Is india ink the only ink you can use that wont cause infection?
Is there different needle sizes for different jobs?
What is the best way to clean one? And when should you attempt to do so?
DO different colors of ink bleed together when you try and do them one right after the other?

I lloked around, and did not see one on tattoos, but if there is, forgive me and shut down asap.

Thanks!

I think this is a first yona.


Sorry don't know the answers.

Thanks kismit! Well, mabye someone will know!

this might help w/the ink question: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1204.html

the needles are different sizes. the outline of the tattoo is usually darker. every single tattoo artist will tell you a different way to clean it and a different product to put on it. usually they say to wash it w/antibacterial soap and then apply some type of cream they suggest. like i said every artist will tell you something different. as far as the ink bleeding together, i have color tattoos and mine didn't bleed together at all even w/o black in between the colors.
hope this helps!

my boyfriend just got a tattoo 2 weeks ago, and he did mention that they used 2 sizes of needles... they also sold him stuff called "tattoo goo" (it sounds kinda gross, don't it?) which disinfects and keeps the tattoo from bleeding - or so it says on the little can of that stuff...


*wabbit wants a tattoo also*

I recommend getting one done professionally if you are considering one. I have seen many people who have tryed to give themselves one end up with bad infections or a stupid messed up mark on them from lack of drawing skills. The people at any tattoo shop can answer any questions you may have. As for things that are used to keep them clean, I used witch hazel and this ointment that band aid makes on mine. That seemed to work really well. Hope that helps. Blessings, Jo

Well, listen to Ajagsfairy. Getting inked by a professional is an absolute must. I see way too many poorly thought out, crudely drawn hunks of crap around. It's just shameful. As for cleaning, when I got mine the dude told me to keep it directly out of water, just pat it down with a moist rag and put lubriderm on it a few times every day.

Oh, and make sure that what you finally end up getting is something that really meants something to you and will mean something to you years from now.

I have two myself, I had them both done by a guy who owns a very clean shop.. Think and ask question's before you let someone ink you.. Snuffy's right home made tatoo..look really bad, You need to go let a pro do it.. and make sure he open's the needle in front of you and break's it when he's done.. If not he may be reusing needle and that can give you anything.... Also ask around..and find out who has the best shop in your area, I took a month and made sure i knew who was doing and got what i wanted where i wanted..Its hard to get rid of then after they are there.... Good luck..let us know what you get..

PS: Indain ink is really not that safe...

yona, from the sound of things you are making a homemade gun, i have 6 tattoos and the 2 that are homemade i wish were not there, go to a pro.

I don't have any tattoos, but I have to agree with the others - go to a pro! I've seen some 'home made' tattoos that weren't too pretty. Also make sure you really want a tattoo, because I seen a few that were removed and they ended up leaving an ugly scar.

Definately get one done by a pro for a couple of reasons. 1)cleanliness
2) they have the experience to do the job right the first time
3)if you jab the needle too deep the ink will get beneath the skin and into the fat layer. This will cause blurring and colours bleeding together. The difference between right depth and to deep can be as little as 1/100th of an inch. I doubt that any beginner can be that precise.

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All very good advice....I would like to add that AIDS isn't the only thing you can get from a dirty needle. Even a needle you have used ONLY on yourself can be horribly dirty with bacteria that can cause you big problems. A good tattoo shop will have new needles for each and every person who comes in the door.

Go to a pro. Go to several pros and try to talk to customers and see how they like the work that was done. A good tattooist will have photos of his/hers works so do not be offended if they ask to take a picture of yours.

Good advice.
It might cost several hundred for a tat but it can cost several thousand to have it removed.

Good luck on getting your tattoo!!! Did you design one yourself?...I'm still looking for tattoo artists myself.

I'd deffinitly go with a pro...Out of curiousity, anyone in your guys' area do scarification and/or branding?

Amen to that. I have seen some seriously regretable tattoos in my day. I know of more than one person that had a Michael Jackson tatoo, many many girls names that end up getting turned into ivy or leaves or some such thing to get covered up...all kinds of crazy stuff.

I have seen tattoos that are obviously going to be regretted; on the face, neck, forearms, knuckles...places that can't be covered up...in my opinion that is just a mistake. Right this moment you may think that having a naked vampiress standing there with an inverted cross dripping with blood on your forearm is a great idea until you get a few years down the road and find out that pretty much every person you meet gets the wrong idea about you because of a tattoo. ( you can gripe about how people shouldn't judge you on that; but bottom line is that they do)

I come from a different era where women didn't really get tattoos, and so when I look at young girls now getting them, I don't think it looks right; just my opinion. I don't think that they are a classy thing on a guy either, but for me, tattoos on women just seems like a mistake. All of these kids are going to have to grow up with moms that have more tattoos than dad just is a bit odd...that is just me.

I have also seen many tatoos that people do themselves, and no matter how good of an artist you may be on paper, inking yourself is not the same thing; they all end up looking like prison tatoos.

