Please Share your Tattoo Experiences!

[Illyria Jade_mod]

The purpose of this thread is to share experiences so that other people can read it and get an idea of what to expect when getting a tattoo!

Your post can be as long or short as you like, but please try to cover the following points when you post ::
• Where is your tattoo located?
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)
• How large was your tattoo?
• How painful was your tattoo experience?
• How long was it painful after tattooing?
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?

[iamblackbird]

• Where is your tattoo located? Between my shoulder blades
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Pro, baby!
• How large was your tattoo? About the size of my hand.
• How painful was your tattoo experience? Not that painful, really. Felt like a hot needle going into my skin.
• How long was it painful after tattooing? About 2 days. After that, it just itched.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? two or three weeks. I can't remember.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? None, although I had to have my mother help me clean it the first two days.
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? I get comments on it all the time, ranging from good to bad. I love love love it, and don't regret it for one second.

[Illyria Jade_mod]

5 tats, all blackwork, done by pros.

My first (my puppy's pawprint) was done at Monarch Tattoo in Emporia KS. Tickled more than hurt, was barely any work at all, and was healed within a week.
(Rayne's pawprint (http://home.earthlink.net/~illyria.jade/tat1.jpg))

My second (infinity symbol, left inner wrist) was done at Bullwinkle Tattoo in Wichita KS. It was a *good* hurt. I love the way inking feels. Was sore the first day, healed in about 2 weeks.

My third (ankh, right inner wrist) was done at Altered Skin in Missoula MT (Chris rocks!). Again, was a *good* hurt, sore the first day, healed in about 2 weeks.

(pics of my infinity and my ankh (http://home.earthlink.net/~illyria.jade/infinityankh2sm.JPG))

My fourth and fifth were done together (Righteous Tattoo, Hutchinson KS, Beau ROCKS!), latin lettering beside my first pawprint, and another pawprint on the opposite side. I was stupid and forgot to eat, so it was harder than it should have been, although over all it wasn't hard. I read durring my hour of inking. It was sore the first day or so, after that it didn't hurt except when i accidentally hit it or my clothes rubbed, etc. And, unlike most lower back tattoos, this one is below my jeans. It's for me, and only me, I don't share it with the world. The left one needs to be tamed down a little bit, he's gonna do some white work with it to make it match the other one better.
(both pawprints and lettering (http://home.earthlink.net/~illyria.jade/back1.jpg) - just the new stuff (http://home.earthlink.net/~illyria.jade/back2.jpg))


I've never had problems with any of them, and I love them dearly. I get comments, but most people think they're cool (those NOT in my family, that is). I couldn't care less what anybody thinks, though, I love them. (posting my full Ankh experience momentarily)

[Illyria Jade_mod]

Here's the full experience on my Ankh that I wrote::

I was itching for more ink, so I started looking on the internet for symbols. Specifically, something that reminded me to let go of my anger, something to add balance to my life. Somewhere along my journey around the 'net, I found a Wiccan website, showing the infinity symbol as symbolizing peace and harmony. Put that together with the fact that it is a balanced figure, and represents eternity, and I knew I just had to have it.
So, now it was time to put in another 10 or so hours searching the internet for the perfect infinity image. There are plenty of them out there, in more different forms than you would imagine. I saved all of the ones I liked (and we're not talking a small amount here, either) into a file on my computer, and then once I was done searching I popped open my graphics program and put them all into a collage. Once I printed it out and looked at it for a while, I knew exactly which one I had to have.

Since I had never been tattooed in Wichita before, now that I had my design it was time to check out shops and artists. There were a few shops in Wichita that had sites online, so I searched through them, looked at the art of each of the artists, and selected the one I wanted, after seeing Jason's black and white work on his online portfolio.

I went to the bank and got my cash on Saturday, and impatiently waited for Monday to arrive. I called the shop at 10AM when they opened, but was told that the afternoon was completely open so there was no point in making an appointment. I arrived a little after 1PM, to find they were booked quite full. I spent quite a while looking through Jason's portfolio and loved what I saw, and knew I was in the right place. I took the 5:00PM appointment, which was the earliest they had, and gave them my deposit. Thankfully, I had brought a book.

