My tattoo experience, hope it helps!! (Body Tattoos in general)

Member Name: leanne8686

Product:	Body Tattoos in general
Date:	19/08/08 (159 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: look great if done properly, individuality!

Disadvantages: permanent, so not good for indecisive ppl who will change their minds!!

I want this review to help people when they're deciding whether or not to have a tattoo and hopefully answer some of the questions they have which I know I had before my tattoos!


I have 3 tattoos, The first 2 being very small, the 3rd (which I got 4 weeks ago) being a bit bigger.

I'll describe my most recent tattoo experience as its freshest in my mind!


**Why I decided to get another tattoo?
I designed it myself (being a design graduate I thought I should try!) and so it just means more to me!
The design is of an abstract swirly butterfly, this means a lot to me and my family as my uncle used to love buddlia (butterfly plants) and after he died, my mum swears a buttefly followed her around everywhere she went!

I wouldn't get a meaningless one from the 'flash' books in tattoo studios as these aren't very personal and I feel a tattoo should be you expressing yourself not copying somebody elses idea!


**Where did I have the tattoo?
I decided to have this tattoo on the inside of my forearm near my elbow, this is a soft bit so I hoped it wouldn't hurt a lot as the ones on my back hurt most when they went over bone! Cringe I know!
I also like the idea of this part of my body as I wanted to be able to see it but cover it when I wanted/needed to and have found a lot of people are getting them on their wrists so that was a no go area for me! I want to be individual!!


**Where did I have the tattoo?
'Bleeding Arts' in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
This is a relatively new tattoo studio but I know a few people from work have been and really recommended it and in particular one of the tattoo artists 'Charlie'.
He is such a popular tattoo artist there is a 3 week wait for him at the minute!


**Who came with me?
My friend Lisa from work came with me, she was also having a tattoo so we decided we could be each others moral support! It worked as we were both glad afterwards that we'd been there together.


**So the tattoo experience!
Charlie was meticulous with his attention to cleaniness, even the spray bottle which had clean water in was in a plastic bag so he didn't touch the nozzle!
This reassured me straight away as obviously needles are being used and you want it as clean and safe as poss!

He got the new needles out of their sealed packaging and dispensed inks (pink, purple and black) into little pots so this was fresh too.

If you take your own design in with you most tattoo studios will happily scan it in and print it off as a transfer for your skin.
So Charlie puts the transfer on my arm asking exactly where I want it and checking three times! Its like a transfer tattoo you used to get in bubble gum, he wets the back and the design comes off onto your arm.

He then dipped his needle on the tattoo machine thing into the black ink and started on the outline.
God only knows how you could be a tattoo artist you need nerves of steel!


**The Pain!
Honest to God, it didn't hurt.
Charlie did tell me this was quite a good area of my body to have it done as it wasn't boney.

I'll try my best to describe how it felt as when I asked people before I had my first everyone would just say 'I can't explain it' which does not help!lol

So here goes... It felt like a burn, but not a bad burn (no eye watering, I even wore waterproof mascara incase!) After 2 minutes your body kinda numbs the pain anyway as your endorphins kick in. But even before these 2 minutes it wasn't unbearable.

So in a few words: a scratchy, hot sensation!

The outline tool hurts the most as the needles are sharper I think but the shading tool isn't bad at all! Unluckily, most of my tattoo is lines with hardly any shading lol.

It did feel like pins and needles, a bit like vibrating when it went nearer my bone which was strange but nice lol (the tattoo artist called me kinky for liking pins and needles!)

It also doesn't bleed a lot, the shading bleeds more than the outlining though so myine hardly bled at all just like a couple of spots.

The tattooist then covered my arm with a breathable plastic wrap and told me to leave it on for an hour and a hlaf just so no germs got into my arm.


**Healing:
DON'T buy the tattoo cream they offer (though i must say Charlie didn't offer the one they sold)
DO buy BEPANTHEN nappy cream, which is what Charlie recommended.
Its great stuff, I have another review on here, I think its one of ym first reviews which outlines how to use Bepanthen on tattoos so please read that too!



MY TATTOO TIPS:
1. Go to a reputable tattoo studio, one you know someone has been to and been pleased with the results!

2. Be sure you want this tattoo, it is PERMANENT! I think its better if your design emans something to you then you are less likely to go off it.

3. Think long and hard about where you want it!
Depending on the job you have/want you may not want it to be on show, for examplem school teachers aren't allowed tattoos on show!

4. Take somebody with you.
Make sure this person knows you well and then you'll feel more comfortable and hopefully not as nervous!

5. Make sure the studio and tattooist are clean and he/she uses new needles etc and opens them in front of you.

6. If you are crap with pain, get it somehwhere soft and fleshy away from bones!

7. Buy BEPANTHEN for healing your tattoo.

8. Don't pick it if it scabs though mine didn't at all when using Bepanthen, just a bt of skin peeled off like a scratch would!



So if you're sure you want one, you have your design picked and the place on your body perfected..... Go decorate yourself!!

Summary: I love mine and do not regret it at all, but its a personal choice!