Category Archives: My First Tattoo

How Can I Convince My Parents To Get a Tattoo?

April 11, 2012   Admin   No comments
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This is a question that has been asked a lot lately because tattoos has been a huge trend lately. It’s getting so popular that everyone wants one! That means even kids under 18 years old wants part of this trend. Unfortunately, the law says you can’t get a tattoo under 18 without your parents permission. We wrote a blog post called “Can I Get a Tattoo If I’m Under 18 Years Old?” you can click here to read it. So now you understand that you need your parents permission to get a tattoo if your under 18, but how do you convince them? Because let’s face it, most parents are opposed to the idea of their kid getting a tattoo at such a young age. Most parents will argue that their kids are too young to make a decision like that for themselves. They feel like you will regret it later down in your life.

It’s tough being a kid when some trends are really popular are you aren’t allowed to participate in it because of your parents and laws. It’s also tough when some of your friends parents are allowing them to get tattoos and you are feeling left out. Hopefully this post helps you out with trying to convince your parents to get a tattoo. But first understand that your parents do know better sometimes as much as you don’t want to think so. They are older and maybe wiser. They don’t want you to make a mistake that you might regret later in life.

Star Face Tattoo Girl

You don't want to look like this now, do you?

Help your parents understand the new age of tattoos! Your parents might still think getting a tattoo is a negative thing, but its much more of a positive thing these days. Everyone is getting a tattoo and it’s not because of gangs or crimes. It’s the way to express yourself and show what kind of person you are. People that get tattoos are no longer bad types of people and they are actually the smartest and hardest workers out there. Just because they look different doesn’t mean they are a bad person. Try explaining to your parents that getting a tattoo is not a bad thing anymore.

Start off with a small tattoo that isn’t noticeable. Try convincing your parents to get a small tattoo first to start off. Try to make them feel more comfortable with getting your first tattoo and they will become more at ease with more tattoos you get in the future. Also, try getting a tattoo that is not going to be noticeable on your body. For example, get a tattoo that is on your shoulder and it is covered up by your shirt and the only way someone can see it is if you lift your shirt or move it to show someone. Hopefully by now they won’t mind the tattoo and you can get more and more.

Convince them it’s not just something you want to get because it’s cool or a new trend. You don’t want to start off the conversation with your parents with, “But mom, everyone is doing it!”. That is almost a guarantee for an automatic no.  For your first tattoo, get something that’s meaningful. We wrote a blog post called “What Should My First Tattoo Be?” you can click here to read it. It gives you ideas about some useful tattoos you can get and also links to another post we made that are the top 10 most popular tattoos. Maybe you have someone in your family that passed away, tell your parents you want to get a RIP tattoo of that loved one. It only sets up in the long run to get more tattoos approved by your parents. They will see the RIP tattoo and say, “Hey, that’s actually not that bad!”. Now they will be more open minded to you getting a tattoo!

Be patient with your parents. Your parents do know better then you because you are such a young person and don’t know the risks you might be making for your future. It could effect you getting a job later down the road. Try to help your parents understand and they might be open minded. If you do sneak off and get a tattoo by a freelance artist, make sure you have it in a place that is hidden. Or just wait until your 18 when you can get your tattoo on your own time! Hopefully this post helps you out, leave your comments below!

 

 

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How Much Do Tattoos Cost?

April 09, 2012   Admin   No comments
how-much-does-tattoo-removal-cost

This question is probably asked the most often when someone wants to get their first tattoo. You don’t know if its going to cost less then $100 or a few hundred dollars. Obviously the higher the price, the higher the quality you will get. After you get your first tattoo, you will get a better idea of how much a tattoo cost. Unfortunately there is no set price for getting a tattoo, there is a few factors to count in when deciding the price of a tattoo. Most tattoos do depend on the size and coloring. Generally, most tattoo artist charge But lets get into all the details of each factor on the price of the tattoo.