With instructions to eat within 2 hours before my appointment, I drove the few blocks to the McDonalds I had passed on the way to the shop. I grabbed some drive through and sat in my jeep with the windows down and munched on my food as I read my book. Having wasted as much time as I pleased to in the 85-degree weather, I went back to the air-conditioned shop to waste another hour. Unfortunately I slowly found out that their 2nd tattoo artist had become ill a few days before, so everything was running on odd schedules. Thankfully they only ran an hour or so late, and it was a small tattoo.

Jason was totally awesome and helped me pick the best placement on my wrist after he made the pattern for it. We let it dry as he got everything set up, and when we were ready he warned me not to move and that this was one of the more painful areas to tattoo.

I was ready as could be, and totally excited as he got started. It didn't tickle like my first tattoo had, thankfully, but it didn't really hurt either. Since my first tattoo was on my lower back, it was great being able to watch Jason tattoo me, being able to see the design I wanted appearing from seemingly out of nowhere on my wrist. I sat entranced for an unknown amount of time, but I'm sure it wasn't very long. I was so enraptured with the art appearing on my skin that I don't think I looked away once. I loved the design on paper, but I loved it a million times more on my flesh.

The outline came first, then all the fill-in work, and finally all the touchups and perfections, as Jason tattooed me in beautiful black ink. He had me look at it to see if I was happy with it or saw anything wrong, but it was perfect! He did a few more little touchups, put Vaseline over my tattoo and then a gauze bandage. With instructions to remove the bandage when I got home, and aftercare instructions, I tipped him and left, having already paid. It was kind of a disappointment not to be able to see my beautiful artwork anymore, but I knew it was best.

I started my hour-long drive home with no pain, but my endorphins slowly started to fade out, and I could feel the stinging of my fresh tattoo. I adjusted the air-conditioning vent so that it blew right onto the gauze pad when I laid my arm onto my armrest, and turned up the stereo as I drove home.

When I got home is when the complications started...no, not with my tattoo, but the fact that I had to inform my mother. Now, being 21 years old, I can do what I want, but that doesn't mean she'll like it. I warned her, and showed her. It went over better than I expected, but she nearly threw a fit, not having known that I had done my research. She questioned me anxiously and calmed a little bit when she was informed that I had known what I was doing and had researched the shop. But that didn't mean she was thrilled with my new artwork. Smartly, I answered her questions and then left her alone, going to my end of the house. She has taken it in stride since then, never mentioning it again, but has learned to accept (or act like she accepts, anyway) my love for body modifications.

My aftercare consisted of a lot of Aquaphor, which is a "healing ointment" that a dermatologist recommended to me a few years ago. Basically, it's a moisturizer and a protectant, with nothing harmful to tattoos in it (yes, I checked). I also put non-stick gauze on it at night so that I didn't damage it in my sleep, as I'm known to move around a bit while sleeping. Once it was mostly healed, I switched to using lotion on it, but had difficulties finding one that didn't burn when applied, as I have incredibly sensitive skin. Finally I found Lubriderm's Seriously Sensitive lotion, which worked wonderfully. My tattoo was healed in no time at all, and it was beautiful!

I've received very few comments on it, as it's not in a spot that is overly visible. The only person who continues to comment on it a year later is my 4 year old cousin...every time I'm babysitting and have to wash his hair in the bathtub, he warns me not to get it wet. He is absolutely convinced that it will "wash off". The only place I received many comments on my tattoo was when I was in the hospital. The nurses would see it every time they put medicine into my IV line. Many of them asked what it was, and were answered succinctly that it was an infinity symbol. Their questions ranged from "like in math?" To "a what?" To "like the car?". I assure you, I got a kick out of that last one.

Over a year later, I am still absolutely in love with my tattoo, and it's had an added effect. I'm not sure why, but something about the never-ending -ness of eternity reminds me of my Grandmother who passed away almost 10 years ago. When I look at my tattoo, I think of her, and my day always gets a little bit better.

[iamblackbird]

This is my experience that I wrote up, for my bird tat.


For my eighteenth birthday, my father and I agreed upon a tattoo that he would pay for as my present. Having special significance tied to 'blackbird', I chose a design of a bird, which my father and my brother both tweaked for me. The tattoo was to be done only in black ink, no color, and would be placed on my upper back, between my shoulder blades.
November 27th, my father and I drove to Righteous Studio Tattoos, which we chose since we both knew some people who had work done there, and we adored the quality of work. Walking in, the studio was fresh, clean, and full of magazines. I gave the guys there my license, my design of choice, and waited. They asked me if I had eaten, and even though I said yes, they offered me a doughnut, just to be sure.

