unlikeyourown

the redness may also be due to irritation from moving. you would be surprised how much your arm twists and turns during the day! i just got a forearm tattoo last sunday and part of it goes in the ditch of my elbow and i have a bit of soreness and redness from the constant moving and folding my arm.

dont stress too much hun, your body will take care of everything as needed :]

Sorry--I just realized that you were asking artists this question, and I'm just a customer.

it was directed to artists as they are the one doing the act, but i love hearing from everybody! ;D

thanks for all the input ladies and gents! i appreciate it!

I got my first tattoo not long after I turned 18. It was a memorial for my mother that had recently passed away and when my father saw he didnt really care either way. I have never had a very good relationship with him, so it was one of those "there isnt anything you can do about it anyway" things, he knew i was going to do as I saw fit. haha. even becoming more covered he doesnt really have much to say, when he notices something new he nods and says "oh thats nice". My in-laws however, yikes! My husband has a few tattoos and his brother is getting rather covered right now as well and every time their mom notices a new tattoo she calls them later and crys about how she has failed as a parent etc etc etc. My father in law however, I think he secretly wants a tattoo but doesnt want to deal with the wrath of the wifey.

This has become an interesting topic to me recently as i was involved in a situation where this was a bit of a controversy. (I recently had to get a piece redone)

I have heard some shops do not redo other artists pieces ever, i know some artists that wont touch other certain artists pieces to not cause conflict of interest.

What is your take as an artist on redoing/reworking/completely covering up other artists work?

I feel like if the original artist didnt do it right the first time then they have no right to be upset if the client looks elsewhere for a better go.

this is indeed a fun topic. when my husband and i started dating i didnt have a drop of ink and he had one shoulder cap piece. Its been 6 years that we have been together, 2 of which we have been married, and all i can say is we can document different areas of our relationship by the pieces of art we have collected over the years. It in a sense has been something to bind us together.

My husband is not your typical looking tattoo collector, he is rather clean cut, and "square" from the outside perspective. haha. I know before now he never would have been like "hum when i grow up im going to be with a tattooed chick" but look at where we are now! I think your acceptance or the appeal of heavier tattooed people grows in accordance with your personal collecting.

I am excited to see what is in store!

the name is Caressa! :] I completely forgot there was a second one made! haha! And no, i have yet to read that book, i will have to check it out! thanks for the suggestion!

Brick, Green Street Hooligans, and Empire Records are some of my all time favourites.

I have really been exploring the foreign film section of my netflix and i have been very pleasantly surprised! Troubled Water (Norwegian triller), Tale of Two Sisters (Korean horror) and Let the Rigth One In (Swedish vampire movie) and they have all blown me away!

im so glad it started to pick up on this thread!

I am by no means heavily tattooed, (I currently have 8 pieces in my collection, two of them are rather large however, a half sleeve on my left arm and a good size piece on my calf) and even I have issues with people more often than not. I am all for answer questions about where i got my piece done, who did it, why etc etc etc, most of the time. As traceelinn said, whenever you can change someones preconceived notion about the tattooed community, its a step in the right direction. That being said, im sorry I cant stay at the counter at Starbucks an extra 10 minutes telling you all about my ink. I dont want a 5 minutes grocery run to last 30+ mins. It is unfortunate that onlookers decide they have the right to treat any tattooed person as a circus animal(unless thats what you are going for haha). I am female, and i have always gotten a few extra glances, not that I'm hot shit, i just have boobs. go figure. But tattoo ogling is so much more accosting than normal.

I have plenty of male friends that are more covered that as most have mentioned here, are not approached nearly as often.

On the topic of tattoos and judging. I must admit, I am particular about what I find attractive, I suppose you would say. I have to catch myself at times passing judgement on what I think is a crappy tattoo (concept or execution). That has nothing to do with the sex of the person that has the tattoo. Personally, I dont like vulgar tattoos, I would never want to have something of that nature on MY body, however their tattoo is on them so whatever rubs your buddha.