For one, it really depends on what the tattoo artist is going to charge. The tattoo could over charge if he wanted to or he can be a stand up guy and charge a fair price. It also depends on the time of year when you get a tattoo. It will be a lot cheaper depending on the year. We wrote a post called “What Time of The Year Is The Best To Get a Tattoo?” if you want to get a better idea, click here to read it. If you know a friend that knows the tattoo artist, then he might give you a discount and it could be cheaper. It’s also a positive to know the tattoo artist, they will most certainly give you a discount.

The cost of a tattoo also depends on the size of the tattoo. The bigger the tattoo, the higher it will cost. The smaller the tattoo, obviously the lower the cost. A typical small flower tattoo will generally cost around $50. But if you want to get a bigger tattoo with a bunch of detail then it might cost between $200-$500, for an example a nice size angel with details on your shoulder. Something really big on your back, that covers the whole thing might cost between $500-$1000.

Some tattoo artist charge by the hour, some charge a upfront fee. Some tattoo artist will charge $50-$100 an hour for a typical tattoo. But if you want a very custom tattoo that takes a lot longer then they might charge $50-$300. While some tattoo artist charge by the hour, some will charge an upfront fee. Most of the time if they charge an upfront fee, it’s usually for a smaller type of tattoo that will take less then an hour. Usually the upfront fees are generally low and won’t go more then around $50.

tattoo price

Few factors to think about when trying to price your tattoo. The more color you get the more the tattoo artist will charge. We already talked about the size of the tattoo, obviously the bigger the more expensive and the smaller the less expensive. The placement of the tattoo will affect the pricing too. Some areas of the body are harder to tattoo then others. Also, if its a more complicated design then the tattoo artist has to take more time with the details which cost more money.

The after care tattoo cost. Few things to remember when getting a tattoo,  it also cost money to take care of it after you get it done. Later down the road your tattoo will fade away and you will want to get it touched up. Depending on the tattoo artist, touch ups can cost anywhere between $25-$50. You also need to take care of your tattoo with ointments. Ointments can cost anywhere between $5-$50.

If you want a straight up price range, then this is it here. Small tattoos can cost between $50-$100. Medium tattoos can cost between $100 – $300. Large tattoos can cost between $300-$1000. Again, it all depends on the tattoo artist. It’s recommended to give your local tattoo artist a call or even go into the shop and ask them how much they would charge. Hopefully this helps everyone out!

How much were your tattoos? Leave a comment below!

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Can I Get a Tattoo If I’m Under 18 Years Old?

April 05, 2012   Admin   1 Comment
angeltattoo

Another question that is asked quite a lot. Tattoos are getting extremely popular, so everyone wants to get one. The cool thing about tattoos becoming really popular is it isn’t just one type of demographic getting inked up. Old people, young people, females, males, all age groups and ethnicity’s are getting tattoos! It’s a great feeling to be part of getting a tattoo because mostly all tattoos are unique! When things get popular, kids also want to get in on the trend. So most kids under 18 years old always ask the question, “Can I get a tattoo if I’m under 18?”. This is a yes and no answer because there is a few loopholes.

Let’s get down to it, can I get a tattoo by myself if I’m under 18 years old?  Unfortunately, getting a tattoo by yourself is illegal. No tattoo shop will allow you to get ink in their shop if you are under the age of 18 years old. People always say their friends got a tattoo or know people under 18 that got a tattoo, how is that possible? Well, no one’s stopping you from getting a tattoo from a person you know that tattoos on the side. We don’t recommend this because they could be a bad tattoo artist and your tattoo might not look good. They could also not be using the proper and safety equipment that is required. You don’t want to get any diseases. But if you really don’t care, technically you could get a tattoo from a freelance artist that does has his own shop in his house.

Can I get a tattoo if my parent signs off on it and I’m under 18 years old? This is another loophole that you can get a tattoo if you are under 18 years old. IF your parents allow you to get a tattoo, then you could ask your mom or dad to sign a paper that gives the tattoo artist permission to tattoo you. BUT, not all states allow this. You must ask the tattoo shop you are going to go to and ask them if you can get your parents to sign a paper that allows them to ink you. It must be a legal guardian. If you have a member of your family that isn’t your legal guardian, you can’t use them. Again, not all states allow this.