By the time the room and equipment were prepared, it was about 10:45 in the morning. Beau looked at me, at my design, and smiled. He asked if I was certain that I wanted this thing to be permanent...after I affirmed that I did, he nodded and said, "Ok girl, then show me some skin". So I pulled off the shirt, sat backwards on the chair, and we got to work. He pulled out the needle and prepared the ink, all sterile and packaged in sterile wrapping. No worries there, and I recalled my mother's fear of me contracting some terrible disease that she thought was unavoidable, and one that I really did not even consider a possibility, considering the cleanliness of the room and the procedures. After choosing a tattoo gun from the many that he had, he put on new gloves and sat down behind me.

I remember tensing up when I first heard the buzz of the machine, and braced myself for the unknown. The pain itself wasn't too terrible during the outline, in some places it felt rather numb to me. The outline took approximately an hour, longer than the filling in. I was watching the clock while listening to Pantera play on the stereo in the background, and my father (who had come with and stayed with me) and I were joking around. During the outlining, many of my muscles were stimulated, and would contract with the needle's contact and constant vibration. This contracting of muscles probably hurt more than the outline did.

However, the actual filling in of the outline was rough. Since I chose to have the tattoo placed directly between my shoulder blades, the needle would have to pass over the area of my spine and the curved edges of my shoulder blades, causing a pain that I did not anticipate. In a sort of way that I suppose any tattooed person would understand, the pain was enjoyable, knowing that this is real, this is happening. Throughout the time that he was tattooing over a bump caused by my spine, I was repeating in my head "This will be worth it...it is now a part of you". The outline took around half an hour, easily a much shorter time than the outline. During one particularly painful spot, Beau said, "Feels good, doesn't it?" I found myself in complete agreement.

The total time for my first ink took about an hour and a half, and at the end of that hour and a half, I took the pre-offered hand mirror and held it up, taking a good look for the first time at my first ink. There is nothing in or on my body that I feel so honored to have and carry. My blackbird, the sign of my personal freedom and reclamation, was there, wings outstretched on my back. I was grinning from this feeling of contentment, of happiness, of fulfillment.

When I stood up, my legs were shaking more than I thought they would be, and I felt somewhat wobbly. Putting my shirt back on was a bit of a sore task to accomplish, since I had just had tons of holes pricked into my skin. Even though the shirt was a button up, the act of pulling back my arms to put them in the sleeves was aching.

Beau fixed me up, and told me what I should do for my aftercare. He told me to expect to see the exact outline of the tattoo on the bandage, since that's just what happens. He then handed me a sheet with the exact instructions he had just said to me aloud, knowing that I probably would not remember then later without the paper.

My tattoo took about a month to heal completely, for the peeling to stop and the itchiness to go away. While healing it was not the most fun thing in the world, it was like learning how to care for a whole new part of your body...because essentially, that's what I was doing.

The immediate response was one that I'm sure anyone with any sort of mod has heard "Did it hurt, and was it worth it?"

The response to both is, of course, yes.

[RoguePhoenix]

• Where is your tattoo located?

Middle of right hip.

• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)

Professional

• How large was your tattoo?

1 1/2" x 1 1/2" (it's a black tribal-ish shamrock)

• How painful was your tattoo experience?

It wasn't really painful, just uncomfortable. It felt like a cat scratch, a stinging/burning irritation.

• How long was it painful after tattooing?

It was tender for a couple of days.

• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?

A couple of weeks.

• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?

I was working in a bar where I was wearing tight jeans every night. That would irritate it by the end of the night and make it tender.

• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?

It makes me happy. I have never had a bad reaction to it from anyone, but not many people have seen it or know that it's there. I have had it for about four years now and I have never regretted it. It has a lot of meaning behind it and that has helped me remember the important things through some rough times in my life.

[RoguePhoenix]

• Where is your tattoo located?

lower back

• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)

prefessional (one of the best, in my opinion)

• How large was your tattoo?

Equivalent to the size of a large grapefruit. Total tattoo time was 2 1/2 hours.

• How painful was your tattoo experience?

It wasn't too bad. For the most part, it was just uncomfortable. There were only one or two times that were actually painful and those lasted less than 5 minutes. I generally don't find tattoos to be painful and it's a somewhat pleasant pain (or painful pleasure, lol) that I halfway enjoy.