Found this article today, its a few months old but interesting nonetheless.

"What do you think when you see a woman with a tattoo? This is not a question with a right or wrong answer; this is a question of perception. So I guess, the real question is, “How do you perceive a woman with a tattoo in society? Does it affect how you judge her?” Of course it does. As much as a woman’s blond hair or pretty face leads her to be judged. But a tattoo isn’t the result of DNA, it’s a choice, an assertion. But how did tattoos become taboo for women, and most importantly where can we go from here?..."

GUEST POST: FEMINISM & TATTOOS: A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO INK

Posted by Ashley on November 3, 2010 at 9:08 am.

When Janet approached me with this guest post topic, I was really interested. I’ve always been intrigued by body modifications, particularly tattoos. I have one myself (it’s small and on my foot), but stopped there, mostly because there is such a stigma about women with tattoos, and when I got mine I was a junior in college, still very worried about my job prospects. I remember agonizing over the size and placement of the tattoo – it needed to be small enough and placed somewhere that was easily covered if I needed to cover it for a job interview. I did cover it, too, frequently because I was worried about what people would think of me.

So, needless to say, I was really excited for this guest post, and when I read it, I was even more excited to share it with you! I think Janet brings up some very interesting points here about women and their choices when it comes to their bodies. And many of these points can be applied to other choices women have, as well, and other stigmas we face.

What do you think when you see a woman with a tattoo? This is not a question with a right or wrong answer; this is a question of perception. So I guess, the real question is, “How do you perceive a woman with a tattoo in society? Does it affect how you judge her?” Of course it does. As much as a woman’s blond hair or pretty face leads her to be judged. But a tattoo isn’t the result of DNA, it’s a choice, an assertion. But how did tattoos become taboo for women, and most importantly where can we go from here?

History

Thousands of years before Christ, women were getting tattooed. Evidence of body art has been found on the mummified female bodies of both Egyptians and Greeks. The designs and reasoning behind the tattoos vary from culture to culture but the existence of markings is common. Early theories postulated that mummies with these tattoos were marked as women of ill-repute, “dancing girls” or of a lower class. But there are other factors which poke holes in this belief. The nature of the art implies that it may have been done for spiritual and protective purposes. Also, many of these women were buried in close proximity to royals, which could indicate higher status. And at least one body which was initially believed to belong to a concubine was later determined to have more likely been a priestess.

Throughout history though, tattoos have been used to denote some less than reputable activities. In Ancient China, criminals, bandits and prisoners frequently possessed tattoos. In Japan and other countries women engaging in the oldest profession used tattoos to tacitly communicate their role. But while histories like these denote tattoos as an indication of lower class, in other cultures, like the Philippines, tattoos on women were considered a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, when tattoos became commonplace in western culture it was with predominantly negative connotations. Religious beliefs surrounding tattoos have also done little to elevate the status of ink. Judism, Muslim and Christianity all frown on body modification for both sexes. These pervasive religious beliefs, combined with the history of tattoos on women help us understand the origins of the negative stigma associated with women and tattoos.

Stigma

We’d like to think a lot has changed. But ancient stigmas have managed to find their way into modern culture even though tattoos have had a long history on women in the US. They were popular among women in the 20’s even the “higher class” women. In the 60’s tattoos ran rampant on women in hippie culture. Today, celebrities and public figures of all kinds are sporting different forms of body art. All around us tattoos are pervasive in our society and yet we find that there are still negative stigma’s attached to tattoos on women.

