How much does a Tattoo hurt

[gadgetman]

Seriously thinking of getting one. The peeps wondering round silverstone at the world series showing theirs off has had me thing about it.

Now considering I hate needles (pass out), managed to get 2 body piercings.

Have heard it's like being scratched on really bad sunburn, where as others say its the worst pain ever.

Rob, yours looks like a lot of sessions and pain, but very nice.



The tat I would consider is based on a mobile theme I have on my N95 called Tribal Tiger.

[Tomo1971]

Depends on where you have them.

My 2, 1 on each arm werent that bad really. Its a gritting the teeth type pain that you do get used to after a while.

i guess your one above will take about 30 to 45 mins though!

Steve

[Lady Elanore]

How long do tattoos last before their colour fades and they start to smudge?? I have never seen an old person with sharp looking tattoos, or have they improved their techniques nowadays? Can you have them redone??

[RobClubley]

Mine took five hours to finish.
The pain is not as bad as I imagined it would be.

The outlining hurt the most, hard to describe, like a hot knife being drawn across your skin I guess. But it's only for a few seconds at a time as they have to dip the needle in the ink.
The shading isn't so bad. But if you're going pure black I guess it might hurt a bit more than my graded shading.

And the bits where there's just bone under the skin - like the top of the shoulder - they hurt!

But I'm told it varies for different people.

As for fear of needles - you don't see an actual needle as it's hidden in the gun thingy.

[RobClubley]

Originally Posted by Lady Elanore

How long do tattoos last before their colour fades and they start to smudge?? I have never seen an old person with sharp looking tattoos, or have they improved their techniques nowadays? Can you have them redone??

Good question. Colour fading is mainly due to sun damage and the ink drying. I guess that also makes it smudge.

So if you moisturise them every day and use high factor sun cream they should stay dark and sharp for a long time.

[Lady Elanore]

I’m guessing that mono coloured tattoos look better for longer, but I’m still curious how these ‘works of art’ type tattoos will stay looking as good in 25 years time ??

[Lady Elanore]

Originally Posted by RobClubley

Good question. Colour fading is mainly due to sun damage and the ink drying. I guess that also makes it smudge.

So if you moisturise them every day and use high factor sun cream they should stay dark and sharp for a long time.

Thanks Rob. I thought it might have been as the body’s cells multiplied the ink got moved around on a microscopic level and eventually migrated a little to cause the smudging.

[RobClubley]

Originally Posted by Lady Elanore

I’m guessing that mono coloured tattoos look better for longer, but I’m still curious how these ‘works of art’ type tattoos will stay looking as good in 25 years time ??

That's part of what I like about the Maori designs. Quite simple and bold. And meaningful of course.

[pixi]

I would suggest going for a small one first just in case you can't stand the pain. My mate has just had a large one that snakes around his body completed. He had to go for numerous sittings as the tattoo artist would only work on it for a few hours at a time. Imagine if you wanted an intricate one and had to give up.

[RobClubley]

Originally Posted by pixi

I would suggest going for a small one first just in case you can't stand the pain. My mate has just had a large one that snakes around his body completed. He had to go for numerous sittings as the tattoo artist would only work on it for a few hours at a time. Imagine if you wanted an intricate one and had to give up.

Yeah that's what I was going to do. Mine turned out larger than I imagined it!

I love it though!

[foureyes]

Hi.

My sister had her first one at the base of her spine when she was 18. She's a skinny thing with no padding and has had a further three, I think, over the 5 years since; top of the spine, foot and off centre on her tummy.

While relatively small and solid black, each has got slightly more intricate and more time consuming. Can't hurt too much - or only insane people would get them done!

[Johnny50]

I have a tattoo that is almost identical to that tiger one, except it's a cats face.
Had it for about 7 years now.

Mine took 2 x 2 hour sittings to complete.

Sometimes the problem with large black areas is that it can have few pale sections, so i got mine done twice.

Pain is fine, i actually enjoy it

[Johnny50]

Here's my similar one

[ap0gee]

Originally Posted by gadgetman

The tat I would consider is based on a mobile theme I have on my N95 called Tribal Tiger.

I'd be a bit wary of getting one done based on your phone theme - do you really want to be reminded of that fact thirty years from now?

[Johnny50]

I got mine for other reasons...
And someone drew it for me, but at the same time, taking a design from a phone isn't that much different from going into a tattoo shop and choosing something from the flash thats already there.

[smstext]

i wouldnt know, i have a phobia of needles. and yes i know its hidden in the gun, but i wont actually go in a tattoist if theya re using it.

[ap0gee]

Originally Posted by Johnny50

I got mine for other reasons...
And someone drew it for me, but at the same time, taking a design from a phone isn't that much different from going into a tattoo shop and choosing something from the flash thats already there.

Maybe so, but the reason I decided to get a piercing rather than a tattoo was that I couldn't think of anything to get that wasn't inspired by this or based on that (much the same problem as I had deciding on names for Ap0gee Jr as it happens ), and I also couldn't get the words 'Wino Forever' out of my mind...

Still, neither you nor gadgetman are me and everyone see things differently!

[kit]

mine didnt hurt much!.....top of the shoulder....took about two hours to do and the only thing id wish id done before getting it done was to go and buy a book to read!!....theres only so much looking at the pics on the walls you can do!!!.....as for getting a design done i would only ever recommend doing one yourself or sketchign an idea and getting the tat man to re draw it for you!.....gettin one out of a book is for pissed up peeps on a fri night!!.....even though the tat man wouldnt do it if you were drunk!!...you must have an idea or some form of design that means something to you and nobody else?

k

[foureyes]

Originally Posted by kit

...even though the tat man wouldnt do it if you were drunk!!

...even though the tat man shouldnt do it if you were drunk!!...

ap0gee - I know what you mean - I have trouble deciding what I'm going to have for dinner!

[kit]

i think if you get something that you have designed yourself it will sit better with you over the long time.....getting something out of a catolgue will just pee you off later in life!! .....i drew mine many years ago and toyed with getting it done for years until i eventually did it.....sometimes i even forgoet its there!!....everybody who has seen it says its really nice and wished theyd had designed theirs!!

k