• How long was it painful after tattooing?

It was sore for a couple of days and my jeans rubbing on it would make it tender at the end of the day.

• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?

Two weeks.

• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?


The only problem I had was trying to wash it myself the night I got it done. It was akward and pretty difficult to make sure that I got it clean.

• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?

I have never received a negative comment and in fact, receive compliments on it on a regular basis. It has even been admired by other tattoo artists, who liked it very much. I love it and I am still very happy that I have with it me for the rest of my life. It is truly a work of art that I am proud to display on my body.

[Kelt9]

• Where is your tattoo located? Center of my chest, over my sternum kinda.
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Pro whose shop had closed...
• How large was your tattoo? About 5 or 6 inches wide, 1.5 or 2 high.
• How painful was your tattoo experience? Not too much.
• How long was it painful after tattooing? Just the first day or so. It felt like a bruise.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? About 1.5 weeks.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? LOL Some of my shirts are stained because of the neosporin, then vaseline aftercare.
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? It's usually covered by all but my most low-cut shirts. The only thing I regret about it is the quality. I later found that the ink had been watered down (to get me to come back for multiple touch-ups I think), and that the work was done too deep. This caused the outline to blur slightly from the fill bleeding out from it. Grrr.

It's supposed to be a bat from a pretty famous graphic artist, Ralph Steadman. I wanted it done EXACTLY RIGHT and now I'll have to get it retouched. I'm planning on adding more bats, tapering over my shoulder, with 'Clawed' the first leading the swarm. As disappointed as I am I do love my bat, Clawed. Soon he will have friends. :wink:

[majik]

• Where is your tattoo located? On my whole back.

• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Pro

• How large was your tattoo? 17inchs high, 15inchs wide

• How painful was your tattoo experience? *Very painful, (first ever tattoo)

• How long was it painful after tattooing? *1 week

• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?1 and a half weeks. ( used a lotion called tattoo goo, well recomended)

• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? Only the itching.

• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments do you regret it, etc)? Did not affect my life any bit. No regrets took me 2 years to think of a tattoo to have.

Had a pair of angel wings done by a very good artist (Modern body art studio, done by a lovely lady called Julie. Located in Birmingham U.K)
I would like to get it extended to the top of the back of my knee's.
Just to let you know how big it would be when its finshed, i'm 6ft 7in tall. The total height of the tattoo will be about 3.5ft high.

[Illyria Jade_mod]

I was itching for new ink, and looking for that one tattoo that you just *know* is the right one. Strangely, when I realized what I wanted, it was text, which was a total first for me. Once I knew the quote I wanted, I just couldn't put it in English. I don't know, I'm weird, but my thing with my tattoos is that if they're going to have meaning for me (personally, emotionally, etc), I want it to be a sort of hidden meaning. Then, not everyone knows their purpose, and I can choose who I share that information with.

So, I had to figure out what language I wanted it in, and then find a reliable way of translating it into that language. Personally, I love Latin. So Latin it was. However, I was clueless how to find it, since my Google searches kept coming up blank. Finally, on what felt like the 30th page of results, I found exactly what I needed. I was ecstatic and started planning immediately.

I wanted to place it low on my stomach, but I also want to have children at some point in the future, and I most certainly didn't want to stretch it out. Next I considered my chest, having it written vertically on my sternum between my breasts, but there just wasn't enough room. So I finally decided to place it on my lower back, spacing it between the tattoo I already had there, and the other tattoo I wanted there.

The next step was to find the font that I wanted my tattoo in. Something old, medieval and fancy, but not a common tattoo font, or anything frilly or over-the-top. I downloaded 200 fonts off the internet that I liked over the course of about a week. Then I typed the phrase I wanted to use, copied and pasted it over and over, and changed the font on each one to fonts I had liked. I was able to cut the number of fonts down considerably in a short period of time (2 days), once I saw the phrase in each font. Finally, I found the font I just *knew* was the right one.

I was really excited, once I had it all finished and printed out, with the spacing and the font just exactly how I wanted them, because my best friend had just finished getting her tattoo at a relatively new shop in our town. Righteous Tattoo was so close to me and I didn't even know it was there, but I saw Blackbird's blackbird, and I knew I wanted Beau to ink me, too! It was such a relief, I didn't have to drive over an hour to get a decent artist...since the tattoo was going to be on my lower back, that would have been a nightmare! And the other tattoo studio in town? I refuse to so much as step foot in it.

