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422 Questions

Last Answer on May 23, 2014

When artists ask for a visual to help with the design of the tattoo, be it an object or photo, is it insulting if the person wanting the tattoo brings in a picture of another tattoo design that another artist has done?

Asked by CRG1289 about 12 years ago

Nope, not at all. Many people surf the internet and find already-done tattoos that they like. Taking them to an artist and asking them to reproduce that tattoo exactly is insulting, but tellling them that they like the style of the tattoo and want something custom drawn that has that feel or look, is perfectly fine.

911 Votes

I recently got my tattoo shaded, it was just an outline prior. The tattoo artist told me it would be all black now, but I would see the shading in a week or so. It's been a few days, and I can't see any of it lightening up. Should I be worried?

Asked by Laura about 12 years ago

I'd wait until the tattoo is fully healed before starting to worry.

910 Votes

I'm looking to get a tattoo of a drawing, however, I only want some minor changes. Would it bother a tattoo artist if I went in and didn't want it changed very much?

Asked by Natalie over 12 years ago

Some tattoo artists are fine with that, and other's aren't. It depends on the drawing, too. Some people want a drawing done just the way it is, but the drawing isn't tattooable. Drawings for tattoos are way different than most drawings. So, talk to your artist and see what they say.

909 Votes

I got my rook pierced and it is mostly healed now, but is swollen. The swelling hardly hurts, my sister got her industrial pierced and the swelling was like scarring, I was just wondering if this will go away or if the swelling is permanent?

Asked by Shelby Jones about 12 years ago

Swelling isn't permanent. If a piercing is still swollen and hurts weeks after it's done, it needs to be taken out. Chance are, it's infected, or wasn't pierced correctly. If there is swelling around the entry sites, it may be a keloid, or a pocket of oil that sometimes develops after a piercing. Keloids shouldn't be popped, and they can be treated with tea tree oil, but there's a chance they may never go away.

907 Votes

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I just got my right upper arm done shoulder too elbow full color and oddly it seems too be in bad pain four days after it was finished. I've washed it twice with soap and apply the a&d ointment and it still seems too cause my whole arm soreness.

Asked by Jordan about 12 years ago

That's completely normal, especially when you get a part of your body tattooed that you use on a daily basis- upper arms, calfs, stomach areas- all of these are sensitive, and when you get large areas covered in one session, it will cause that area to be sore for a while.

907 Votes

Hullo! I got a tattoo on the outside of my foot two weeks ago. I was able to go almost a week and a half with keeping it uncovered, but now I need to cover it. I've used gauze and bandaids - both had ink on them when I took them off. Advice?

Asked by Nichole over 12 years ago

You should not re-cover a tattoo after the first few days, and especially not 2 weeks later. However, to answer your question, tattoos can take up to a month to heal, depending on the area of the body, and ink can purge from the skin at any time during the healing process. The only concern is when the tattoo scabs and the scab rips off before it's ready; then you might be left with an empty spot where the ink came out completely.

906 Votes

I want to get a tattoo of the stars (like a nebula thats very colorful) but I'm concerned with the colors bleeding together and looking like a bruise. Is there a way to avoid that? If I got touch ups often or did it with lighter colors maybe?

Asked by Tattoo virgin over 12 years ago

Colors don't bleed together in a tattoo, unless the tattoo was not done correctly. If you have purple next to yellow, the purple will forever stay next to the yellow, and not combine. Now, if the tattoo artist does the yellow first, then does the purple, and does not take proper precautions to protect the yellow during the tattoo process, then some brown may occur when the purple goes over the yellow. But, if it's inked individually, it will stay as two separate colors in the skin.

905 Votes

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Tattoo Artist

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

When artists ask for a visual to help with the design of the tattoo, be it an object or photo, is it insulting if the person wanting the tattoo brings in a picture of another tattoo design that another artist has done?

I recently got my tattoo shaded, it was just an outline prior. The tattoo artist told me it would be all black now, but I would see the shading in a week or so. It's been a few days, and I can't see any of it lightening up. Should I be worried?

I'm looking to get a tattoo of a drawing, however, I only want some minor changes. Would it bother a tattoo artist if I went in and didn't want it changed very much?

I got my rook pierced and it is mostly healed now, but is swollen. The swelling hardly hurts, my sister got her industrial pierced and the swelling was like scarring, I was just wondering if this will go away or if the swelling is permanent?

Also on Jobstr...

I just got my right upper arm done shoulder too elbow full color and oddly it seems too be in bad pain four days after it was finished. I've washed it twice with soap and apply the a&d ointment and it still seems too cause my whole arm soreness.

Hullo! I got a tattoo on the outside of my foot two weeks ago. I was able to go almost a week and a half with keeping it uncovered, but now I need to cover it. I've used gauze and bandaids - both had ink on them when I took them off. Advice?

I want to get a tattoo of the stars (like a nebula thats very colorful) but I'm concerned with the colors bleeding together and looking like a bruise. Is there a way to avoid that? If I got touch ups often or did it with lighter colors maybe?

Tattoo Artist

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

When artists ask for a visual to help with the design of the tattoo, be it an object or photo, is it insulting if the person wanting the tattoo brings in a picture of another tattoo design that another artist has done?

I recently got my tattoo shaded, it was just an outline prior. The tattoo artist told me it would be all black now, but I would see the shading in a week or so. It's been a few days, and I can't see any of it lightening up. Should I be worried?

I'm looking to get a tattoo of a drawing, however, I only want some minor changes. Would it bother a tattoo artist if I went in and didn't want it changed very much?

I got my rook pierced and it is mostly healed now, but is swollen. The swelling hardly hurts, my sister got her industrial pierced and the swelling was like scarring, I was just wondering if this will go away or if the swelling is permanent?

Also on Jobstr...

I just got my right upper arm done shoulder too elbow full color and oddly it seems too be in bad pain four days after it was finished. I've washed it twice with soap and apply the a&d ointment and it still seems too cause my whole arm soreness.

Hullo! I got a tattoo on the outside of my foot two weeks ago. I was able to go almost a week and a half with keeping it uncovered, but now I need to cover it. I've used gauze and bandaids - both had ink on them when I took them off. Advice?

I want to get a tattoo of the stars (like a nebula thats very colorful) but I'm concerned with the colors bleeding together and looking like a bruise. Is there a way to avoid that? If I got touch ups often or did it with lighter colors maybe?

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