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stgulikShowed my 14 year-old daughter this page of Harry Potter-themed tattoos. Now she wants one.
This is the one she liked best - at least, she liked the sentiment, if not the sheer acreage the girl in the picture devoted to it.
"It's too big," she said. "I might want to get a job some day."
"It's along her side," I countered, playing devil's advocate for some unknown reason. "What job would you take where a side tattoo would be a problem?"
"Stripper," she answered promptly. I walked right into that one.
Luckily there's that "not until you're a legal adult" rule. We made that rule years ago regarding tattoos, piercings, marriage and the military, and it has saved us many an argument. I have no doubt she'll get one someday, but I hope she chooses a more timeless piece of work than this.
This is the one she liked best - at least, she liked the sentiment, if not the sheer acreage the girl in the picture devoted to it.
"It's too big," she said. "I might want to get a job some day."
"It's along her side," I countered, playing devil's advocate for some unknown reason. "What job would you take where a side tattoo would be a problem?"
"Stripper," she answered promptly. I walked right into that one.
Luckily there's that "not until you're a legal adult" rule. We made that rule years ago regarding tattoos, piercings, marriage and the military, and it has saved us many an argument. I have no doubt she'll get one someday, but I hope she chooses a more timeless piece of work than this.
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Date: 2011-09-30 04:44 am (UTC)That is quite a large tattoo, having never gotten one, I could only imagine how long that would take to complete. And the larger the tattoo, the higher the risk of the tattooist screwing it up somehow.
Perhaps you should have her browse through this website before she makes her decision... Although some my not be safe for er eyes, depending on how strict you are with what she sees. No nudity, just crude drawings. http://ugliesttattoos.failblog.org/
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Date: 2011-09-30 04:34 pm (UTC)It's just blackwork and lettering, so it probably only took about an hour.
And the larger the tattoo, the higher the risk of the tattooist screwing it up somehow.
Something like that is usually done via a template and not freehand, so the risk of the tattoo artist screwing up is minimized. And when it entails a fair acreage of flesh, it's usually done in more than one sitting, to lessen the risk of "post op" infection.
Everyone should wait until their 30th birthday to get a tattoo, like I did... ;-)
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:37 pm (UTC)Even the tiny tattoo of four handwritten letters I have on the back of my neck wasn't done freehand. He used some kind of transfer film to copy it onto my skin and then drew over it with the tattoo pen. Same with the constellation tattoo on my lower belly, which is really nothing more than a simple connect-the-dots.
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:11 am (UTC)And then if she wants it removed, remind her how painful laser tattoo removal is as well.
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Date: 2011-09-30 12:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 04:49 pm (UTC)I've had a tatto for 28 years. Yes, there's some fading, but modern dyes fade less than the old dyes. Also if the tattoo is done on a part of the body that isn't constantly exposed to the sun, fading is minimal.
My tattoo is on my upper arm, so it's only gotten exposed to the sun during the summer when I went sleeveless, the rest of the time it's been covered by even short sleeves.
When I first got the tattoo I was warned by those who either had tattoos of long standing, or those who knew people who had tattoos for a long time, that the red coloring would fade fast. But apparantly the dye formulation had recently been changed just before I got my tattoo, because 28 years later the red is still a strong, deep red with minimal fading. The most fading has been with the yellow, but it's still obviously yellow, just not as bright as when it was new.
Basically most of the colors are still strong, but what IS different is that the image isn't as "crisp" as when it was new...it sort of looks like something that was printed on an inkjet printer and then spritzed with water so that the edges bled a little.
And maybe it's my DNA, but my 58 y.o. upper arm is still smooth and firm!
hepatitis and other diseases can be transmitted through needles unless the tattoo artist has been very diligent to keep it sanitary.
Most legitimate parlors autoclave their equipment. Even back in 1983 they were doing this, plus used new needles for each customer (I watched as the tattoo artist broke the needles out of a sealed package)...but I made sure I went to a parlor that had been around a long time and had an excellent reputation.
And then if she wants it removed, remind her how painful laser tattoo removal is as well.
Which is why *I* say no one should get a tattoo before the age of 30! LOL
And under no circumstance have someone's name tattooed on your body! And choose a location like I did that you can hide under clothing so that you can still work at a bank or investment firm or lawyer's office! :-)
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:04 pm (UTC)Getting waxed a few times was the end of the "pain for beauty" pursuit for me.
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 12:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 09:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 12:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 04:53 pm (UTC)What DID bother me, to the point that after 20 minutes I started getting nauseous, was the combination of the annoying high whine of the needles (since I was getting it on my upper arm, the device was right next to my ear) coupled with the smell of the inks. Plus even though the shop was air-conditioned it was very hot and humid outside, and maybe the a/c wasn't working as well as it should because it felt somewhat humid inside the shop even though the inside temp was comfortable.
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Date: 2011-09-30 11:16 am (UTC)Also, as others have pointed out, eventually the skin will sag, and the tattoo will just look sad.
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:02 pm (UTC)Which is why I stated above, people should wait until they are at least 30 y.o. before contemplating getting a tattoo, and never, EVER have someone's name put on! :-P
If I can't settle on a hair color indefinitely, or a lipstick shade, why would I commit to something as permanent as a tattoo?
Which is why I thought long and hard about it before taking the plunge. I bought tattoo mags for months, looking at the different types of work and designs, educating myself on the pros and cons.
When I finally went to the tattoo shop I spent a VERY long time inspecting all of the designs they had available before choosing one I knew I could live with for a lifetime.
Okay, I know someone's going to ask, so what I got was a rose with a lightening bolt thru it, surrounded by a crescent moon and stars. My birthsign is Cancer -- Moonchild -- and my birth flower is Rose, so that's why I went with the design. It's about 2.5-3 inches long, approx. 2 inches wide.
Other than the "fuzziness" that the outline's developed that I described above, the colors are still dark and vibrant, and I've never regretted getting it. :-)
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:07 pm (UTC)There has been a lot of good advice on this thread that I will be sharing with my kid.
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Date: 2011-09-30 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-30 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-03 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-03 06:21 pm (UTC)