Righteous is tucked back in a corner on 17th and Plum, in the little strip mall there. Unfortunately, that meant I could drive past it 100 times and I would never have seen it. So I abducted Blackbird one day after her classes were over, and made her show me where it was. We kept trying to schedule a time that we could both go together, but it never winded up working out. So the next day that I had free, I got my money and went!

I was impressed when I walked in. It was a beautiful, tasteful studio. The "flash" on the wall isn't sheets, but framed pictures hanging on the walls, there was a comfortable seating area and a few tattoo magazines on the end tables. Beau was behind the desk, took my idea, made it exactly the right size (it's hard to see your own back to judge!) and copied my existing tattoo so he could put the same image on the other side, so that I would

have my paw print on both sides, and then the words in the middle. He did warn me that it is hard to reproduce another artist's work, but he would try to make the paw print match as best he could.

He went and prepped the tattoo room while I talked to his apprentice/flash artist and saw a bunch more of Beau's work. By this point I was in love with his masterful artistry, and was glad he was in my town! His stuff was even more amazing than all the "bigger" shops in Wichita. He came out and told me he was ready for me, and I couldn't wait to get started. I walked into the room behind him, and told him that I was glad that we had a decent studio in Hutchinson. He looked at me in mock-shock and asked "We do?!" By that point, I knew I liked him! Even better than that, I was completely comfortable with him.

Since I was getting the tattoo below my jeans waist, I unzipped my pants and pulled them down slightly, enough so that Beau could apply the transfer. He cleaned my back and wiped a deodorant across the area before pressing the transfer on. I somehow managed to twist myself enough to see most of the transfer in the mirror, and told him it looked good. By this point, I was almost bouncing off the walls. The anticipation right before the tattoo is a wonderful feeling.

I got out my book, straddled the tattoo chair, and leaned forward as Beau directed me. He pulled the back of my jeans down a bit lower and tucked a paper towel in them so that he wouldn't get ink on them. I was surprised that he had used deodorant to apply the transfer, so I asked him, just in case it was some new tattoo product I hadn't seen before. Turns out, it was regular men's gel deodorant. It also turns out (as I saw in the mirror behind me) that the transfer stayed on my skin much better than previous methods that other artists had used on me.

He told me he was going to start, and I started reading, enjoying the feeling of the tattoo. It was quite easy, as tattoos go. I've found that the location of the tattoo doesn't have as much to do with the pain level as the artist does, and Beau was superb.

I had only one scare while Beau was inking me. Suddenly the tattoo gun went quiet, in the middle of my lettering. I waited for him to say something, but it took a minute before he spoke. "What does this mean, anyway?" I smiled and translated the sentence for him, and he was back to work.

I enjoyed every minute of the tattoo, and I was sad when it ended. It hadn't taken very long at all, but when I looked at it in the mirror, it was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have been happier. He explained again that the paw print might not look the same as my other one, and it might need a bit of a touch up. He said that if I wanted it changed any I should just come back in after it was healed. He also asked me to come back in a week so that he could look at it and make sure that it was healing ok.

I thanked him, paid him (plus a big tip for being so great) and went out to my car. The drive home wasn't as fun as the inking was, and I drove the whole way home trying to keep my tattoo from touching the seat. Even though my tattoo was covered, it wouldn't have felt so good against the seat.

My tattoo healed easily, and when I saw him the next week it was already peeling and itching. He said it looked great and reminded me again that if I wanted the paw print changed at all just to come in once it was healed.

Four months later and I still swear that he's the best artist I've ever had. Blackbird and I went in yesterday to get my paw print touched up, Beau used some black ink and white ink, just to give the paw print more texture like my other one, and it looks absolutely perfect! Now, I have a pair of paw prints (my dog's actual foot print) that hide just below the waist of my jeans, with Latin wording between them.

Not only did we get my tattoo touched up, but we hung out with Beau for about an hour and a half, too, talking and goofing around. I've never had such a fun tattoo artist, or such a good tattoo experience. I'm very impressed with Beau's work, on myself and on everyone else, and I can't wait to start on my back piece! There's no one I'd rather have inking me!

[JANiTOR]

• Where is your tattoo located?