Perhaps the greatest indication of this truth is the most famously labeled female tattoo, “the tramp stamp”. This particular icon is identified as a tattoo of any kind on the small of a woman’s back sitting slightly above (or below) the line of her pants. Women who have this tattoo are often branded as sexually promiscuous. Is it a fair assumption that women with these tattoos have gotten them to entice men or to advertise their willingness to engage in sexual activity? No probably not. Sure, art on the lower back is easy to reveal by wearing crop tops or low-rise jeans, and yes there are probably some women who have chosen that tattoo because of its sexual overtones. But it is also a location which can be easily covered by typical work clothing and it is a place which is unlikely to be drastically affected by pregnancy or weight change. Unfortunately the practicalities associated with tattoos on this part of the body are ignored in favor of the more popular, and degrading stereotypes.

To Remove or Take a Stand

The fact is, even now women receive more negative reactions to their body art than men. Whether it is because of the historical connotations or the modern stigma that still remains attached to women with ink, the fact is it is yet another battle for free expression. Even in a world so vastly more conscious of equality, women must still fight for their rights in both overt and subtle ways. A woman’s right to ink remains one of the latter.

A recent study from Texas Tech suggests that women are much more inclined to seek tattoo removal at some point in their lives than men. They also found that in many cases the decision to do so came from outside influences. Women who got tattooed early in life are later attempting to undo them. The reasons vary, but they seem to be predominantly linked to careers and life changes, like marriage and children. But is this a sign of women acquiescing to a society that views tattoos as out of place on respectable women? Although to be fully fair, men do undergo some of the same job and family pressures to conform to a particular image that often does not include tattoos. Perhaps it only seems that women are under greater scrutiny for their body art. But when you consider the history of tattoos, and how frequently a woman’s character is judged by her ink it’s hard not see an imbalance.

Tattoos are, in their own right, yet another way for women to assert independence and their right to equality. It is our right to express ourselves in any way we choose, in voice, in writing and in art, including body art. We can only hope that someday a woman can freely get a tattoo, anywhere she wants without fear of social repercussions. Perhaps, one day we will. We can only hope that in that same day we will be able to wear what we please, earn equal wages for the jobs we perform and not fear that our credibility will be undermined by our looks. And that will be a very good day

Guest Post: Feminism & Tattoos: A Woman

For all the ladies out there, do you feel like you are percieved differently due to your tattoos? Heavily tattooed women, if you didnt notice a difference with your first few pieces, have you noticed something different the more covered you become?

I want to hear from the gents as well! What do you think? Do you noticed more women getting slag about their work than men?

Kinda on the subject..... does the left side of the body hurt more then the right in anyone elses experience. If so, any theories?

i have both feet tattooed, the entire top from ankle to toe knuckle. my right foot was fine until we went over the knuckles (i also have very bony feet) but otherwise i was very relaxed and fell asleep for a bit of it. my left foot however i could not relax and i kept twitching like a fool. i always sit very well for the handful of tattoos i have so it was very disheartening to have that happen, i got kinda embarrassed! haha, even though both myself and my artist knew i couldn't control it. I was under the impression that it is not uncommon for your dominant side to have more pain tolerance due to more muscle control and whathaveyou, which would make sense on why my left foot hurt like hell for awhile as i am a rightie! anyways, my two cents! :]

just wash the tattoo twice a day with fairly hot water and liquid dial, and once it starts peeling (after 3 days usually) I use aveeno unscented twice a day. Now my tattoos heal like Wolverine.

i resemble that sentiment completely! my artist loves to tattoo me and tells everyone i am a mutant for the fact that generally i am healed within a weeks time haha. aveeno with the green top for life ;]

Hyperbole and a Half: Sneaky Hate Spiral

Sneaky hate spiral made me lol pretty hard. At least until the last part.

I love Allie at Hyperbole, this makes me crack up so hard!

ello ello! yes i find this forum very interesting and a great way to kill time at work ;p

Thank you all for the warm welcome! you shall see more of me muwahahha

Well Hello there strangers! My name is Caressa von Lindenberg (i know, awesowe name right?), but Caressa or unlikeyourown will do me fine :] New to this gem of a place, but looking forward to what it has to hold. I am a collector and loving how my canvas is turning out so far! Pleased to meet you all!