Tattoo Faqs
Tattoo designs are limited only by the designer and recipient's imaginations. You can choose a very simple design to a complex, full color portrait. It all depends on your preference and budget. It is in your best interest to investigate all the possibilities by looking at as many websites as possible, visiting tattoo shops and asking to look at their design books and talking to people who have designs you admire. Also, think about the timelessness of the design. The tribal tattoo that looked so cool a few years ago might seem passé today and downright embarrassing ten years from now. Also, consider putting a part of yourself into the design to make it truly unique and special to you.
Getting a tattoo is not very painful compared to say childbirth or that scene from "Misery" where Kathy Bates uses a sledge hammer to hobble James Caan but let's face it there is a needle going in and out of your skin so there is going to be some pain. Just imagine your a piece of pretty little polka-dot fabric running under the foot of the sewing machine as the tattoo artist tries to transform you into a new pair of drapes.
Of course, that level of pain is when you are getting a tattoo in a fleshy spot on your body. When you get a tattoo over a bony part of your body such as your ankle bone, it will feel very much as it must have felt for Prehistoric man when they would have a trepanation (look it up) performed on them. Most of them survived, so it is likely you will as well.
Getting a tattoo is very safe if you go to a professional tattoo shop. Many states require artists to become licensed and pass stringent testing to ensure they adhere to hygienic standards. There is almost no chance of contracting a diseases such as Hepatitis C or AIDS because new needles are used for each customer and the equipment is all sanitized between use. If you are tempted to a get a tattoo while in prison or in the back alley at your local bar, you may want to resist the urge and wait until you can go somewhere where they have real tattoo equipment and fresh needles.
Tattoo prices vary according to the size and complexity of the design as well as the skill and popularity of your chosen tattoo artist. Most artist charge one price for the actual tattoo work and another for design work. If you pick a design the artist has already worked up, you should only have to pay for the actual tattoo labor or a specified flat fee. However, if you have custom work, whether it is your design or the tattoo artist's, you will be charged anywhere from $50/hr and up for the time it takes the artist to translate your vision into a workable design. Remember, the artist has to not only consider the visual appeal of the design but it's suitability to the chosen location on your body.
Honey, let me tell you, nothing looks that good as you start to age so get used to it. The appearance of your tattoo is going to be the least of your worries. You should consider the location of your tattoo if you are worried about the look as you age. Areas where your skin are less likely to sag are more appropriate, particularly for a large complex design.
Too bad. Seriously, your options are very limited if you are unhappy with the artist's work. For some designs it might be possible to add to the tattoo or design another tattoo that will cover it. You can also look at tattoo removal but a word of caution; removing a tattoo is vastly more expensive than getting a tattoo, is not usually completely successful, and is very painful. See our section on tattoo removal
This is why it is so critical to make sure that you are getting the tattoo you want before the inking process actually starts. The tattoo artist should apply an inked stencil to the surface of your skin before he or she starts tattooing. This gives you the opportunity to see what the tattoo will look like and to adjust the position of you like. The artist will then use the stencil lines as a guide.
Usually eighteen, though this can vary from place to place. Some tattoo shops are more diligent than others about asking for I.D., so some people do succeed in getting a tattoo before they’re eighteen. It’s usually not a good idea, though. The older you are when you get a tattoo, the less likely you’ll be to regret it later on.
Sure you can. Just Google the technique and buy some used equipment off of eBay. I'm sure those artists didn't really need to spend all those years training before they started tattooing. While you are doing your research look up other helpful information on things like "staph infection," "gangrene, and "drunken party games." Seriously, tattoo artists often spend years as interns under the tutelage of an experienced artist before they ever try their first very simple design on an actual person. Thinking you are going to give yourself a tattoo that you will be happy with the rest of your life on your first try is a bit much to expect. Would you want to be a real tattoo artist's first customer?