*Back of the neck right below the hairline(Nape area I guess)/symbol
*Left side of neck/cursive writing
*Left Bicep/characature
*Right Bicep/characture
*Left Forearm(rear)/script+sketch


• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)

Professionally at Immortal Ink Tattoo in Phoenix, Az (Ask for Big Jeff) A+ Recomendation

• How large was your tattoo?

2 small ones on my neck, 3 mediums everywhere else


• How painful was your tattoo experience?

The biceps were hardley considered painful, the 2 neck peices were the most sensitive areas, and were moderatley painful. The most uncomfortable was my forearm peice.


• How long was it painful after tattooing?

Just during, there was noticeable pain after I left the shop


• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?

Prolly a few days to a week, I never have had any crusties or bleeding after I left the shop, guess *have tough skin


• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?

All of them were sensitive with clothing rubbing against them, no allergies


• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?

Yeah of course, prior to getting any tattoo, Im so anxious and excited and awaiting the outcome. But I know how it feels actually getting one done, and it is a healing/therapudic experience for me. I really enjoy the whole process and think its one of the best investments a person could make. What else in life that you spend money on can you say youll have or will last for a lifetime? Afterwards the finished product is daily gratifying especially when I get my own artwork done on my body, its a awesome feeling.



http://myspace-160.vo.llnwd.net/00288/06/14/288014160_l.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9804/neck6cu.jpg
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/6969/placaza3kc.jpg

[yojgui]

• Where is your tattoo located?backbone
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) professional
• How large was your tattoo? 20 cm more or less
• How painful was your tattoo experience? can't compare , i only have one and it was less painful than i thought
• How long was it painful after tattooing? nothing ... my back hurted because i had spend 45 minutes in a bad position... while they were doing it
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? no more crusties one week .
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? not yet
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? i don't regret it because i've wanted a tatto snake for a long time ... its just that i didn't know what snake i wanted ... so before getting it i was worried about getting the wrong snake , but everytime i look at it it feels great and its what i wanted

[Duckette]

• Where is your tattoo located?
-Hand, -Ankle, -Arm, -Leg, -Back, -Shoulders.
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)
-All Pro, even tho some dont look to good.
• How large was your tattoo?
-All different sizes. (Small as a dime, to 8 inches.) From 10 mins to 3 hours.
• How painful was your tattoo experience?
-All the different spots were different pain.
• How long was it painful after tattooing?
-Same as above, some only hurt till the patch was on, others hurt for a few hours.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?
-About 3 days for no pain, but they peal after a week, and Id say after 2.5 weeks they are healed, but I treat them like new for a month.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?
-Clothing rubbing, and showering sucks. Also when they get bumped it hurts. Also, it itches when its healing...and you cant scratch.
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?
-I regret the placement on 2. But I look at it this way "Its there now, and you cant do anything about it." I get some comments on my hand tattoos that range from "Why would you do that?" to "Ouch" "Its really cute." to "I want one, does it hurt." Most of my other ones are never seen...Im always in pants and baggy T-Shirts.
GETTING MORE SOON!

[lemonchild45]

• Where is your tattoo located?
On the inside of my left wrist.

• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)
Professional.

• How large was your tattoo?
5cm across. (It's a star so it's 5cm from all the points)

• How painful was your tattoo experience?
It really wasn't that bad...it felt like a weird kind of scratching at first, then the endorphins kicked in and it just felt like light pressure. It's actually vaguely enjoyable.

• How long was it painful after tattooing?
Not too long, maybe a week. A couple days after was the worst pain, and after that it started to get better.

• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?
About 3 weeks.

• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?
Nope...apart from when I'm at work I need to wear a sweat band to cover it, but it's really not as visible as you think it would be.

• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?
I'll be honest, I did regret it for a while, mainly because of my mother's reaction (I'm 18, but she still wasn't happy) but then I remembered the personal reasons why I got it, and how it's not there to make other people happy, it's mine. And I haven't regretted it since :)

[Grease Monkey]

• Where is your tattoo located? Upper left arm, left forearm, and the odd one on my right forearm.
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Professional. DIY is good for some things, but tattoos ain't one of 'em.
• How large was your tattoo? All but the upper left arm can be covered with my hand, though my newest one measures about 3" high by 5" wide.
• How painful was your tattoo experience? Using the scale where 1 is little more than annoying and 10 is the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, not any worse than a 2.
• How long was it painful after tattooing? Not at all; just a little annoying.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? Not any more than two weeks.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? Not so far.
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? I regretted one for a long time, until I added to it--and now I get several positive comments on it. Two will have to be covered up due to sun-fading. But other than that, it's been almost all positive.