Some people may not like this, but unfortunately the law is different between each state. People don’t understand why it matters if your under 18 or not. Technically getting a tattoo is a medical level procedure. You can’t get a medical procedure at a hospital without your parents permission if you are under 18. It’s not as serious as that, but it’s still considered a medical procedure because the tattoo artist is using needles and what not. Hopefully this answers a lot of people’s questions. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below!

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How Long To Wait After Getting a Tattoo To Go Swimming?

April 04, 2012   Admin   No comments
bruckner back tattoo

We pretty much went over this in other posts but we never really went into details why and how long. If you want to read the healing process of a tattoo and what to do to take care of your tattoo, click here to read. If you just got a tattoo, you might want to read that article. It gives you everything to know about how to heal your tattoo properly and the right way to take care of your tattoo. That post we wrote also gives you opinions on what you can do and what you can’t do, it’s highly recommended you read that.

Anyway, most people that get a tattoo always wonder when they can go swimming or go into the hot tub. Most people get a tattoo in the spring or summer time so they most definitely want to go swimming because it’s so hot out. Unfortunately, you don’t want to go swimming when you first got your tattoo. It is highly recommended to avoid going swimming or going into hot tubs for at least 2 weeks (14 days) since you got your newly acquired tattoo. The warm water will ruin or fade your tattoo and you don’t want that. It’s even recommended to go as far as 3 weeks to wait just to be safe. You did just spend all the time and money on your new tattoo, you don’t want to ruin it now do you?

You might be asking, well what if I want to take a shower? That’s completely fine, but its recommended not to clean yourself by taking a bath. Taking a bath will soak your tattoo and having too much water soaked on your tattoo can cause serious damage. If you take a shower it’s not going to be submerged in water like a bath. If you dog get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, try to rinse it off with water right away and everything should be fine. Also, when drying off don’t rub your towel against your tattoo. All you have to do is pat the tattoo area to dry it off, that simple!

Some people do wrap up their tattoo when going swimming but water is still going to find its way to get to that tattoo. Don’t take the chance and wrap it up and go swimming. Take the smart choice and just wait it out for 2-3 weeks. Trust me, you will thank yourself later when your tattoo is looking better then ever and you want to flaunt it everywhere!

P.S. Going to the shore is not recommended either, too much water and sun that will ruin the tattoo!

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What Time of The Year Is The Best To Get a Tattoo?

March 27, 2012   Admin   No comments
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A lot of people that are new and aren’t new don’t even consider the time of year to get a tattoo. Most people just get a tattoo just when they feel like it. They get a tattoo when they saved enough money or the time is right for them and they know exactly what they want. Sometimes you may want to think about the time of year you want to get your tattoo, to save you time and possibly money! Also, it may help you when it comes to healing your tattoo properly!

The most popular time of the year to get a tattoo is probably the spring and summer. People want to share and show off their new tattoo, so why not get a new one during the summer. The warm weather feels nice and you want to be outdoors more. Then your mind starts thinking, why not get another tattoo and its the perfect time of year! Well the spring and summer might actually be the worst time of year to get your tattoo done. Few reasons behind it.

One of the reasons is it could be extremely crowded or you might not be able to get an appointment for weeks because the tattoo shop is so backed up! Another reason is it could be pricey. Tattoo artists know that this time of year is one of the most busy times and they know its one of the most demanding times. Because people are in demand for tattoos and its popular during this time, they can charge a little bit more then they usually do. They could charge an extra few hundred dollars if they wanted too. Another reason to maybe wait is because of the sun. You don’t want to get sunburned on your tattoo or it could ruin it and make it fade. If you do get a tattoo during this time then we recommend using a lot of sun tan lotion.

winter summer tattoo

The cold months are the best time to get a tattoo! During the winter, people don’t think of getting a tattoo because they are covered up in clothes and it doesn’t spark the mind. Because of the cold weather, the idea of getting a tattoo just goes away and doesn’t even pop up into someones mind. One of the positives in getting a tattoo during the fall or winter is you and the tattoo artist might be a lot more comfortable. If you get a tattoo during a hot time of the year, the tattoo artist might feel uncomfortable and not do his best job. Yeah the shops might have air conditioning but it’s not always the best situation to tattoo in.

