Considering tattoos, advice?

[ScrewIt]

I'm seriously considering a Tattoo this summer, probably on my upper arm or upper arm to shoulder to upper chest.

A friend of mine has a few. He mentioned some things about having an open wound once the tatoo is finished and it has to be wrapped for about a month in order to heal...which means a stinky arm. so he said the best time to get one is in the winter..is all this true?

Plus I have some zits on my upper arm...so I dont know if it will interfere with the tatooing process??

Aside from tribal, what are some popular designs?

Any other advice is greatly appreicated.

 

[oakraiderz2]

Its not really an open wound, nor do you need to have it covered for a month. It only needs to be covered between 2 and 10 hours. You have to make sure to clean it and put lotion on and you'll be cool. Fvck popular tattoos, get something you want, like and wont regret when you're 45.

 

[PeterNorthisawesome]

Once you get a tat it`s pretty expensive and tiresome to get it off, so make sure u get something cool and stay in shape... it`s really discusting seeing old guys with shiveled up tats. I would recommend tribal shapes and design from Haka, Celtic and Japan. Make sure u dont get names of chicks...embarrasing if she leaves u. Also make sure ur job/employer is ok with it.

 

[Sir Juanalot]

Tattoo advice.

Find design you want.

Wait 6 months.

If you still want that design after 6 months, get it done.

 

[blackbelt2k]

dude, get any kind of tattoo you want. Guys will hate, chicks will outline it with their fingers. Tribal, chinese, a damn happy face, anything that says something about you that you want to be said

 

[blackbelt2k]

so your telling him to over analyze a tattoo? You should definitely put thought into it, so you don't have to get it removed later, but don't put too much thought, or else you'll just convince yourself out of getting one

 

[PeterNorthisawesome]

Agreed. Anyone with a tribal, barbed wire, or Chinese/Japanese symbols just screams "cookie-cutter douchebag" to me.

Personally, I got some Sistine Chapel renditions lined up along with a few quotes in Latin, and maybe a few references to acting/piano.

:crackup: Thanks ignorant douche, if u meet my yakuza friend he`ll def gut u. I think religious tats blow... so boring and every Christian seems to have one.

 

[Deep Dish]

He mentioned some things about having an open wound once the tatoo is finished and it has to be wrapped for about a month in order to heal...which means a stinky arm. so he said the best time to get one is in the winter..is all this true?

Not quite. The general guideline is to keep it wrapped overnight with a paper towel and that is the full extent of the wrapping (any longer is counterproductive--your skin needs to "breathe"). However, for the first few days you coat the tattoo with special ointment mostly to keep it moisturized and that is sticky. On the third day or so you will notice the tattoo scab up and start flaking off, during which you may or may not also feel an incredible urge to scratch, but whatever you do don't scratch it or peel it off—peeling off the flaking skin will RUIN the tattoo (by unsettling the ink). You will also feel very sore for a few days, depending of course on the tattoo you get.

It takes about a week to initially heal, to seem to heal, but it takes about two months to actually heal, during which time you shouldn't swim in pools or rivers, or go to the beach; which is why it's advisable to ink up during the winter, to avoid the temptations of summer and to take advantage of lonely tattoo artists (winter is the slow season).

I'm not a tattoo artist but I've been inked numerous times. Should you go ahead with a tattoo, your artist will, given they're reputable, go through a long spiel of the DO's and DONT's.

Plus I have some zits on my upper arm...so I dont know if it will interfere with the tatooing process??

Before you get inked, the artist will shave the prospective tattoo area and spray some disinfectant. As I say, I'm not a tattoo artist, but I would only imagine it would hinder things a bit. It's bacteria and you want to keep the whole area clean for even days after. Get some over-the-counter zit medicine and clear those puppies up within a few days. Now, if the issue were moles then you'd have a longer-lasting problem; it's advisable to stay away from moles just in case later in life you develop skin cancer and the mole changes colors.