[tessariot]

• Where is your tattoo located? right inner forearm
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) professional
• How large was your tattoo? about 2 inches by 1 inch
• How painful was your tattoo experience? it hard to say exactly, I was kind of caught in the middle, I kept thinking about asking to take a break but I wanted it over with. it's a different kind of pain than I've ever felt before, but it definitely tolerable and well worth it.
• How long was it painful after tattooing? not at all
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? it was healed in about 7 or 8 days but my skin around it was really dry for another 3 or 4 days after
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? nope
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? I get a lot of comments on it, unfortunately I go to school and I've worked with 2 people with the same tattoo, which makes me really anxious to add more to it.

[mouse666]

just got my first one to day it was on my side it hurt kind really bad

[oneofthesedays]

• Where is your tattoo located? I have quite a few, but i'm currently working on a 3/4 sleeve on my left arm
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Pro!!
• How large was your tattoo? From the top of arm to about 4-5 inches below my elbow
• How painful was your tattoo experience? Pretty painful on the inside of the elbow. The skin is really tender there!
• How long was it painful after tattooing? For about three or four days
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? Being a large tattoo area, getting it done in one sitting is impossible. I've been in for quite a few 3-5 hour sessions. I always plan out appointment exactly two weeks apart and it is always fully healed by that time.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? Nope. Antibacterial soap is a MUST! Also, H2Ocean is the best I've found for aftercare until healed... This way, it heals fast and keeps the cloths from rubbing!
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? Well, up till now, all my tatts have been mostly under clothing. Now that my newest project goes a good way down below the average short sleeve shirt, I do get a lot of comments. I really enjoy it. Isn't that what body modifications are all about? :cool:

[Fuzion]

• Where is your tattoo located? Right tricep
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) Professional at Dago's in Little York, Houston, Texas
• How large was your tattoo? From very top to very bottom around 2-3 inches.
• How painful was your tattoo experience? Not too bad they had The Fifth Element on t.v. so I mostly lost focus and relaxed.
• How long was it painful after tattooing? Didn't hurt afterwards unless I rubbed it against something.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)? I'd say about a week
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? Clothing rubbing was painful, the biggest problem was people forgetting I had a tattoo and punching me in the arm...
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? People do talk to me about it, and I feel like I'm in some special club now, haha! I don't regret it, the design itself has no real importance, but it symbolizes turning 18 and all the fun I had that night. Not too mention one of my brothers got a nautical star, and my mother got a crescent moon with a pair of vampire fangs on her shoulder blade, and a sun with a yin-yang in the middle on her nape. Bringing her total to six tattoos.

[jbRghost]

• Where is your tattoo located? The first one i got is on the inside of my forearm and wraps around to the outside(from right before my hand, to right before my elbow). second one is on the opposite side of my forearm. 3rd is on the side of my calf, 4th is on the back of my calf, and 5th is on my @$$
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY) all pro, except the side of my calf, and the one on my rear, those were done by an am
• How large was your tattoo?two forearm tats make a half sleeve the side of my calf is a little bigger than a softball and the one on the back of my calf is pretty big, the one on my @$$ is really small
• How painful was your tattoo experience? not bad, forearms and wrist dont hurt, @$$ didnt hurt, back of the calf wasnt bad, but for the first session on the side of my calf it took over 11.5 hours.... so it got to the point where every wipe hurt, its way too small and simple for it too take that long, he just went really slow and reworked every spot.... and he didn't end up learning anything, he doesnt work with us anymore...
• How long was it painful after tattooing? first one...uhh, it never bothered me, until the next day... it didnt hurt, but i was playing guitar and i got some ink on my guitar. leg tattoos are annoying if you use ointment that is greasy and wear jeans.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?couple weeks
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc? nah
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)? kinda, 3.5 years ago when i got it, nobody had seen it, now when i meet people i gues the picture is everywhere and all sorts of people have it now, but i guess thats what i get for getting a banksy piece. For the most part, they all have meaning or represent a time in my life. except the one on my @$$, that was dumb... but its funny.

[walterw_mod]

OK first I'll get your questions out of the way then tell you what happened.