Also, the less sun that hits your new tattoo the better for healing. You also get scabbing and peeling when getting a tattoo so you won’t be showing your tattoo off too much in the cold months and you can skip that process of showing people your scabs and peeling. So when the spring and summer time come, the tattoo will be good as new and no scabs or nothing! You could also pay less for a tattoo because artists are desperately looking for clients because during these cold months the tattoo business is not busy at all. So they want people to get tattoos so they are willing to lower their prices!

When do you usually get your tattoos? Leave your comments below!

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Should I Tip My Tattoo Artist? Do They Expect a Tip?

March 26, 2012   Admin   2 Comments
TipJar

Another common question that is asked for someone that is new to getting tattoos. It’s a good one too but there is no yes or no answer. Most people tip a waiter for the service they provided, isn’t that the same as a tattoo artist? They are providing a service. But if you live in a state where the gas station worker fills your gas for you, do you tip them because they are providing a small service. The most common answer is no, they don’t usually tip the gas station worker because it’s a few seconds out of their time. I guess people tip waiters because they put in more effort to provide a service with a couple hours of work for you. Isn’t that what tattoo artists do, provide a couple hours of service for you?

Why should I tip my tattoo artist? You don’t need to at all, you are already paying the tattoo artist/shop hundreds of dollars to get a tattoo done! Tattoo artists also don’t expect a tip so if you don’t tip them don’t worry, they won’t get mad at you. But there is also a plus side to tipping your tattoo artist, only if he did a good job obviously.

tattoo artist

What are the benefits of tipping my tattoo artist? For the future, they will recognize you and try and get you in before the other clients he just met. So instead of waiting for 30 mins to an hour, you could get in right away! He will also help get a clear image of the exact tattoo you want and take his time because he knows your a good tipper. Because you tipped so good last time, he might give you a deal on your next tattoo because there is no set price on tattoos, they make up their own price.

What should I tip the tattoo artist? You don’t need to tip the tattoo artist, but it’s nice to give them something to let them know how much you appreciate it. Even if it’s a small $5 -$25 tip, any tattoo artist will appreciate it. Tattoo artists know you are already spending hundreds of dollars on a tattoo, so the normal 10-20% tip isn’t necessary and they understand that. You can base your tip off how good the artist was, how patient he was tattooing you, how nice he was, good communication, and how you liked the result. If you plan on getting a lot of tattoos, tipping your tattoo artist $50-$100 is not a bad idea. You could get a good deal on your next tattoo in the future!

Do Tattoo Artist Expect a Tip? Tattoo artists don’t expect a tip, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t love one. Obviously you’re already paying a huge amount of money for a tattoo so they are making a lot of money already, right? Well if they work for a tattoo shop then they only get a percentage of the tattoo cost and the rest goes to the shop. Another good tip instead of money is a very nice comment about your tattoo like, “This tattoo is great, it’s simply awesome!”. That will make the tattoo artist happy and just as good as a money tip. Another tip they might like instead of money is if you refer friends or family members to that specific tattoo artist so he gets more clients.

Again, you don’t need to tip your tattoo artist, but it’s nice and it has its benefits. Do you tip your tattoo artist? If so how much do you usually tip? Do you think you should tip your tattoo artist? Leave your comments below!

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What Should My First Tattoo Be?

March 24, 2012   Admin   No comments
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A lot of people ask this question if they are new to tattoos. There is so many people out there that want to get a tattoo but just don’t know what to get. They don’t want to get anything stupid or something they will regret later in life. Let me tell you this, it gets easier when you get your first tattoo. The second, third, fourth, and so on will be easy decisions on what type of tattoo you want. By the time your on your third or fourth tattoo you will know exactly what you want next and getting the ink on your body will be no hesitation!