Years ago when I was in college I took a psychology course that centered around the changes that take place in kids through young adults in regards to a persons belief system. I don't recall the exact numbers, but a rule of thumb is that the average person is going to have a major change in their perception of the world and their opinion of the world they live in every 5 years on average. That caries on throughout the 40's.

Looking back on the 5 year change I can see where I really did have several major changes in politics, religion, culture...you name it.

Had I gotten a tattoo for things that I felt very strongly about years ago, odds are my opinion would have changed by now. Knowing as many people as I do that have tattoos, I know very few people that DO NOT regret getting a tattoo years after the fact.

Your skin stays with you for your life. Get an idea of what you would like and hang onto the idea for a while before you get it done. Leave the picture on the wall of your room and see if you like looking at it for a long time. Once you get one, it does not come off. I have seen what lasers do when they remove a tattoo; it just creates scar tissue and is just as unpleasant as what was there before.

I know one thing, don't let the tattoo get exposed to sun for awhile. It will fade alot faster if you do. I would know. I never listen to anyting anyone tells me, now after only 7 years of having mine I need it touched up.

I have 2 and both are in positions that can easily be covered(one on the upper bicep and one below beltline).Make sure you get them in areas that can be covered or you could be stuck working fast food.lol

As with everyone else GO TO A PRO!
Also consider a few other points.
Tattoos work can change with ageing, the cute butterfly you get at age twenty will most lightly look like a moth man accident at age forty. Bright colors fade with time and I recommend single needle work, it’s more expensive and takes longer to do but lasts your lifetime.
Never get anyone’s name tattooed on you unless it’s your children’s or parents, those relationships never change.
Draw your own on paper until you are happy with it, a good tattoo artist can duplicate it on skin. On one of my tattoos I have my own hand righting duplicated this way. And originality is key!
Avoid tattoos on hands or face as you do not know were life will take you as far as employment is concerned. Never limit were you are going to an expression in your youth.
Always remember your ideals and morals will probable change as you age. That sexy naked girl on your biceps may not be appreciated by your future wife. And the “I hate the fecking world” may not look quite so good if you end up a politician or a minister.
Never be in a hurry to do some thing that will be with you the rest of your life, Think about it for at least a year before going ahead with a tattoo.

Irish

Excellent advice from everyone but here is one that no one has mentioned. Many girls like to get a tattoo in the small of their back. A friend of mine in search and rescue is an anesthesiologist and he was saying that when girls come in with tats there and they are in labour or a lot of pain for other reasons, they cannot give an epidural because they are afraid of pushing a small plug of inked skin into the spinal column. The skin itself is generally no problem but they aren't sure about the ink

I have one tatoo, (seriously thinking about having one more donne) and i remember that the guy told me to simply use water with clear soap, no fragarances or anything like that, and put vaseline over it on a daily basis for 2 weeks.

ROFL...You crack me up Irish.. but you're so right. Speacilly with women...the cute litle Ivi fairy near your "plumber crack", will probably look lie a river map after one or 2 kids...

LMAO

Lol Naw man, never do my own work. But.... I just went and got my tatoo. I have though about this tatoo for a long time, as it has meant ver much to me scence i was a very small child. It hurts pretty bad, but not as bad as I would have thought. Snuffy, I am using your method of cleaning it, as the man who did it probably said this would be best. and, I may be a little pansy, but sometimes it just really really hurts lol.

Ya wuss...suck it up princess lol j/k
after all the advice I think you should post a pic of your tat

Oh PUHLEEZE!!!!! The is no such thing as a "plug of' skin getting through the bevel of a needle......your "friend" is pulling your leg!!! And epidurals are NOT given in the small of the back.

Perhaps he was but they use 14 guage needles here for epidurals and he seemed quite serious when he was telling me this. My second oldest had just gotten some work done on her back and this was what had spurred the conversation. She was showing us what she had gotten done(japanese characters down her spine) and John made the comment.

Can you tell us what you got and where?

When my spouse was younger he got drunk and let his friends tattoo back of his right shoulder and he so bad regrets it. It was homemade and looks crappy. But he's gonna get something to cover it up.

Like what? A flap of skin?

I got a Bear on my arm. Sorry no digital camera though.Its healing up nicely though.

This is my Tattoo. It's on my right shoulder blade, and was professionally done.



I'm in the process of designing a second tattoo. It'll require about three trips to get done. One for the black inking, the second for all the green that'd be involved, and the third for the rest of the colours.

This is Moe's family crest tat (the oriental side). Our other tat is of Abe Lincoln. But this is not in a family friendly place.

Awesome! did you have a family member do it?

hey yona, the pain could have been worse, after i got one on my chest (number 3), my friends would sneak up on my and punch me as hard as they could. i had to walk around with a butcher knife to keep them at bay.

now that i think back in it, i wish i would have stabbed a friend or to

lol, mabye wouldn't have worked.