• Where is your tattoo located?
It frames my navel.
• How were you inked? (professional or DIY)
Pro- done by Danielle at Artistic Skin Art in Midland Western Australia.
• How large was your tattoo?
About 3.5 inches in diameter.
• How painful was your tattoo experience?
Didn't feel the first half while the worst spot felt a bit like dragging a needle through the skin which I didn't find all that bothersome.
• How long was it painful after tattooing?
A small bit of the outlining was the only bit I noticed with no pain afterwards.
• How long did it take to heal fully (no more crusties, no pain, etc)?
There have been no bleeding, crusties or any other noticeable signs of skin damage.
• Did you have any problems, like ink allergy, clothing rubbing, etc?
Not a sign of anything other than pretty colours and it has been 10 days.
• Does your tattoo affect you differently than it did prior to getting it (get comments, do you regret it, etc)?
This first one has been fine with my wife seemingly loving it. She tells everyone about it and the feedback has all been glowing.

Now from start to finish here is what happened so far.

I have thought about getting one or more tattoos since 1972. That is when some surgeons made a dogs breakfast of my lower torso to hastily fix a ****up they'd made. I had another run in with these masters of the knife in 2000. End score, me nothing, them 26" of scarification. This is why I keep to piercings and now tattoos.

So I seriously wanted some feeling of control over my body and a sense that what I did made me more of a happy camper. I started with piercing, both nipples then four in each ear and finally a navel that failed.

At last I wanted to get those tattoos I dreamed of. I found a great way to stimulate ideas is looking up images with google. Don't use tattoo in your search, as it will more than likely limit your ideas.

So I found a great picture for my star sign and am really keen to have it. But my wife just doesn't like it and it is bigger and more complicated than something I would want as my first piece. Then I looked some more and came up with the truly terse version of my favourite quote "To thine own self be true". Of course I am talking about Popeye's "I YAM WHAT I YAM". I even found a drawing of Popeye in his WWII gear as a U.S. Navy sailor. This is the same uniform my father wore when I was born! Again a must have, but still too complicated/large.

Finally I started looking at all sorts of suns and moons in various stylised forms. Then I fell in love with a crescent moon made of ocean waves. This brings together my love of astronomy and the link between the moon and tides and my dad's time at sea. Even more it was shown as a frame around a navel. This finally pinned down where my first tat would go.

An aside here as to why I was so keen to mark my navel. When I went to get my navel pierced my piercer, Leesa, wasn't sure where my navel was, even though she does LOTS of navels. See my avatar!

The other tattoos I have planned are definitely going to happen but I still haven't chosen a home for them on my body. So I know what I want but not where.

As for this first tattoo - the artist, Danielle, was recommended to me by Leesa as they both work in the same shop. There are probably half a dozen tattooists working there.

There was a one week delay when I went in with a bad 'flu and she refused to do it until my immune system had time to recover saying that the tat wouldn't heal well otherwise. The next Friday I arrived promptly and she setup and got going. BTW I was warned by a couple of people not to have my first tat on my stomach, as it is a sensitive area. One good thing about the surgeries is that the left side of my stomach has a horizontal scar all the way around to near my backbone and most of the nerves are dead that side of my navel. :( So the first half of the job I didn't feel much.

The worse, which wasn't much, was doing the bits between my navel and the vertical scar where as I've said it felt a bit like someone dragging a needle through the skin. I assure you this is nothing compared to having a 14g needle through each nipple! Hell I've had a 2x4 stuck to my foot by a large nail and that only ****ed me off.

I loved this tat even before I had it done and it is just great. The only thing changed from the original artwork I'd found in google is that I changed the colour from a purpley one to turquoise.

The job took one hour from go to woe. She stuck a large piece of clear plastic cling wrap over it with a couple pieces of tape and said to take it off in an hour. I took two hours before I got it off and then used Bepanthen Antiseptic Cream by Bayer as I was told. Not a drop of blood, scab or irritation unless I accidentally dragged something across it. The only thing to show that something had happened, other than the colour, was two or three skin splinters where small slivers of skin must have been severed at the base and surrounded by ink so that they couldn't remain a part of me and got slowly extruded until they came away completely.

The only down side I can see so far to more tats is the price which was about $200 US ($250AUS). I am a retiree so money is rather tight so a thousand buck or more for something big will take time to save up.

All the best.