There is also a bunch of questions that ask where should I get my first tattoo? Will it hurt? What if I don’t like it? We wrote an article on where tattoos hurt the most and where we suggest you get one tatted, you can click here to read the article. Your first tattoo will hurt, you don’t know what it feels like to get a tattoo. But after the first couple tattoos it won’t feel as painful because you already know what the pain feels like. If you don’t like your tattoo, unfortunately it will either be permanent or you will have to go through a process in order to get it removed. There are a number of ways to get rid of tattoos, we wrote a bunch of articles on each type of removal process that you can read here.

First tattoo

We suggest whatever tattoo you get, make sure its personal and small. What if you don’t like your tattoo? You have to stick with it for almost ever unless you get it removed, which also takes time to get rid of. Get something like an RIP tattoo of someone that was special to you that can remind you every day of how awesome that person was. If not an RIP tattoo, get something small that is noticeable but not something extreme and loud so people won’t make fun of you about it if its a dumb tattoo that was an accident. Getting small tattoos are always a good idea because if you don’t like it, its easier to remove and you it’s not too noticeable. If you don’t know what tattoo you should get then look at a blog post we wrote about the 10 most popular types of tattoos. Maybe you should just get a tattoo that’s popular in the tattoo industry.

A lot of people also wonder where to get the tattoo. Because it’s your first tattoo we suggest getting in a spot that doesn’t hurt the most. Make sure you get it on a spot on the skin that isn’t as sensitive and soft. Some recommended spots are the shoulder, back, and certain parts of the arms and legs.

 

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Do Tattoos Hurt and How Will It Feel? Women Feel Less Pain Then Men?

March 22, 2012   Admin   No comments
tattoo-pain-scale-chart

If you’re thinking about getting your first tattoo ever, you’re probably thinking if it hurts or not. Bottom line, yes it does hurt. But there is a lot of factors that come into play depending on how much pain is involved. If you asked your friends or people with tattoos how much it hurts, they will probably tell you it doesn’t hurt much at all. Few reasons might be because it’s been so long since they got a tattoo, they got a tattoo in a spot where it doesn’t hurt that much, or they get so many tattoos so often they don’t even feel the pain anymore. Same with tattoo artists, they are tattooing others so much they forget what getting a tattoo feels like anymore.

The pain will vary by person and how much each person can tolerate it. Also depends on what type of equipment the tattoo artists uses. If they use equipment with fewer needles, then obviously you will feel less pain. Tattoos in areas with softer skin will have more pain then others. Tattoo artists and surveys will show that women tolerate the pain more then men for some reason.

how will a tattoo feel?

If you have a fear of needles, then maybe tattoos aren’t the best choice for you. The tattoo artist can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to get your tattoo done depending how big. Having a fear of blood is also not a good idea to get a tattoo since there will be blood shown quite a bit.

Where is the best place to get a tattoo? The best spot is probably a place on your body that has the most strength and structure. Bony spots on your body is a good spot to start. Your back, shoulder, and legs are all good spots to feel less pain. The softer the spot on your body, the more pain you will feel. Obviously spots like your stomach, inner thighs, inner arms, and hip areas are going to cause more pain because it’s very soft.

If this is your first time getting a tattoo, we suggest getting a tattoo that is some what small and in a spot that doesn’t hurt as much as any other spots. It will still hurt, but if you get a tattoo in a spot that might hurt less it will help for the future when you get more tattoos. Now that you already got a tattoo and felt the pain, now you can move on to other spots of your body because you can tolerate it now. If you want a better understanding of what spots hurt less, look at the picture below to get a better idea! Click on the image to look at it larger.

tattoo pain chart

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Where Should I Put My Tattoo?

March 17, 2012   Admin   No comments
steveoswholebacktattoo

When first getting a tattoo, there is a lot of debate on where you should get the ink placed on your body. Usually your first tattoo you want it to be special so you don’t want to mess this up! You can get your tattoo anywhere you want, but remember this is going to be some what permanent so choose the place on your body carefully.

