other styles get ripped apart because they are thought to age less well. Or even that people might think their tattoos aren't "top quality" and will be judged accordingly.
Please post.

It's your tattoo, who cares who likes it. I agree, it looks fine to me. We all age, as does the art. I find it better to embrace our aging selves. If your lucky they will fade and blurr into nothing. A good sign of a life well lived. :)

Continued....(I promise this will be the last installment)
So the wife is obviously feeling pressure from her social and career circles to be something she isn't. Like I mentioned earlier, I've been flying the middle finger at "normal" society for so long, it's almost cliché. Her and I have a pretty long history together at this point so I may not get a pat on the back and the "I'm proud you have so MANY tattoos", but I at least still feel, she's got my back. My kids are shaken by it but they have so many other friends in and outside of school, the sting only last temporarily. Just from the sheer osmosis of seeing their parents be proud to be who they are ( I assume), they quickly adopt the "I don't have time for people that don't like me " credo. I'm proud they're our kids and think this will pass and give them good fundamentals about real life. My wife seems to get over it too, but in a more therapeutic, cry with your friends type of way. We talk about it and she agrees that "some people just suck" regardless of the reason they chose to take it out on you..... Even though we come to an agreement that tattoos weren't the root cause of all this dumb school crap, I tell her that I will be on my best "tattoo behavior" when the need arises, like her formal work events or anytime she thinks I should cover up.
As I said earlier, the whole time we've been together, I haven't gotten tattooed or really expressed any burning desires to. There was casual mentions of eventually getting more work done, but nothing definite or planned. So out of nowhere I get the "have you ever thought of getting tattoos removed" question. In my mind, life has been going well and all the perceived craziness about tattoos causing social damage in my families life, is in the past.
As I mentioned, I was pretty upset and hurt by the question. It wasn't like my tattoos were done by some lousy scratcher or in a Russian prison, my tattoos were well done, colorful, and with the exception of the "death before suck-ass" dagger, appropriate. My wife tried to explain all of the reasons that she thought it would be a good idea, most of which, had something to do with social situations. I always had an answer to her concerns...
Q;What if there's a formal party? A: I'll wear a tuxedo and look more handsome than I already am! (jokingly)
Q:what if we have to go to a summer party with my important clients? A: I'll wear white pants and a blazer (like Thurston Howell)
Q: what if it's a swim party? A: I won't swim (tell them I can't), just stand back and watch.
You get the idea...... I told my wife in no uncertain terms, I'm more likely to cut off my legs than get the tattoos removed. She didn't like the answer but knew she couldn't reasonably go any farther with it. She said she was sorry she felt this way, but truly loved me. I said "if you truly love me, you wouldn't feel this way and ask me something so absurd". I was really bummed that the women I had been through so much with, was acting like one of "them"!! I think she had a bit of a crisis over the whole thing, because I think she planned the outcome to end differently and I would just happily agree to remove solid, beautiful tattooing, on a large portion of my body. Thankfully, she talked/cried/drank it out with a group of her close friends that rationally told her she was insane for asking of me what she did. Even people in her own family talked her away from these unrealistic notions and told her how lucky she was to a not be married to a "social automaton" (her aunt said that). She told me " I came to my sense and realized I was way out of line" and thanked me for being a great husband and father, tattoos or not. I was still a little hurt but relieved I didn't have to chop off my legs or get a divorce.
This brings us up to 8 months ago.... I decided that the time was right to get more work done. I was sparked by seeing a local artists hand painted flash (included in an art show) in the newspaper. I was nervous, but cautiously approached my wife with the idea. Her reaction was a stern "NO" followed by a short lecture about "haven't we already been through this?". I reminded her that I hadn't been tattooed in well over 18 years and we never specifically discussed this, just causal mentions. I reasoned with her that any tattoo I was going get would not really change anyone's perception of how covered I already was. My left wrist has a Seth Ciferri piece and left forearm is covered by a Dan Higgs piece. other than those, I really wanted to "finish my arm" I told my wife. I also told her this was a good opportunity to get the kids names tattooed on me, something I always wanted to do since they were born. She reluctantly agreed with the stern warning "no hands/face/feet".
A week later I was getting tattooed again...... But, I've since expanded our agreement to get "just my arm" to include my chest/pecs and some minor fill-in stuff on my legs....
Ain't life grand:):):):):):):):):)
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Thanks.. As I said "required" situations like school...jeezus, I would never willing put myself in close proximity with those jackals if it wasn't for the kids. Most of those awful parents have just resurrected their high school clique hierarchy (or lack of) to prove how important they really are. It seems to be quite prevalent in elementary where teachers ask for volunteers and parents spend every non-working moment helicoptering around their kids. luckily middle school teachers want none of this crap (my daughter is already there) an the closest you have to come to any of these stepford mothers, is in the drop off lane... don't get me started on kids sports!
Glad to hear there are some "good ones" holding down rationality on this crazy world of elementary schools :)
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thanks...damn straight, but I've known this all my life. It's just taken my wife a little longer to realize. I hope she doesn't have a change of heart because I gotten and plan on getting some pretty kick-ass work done. Didn't a women chop her husbands penis off as he slept....?

Hm...to be honest...all these people passing judgement so easily, I would not want to be on good terms with them anyway. What you are experiencing imho only filters the good people from the judgemental shallow assholes. So you don't need to waste your energy on them. More time for the good people.
As far as a job goes, we all need money to survive, but how much do we really need to be happy? I used to work in a well paid job in Manhattan, but that wasn't my world and instead of selling my soul I now work a simpler job. Less money, more peace and happiness.
Even without that many tattoos I have been sort of a loner all of my life. I guess I come across as a weirdo to people naturally...I really don't know. But my experience is the mainstream usually avoids me but if I do make friends in the right places (Goths, Metalheads, Medieval Reenactment), people absolutely love me.
Quality friends over everyone liking you and the image you have.

a tattoo: no software updates, no battery charger and silly accessory cords, no applecare protection plan, will not broadcast your exact GPS location to NSA, and most importantly will not require a genius nerd in a blue shirt to assist you after the damn thing is a year old.
the choice is obvious!
tattoos > apple watch

hallucinations are hallucinations, but combine them with multi dimensional energy, and you've got some crazy stories. is it literally what they think they perceive? most likely not, because as humans we're still limited to our own imaginations and senses, but there are things we can't explain that could be as real as anything. /justathought ;)
seeing some awesome demon/devil head art really makes me want something like that. possibly something to represent the positive also, but i'm not a fan of angels very much
hey man, like, sometimes , i just, like, don't feel like, showering, ya know?? :p