Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The clue is to never get a tattoo until and unless you are willing to take the consequences of poor artistry, infection, even possible hepatitis or HIV, depending upon the cleanliness of the facility.
I hope you are having a real physician remove these.
Live and learn- sometimes hard lessons. It is a personal thing, but I see no reason for a tattoo. Before getting them, people shold think about what the thing is going to look like in twenty years
A tattoo is basically a needle puncturing your skin over and over again; so that "raised" ink is actually scarring. When you first got the tattoo, keeping it moist and covered for the first few days; then not picking at the scabbing during the air out phase helps to reduce the scarring. But still, some people are more prone than others.
My tattoo is very slightly raised; however if I'm in a warm environment (like after a hot shower) it raises up more.
It seems that the laser treatments would also produce scarring. Have you asked the doctor how to minimize it?
Live and learn- sometimes hard lessons. It is a personal thing, but I see no reason for a tattoo. Before getting them, people shold think about what the thing is going to look like in twenty years
Wise words...I'm 45, and I'm going to get a tattoo this year, if I can find an artist that is good enough. I've thought about it for over ten years now, so I'm quite sure that I want one, it's just finding someone skilled enough for what I want it to look like.
And as far as what it will look like in 20 years? Well, by that time I'll be lucky if anyone wants to look at me at all, so who cares?
Wise words...I'm 45, and I'm going to get a tattoo this year, if I can find an artist that is good enough. I've thought about it for over ten years now, so I'm quite sure that I want one, it's just finding someone skilled enough for what I want it to look like.
And as far as what it will look like in 20 years? Well, by that time I'll be lucky if anyone wants to look at me at all, so who cares?
RoaminRed, stop researching and get the tattoo. It sounds like you know you want so you should just make the plunge. You may never find the perfect artist or even piece, but I'm betting that you have something pretty clear in mind. I read once that if you don't have a tattoo by the time you are 27 years old, then you most likely will never get one. I've seen many people in their late 20s/early 30s who know they want one but keep waffling about it - most will probably never get one but always want one. I got my first tattoo when I was 26 years old and I intend to get more.
I understand the apprehension. If that is hindering you, I suggest getting a small one in an easily-hidden place. Then you will see how the process works, and your mind will be at ease when you want to go for "the big one".
As far as finding the right artist: There are many, many good ones. You can detect bad tattoo work as soon as you set foot in a shop. In that case, just walk right back out. More important is how an artist will approach a design. You will need to be a bit flexible about how the artist wants to apply the work. They may need to alter your design a bit to get it to look right on skin. Just be open to their suggestions, and remember that you can always get a "cover-up" if you end up simply hating it. By the way, of all the tattooed people I know (and there are many), NONE of them who have thought it through as much as you have, ended up regretting it. That only seems to happen when tattoos are bought too hastily or too young.
Good luck.
RoaminRed, stop researching and get the tattoo. It sounds like you know you want so you should just make the plunge. You may never find the perfect artist or even piece, but I'm betting that you have something pretty clear in mind. I read once that if you don't have a tattoo by the time you are 27 years old, then you most likely will never get one. I've seen many people in their late 20s/early 30s who know they want one but keep waffling about it - most will probably never get one but always want one. I got my first tattoo when I was 26 years old and I intend to get more.
I understand the apprehension. If that is hindering you, I suggest getting a small one in an easily-hidden place. Then you will see how the process works, and your mind will be at ease when you want to go for "the big one".
As far as finding the right artist: There are many, many good ones. You can detect bad tattoo work as soon as you set foot in a shop. In that case, just walk right back out. More important is how an artist will approach a design. You will need to be a bit flexible about how the artist wants to apply the work. They may need to alter your design a bit to get it to look right on skin. Just be open to their suggestions, and remember that you can always get a "cover-up" if you end up simply hating it. By the way, of all the tattooed people I know (and there are many), NONE of them who have thought it through as much as you have, ended up regretting it. That only seems to happen when tattoos are bought too hastily or too young.
Good luck.
I think my problem is that the tattoo I have in mind is a bird morphing into a human, and I want it to look like a real bird/real human -- naturalistic -- and all the artists I've seen in my area doing this kind of thing...well, they leave something to be desired because they look more like comic-book or cartoonish. Lately I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to actually travel to find the artist I want. Which is okay, because I do like to travel.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