You might ask why does it matter where I get the tattoo placed on my body? If you get a tattoo in certain parts of the body it might ruin the tattoo in the long run a few years down the road or it might take longer like 10+ years. It really all depends on where you get it placed on your body and if you take care of it properly. Here is an infograph on a few suggestions on where you should get your tattoo placed on your body. We thought this might be helpful on choosing where you will place your next, or first, tattoo on your body.

tattoo placementAs you can see from the picture above, it gives you four choices of where you might not want to place your tattoo.

The first one is your shoulder. If you live in a place where its hot almost all year long, plan on using suntan lotion to prevent the tattoo from fading. Or if you go to the shore a lot, make sure you place a lot of sunblock on your tattoo. This isn’t a bad place to put your tattoo but make sure you are prepared to take care of it at all times. The shoulder is a highly popular spot for ink. It’s a great choice to pick because the shoulder is a strong part of the body and the tattoo won’t fade as easily.

The next spot on your body shows the lower back hip. Not just this spot, but other similar spots that are “squishy” and tends to move a lot easier on your body isn’t a recommended area to get ink. The only reason is because your body isn’t the strongest there and has no solid bone so the tattoo can fade and start to lose its shape and color. Another spot not recommended is the stomach because weight can go up and down like crazy and that’s where it will show the most.

The next spot shows above the butt at the waist behind your back. The infograph about shows it’s not recommended because its not popular anymore. I disagree, this is a extremely popular spot for girls to get a tattoo. It’s not a bad choice for a tattoo like the example in the picture.

The next section is the feet. Because you use your feet every single day, the tattoo might wear and tear on you and lose its color, shape, and fade away. Again, use a lot of suntan lotion if you do get a tattoo on your feet if you live in hot areas and wear sandals a lot.

This was only a few sections of the body we talked about. In the next blog post we will cover all parts of the body. To be honest though, any spot is fine as long as your willing to take care of the tattoo. What do you think about the infograph? Is it dead wrong about the placements? Where do you have your tattoos at? Leave your comments below!

 

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New To Tattoos? Tattoo 101 Facts!

February 22, 2012   Admin   No comments
a96773_a489_tongue-tattoo

So you are either curious about tattoos or maybe getting your first tattoo? Before you get your tattoos, do some research. Luckily for you we did it for you. Obviously do more research, but this will help familiar yourself with tattoos.

 

Note: This will be an ongoing post and will be edited when more and more information comes in.

 

1. Tattoos do hurt. Unless you get a sleeve, prepare to feel some kind of pain. Or if you get a temporary tattoo (like a Henna tattoo or getting airbrushed.) then it won’t hurt.

2. Tattoo’s are somewhat permanent. So think hard about it before getting one done. Think about the future and if it will affect getting a job in the future or your current job. Almost a 5th of people in the USA regret getting one done.

3. If you do get one removed it can be a painful process. We wrote an article about removing tattoos here. (How To: Remove Tattoos. We All Made Mistakes)

4. Tattoos are awesome! You can express yourself through art and lets be honest, they look pretty cool. That’s why we got them, right?

5. A survey taken in 2006 has shown that around 36 % of Americans have at least 1 tattoo from the ages 16 to 25.

6. Same survey showed that about 40 % also have 1 tattoo between 26 and 40 years old!

7. Make sure you research the tattoo shop you are getting your ink done at. Its best if you know someone that has a tattoo and ask them where they got theirs done at. You don’t want to get a tat done somewhere random.

8. Tattoos take 1-3 weeks to heal but it really depends on the person and where the tattoo is placed. Certain parts of the body may take longer to heal. Some people might be quicker to heal and other might take longer. Don’t pick your scabs or it will take so much longer.

9. You will get scabs. Don’t pick them, they will fall off on their own.

10. After getting a tattoo done, ask the artist what you should do to make sure it doesn’t get infected.

11. There are four basic steps to getting a tattoo done. Outlining/tracing the design. Shading the design. Coloring the design. Then cleaning/bandaging the tattoo.

12. Tattoos are expensive so be prepared to throw some money at it. Don’t be cheap either. If you pay cheap, you will get cheap work done.

 

More information will be added over time. If you have any questions, leave your comments below and we will answer them and add more facts.

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