Tattoos; Good, Bad, Ugly, Pretty...?

[GirlieChick]

Quote:
WOW!!!! Thats something you dont see everyday!
I think I would probably never even look at a guy that had that.

 

[Ferrret]

I don't think I will be getting a tattoo until mid to late summer, if at all this year. There is too much going on right now with packing up to move, finals and family stuff. I have seriously wanted at least one tattoo for about 4 years now, and the designs I've drawn that I like the most have had skulls in them. It's nothing morbid or an attempt to be scary or anything, I just like them.

I was redrawing the design and someone commented that the skulls were smiling while they fall. To me skulls always look like they are smiling, like they are somehow happy about something. I could read deeply into it and start musing, but I'd rather leave it be as it is.
The more I think on the design, the more variant meanings it can have for me. I am happy with it being something that makes me smile.
It doesn't need a story, a background or some deep, profound meaning hidden away.

I don't really care what it will look like when I'm 80 and wrinkled, because I'll be 80 and no one is going to be seeing me with my shirt off anyhow.
I'm not going to look like I do forever, and I won't be the exact same person 5, 10, or 50 years from now. People change all the time; Living life, personal experience and world events help us make those changes.

Anyhow, back to the scheduled thread of tattoo stories and opinions!

Let's see how long we can keep this thread rolling.

 

[KatieH]

I have 5 tattoos and I want 3 of them removed

Follies of youth! But, it's less about the concept of tattooing and more about the fact that they don't mean anything to me. I was 17-19 when I got the ones I don't like and only got them because I thought they looked "cool." And they're not easy to hide, either. I have a huge one on my chest and the other two are on the outside of my wrists. So no way to hide them unless I want to wear longsleeved turtlenecks all year.

 

[Ferrret]

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Tattoos-Stick-n-Poke/

No.
No. No. No.
No. No. No. No. No. No.
And for crying out loud NO!

What the heck compels someone to do something this stupid?!?!
"...use fire to disinfect the needle..." Oh yeah, lets burn the tip of the needle creating carbon and leaving a mild residue of whatever the fuel is...
This is bad. This is begging for infection and injury.

"Keep some paper towels on hand in case you start bleeding."
In case? In. Case? Bleeding is part of the tattooing process. You have to punch deep enough into the skin to set the ink properly, blood is involved.

And the Ink? Higgins Waterproof Ink? Really??
"Excellent for use with technical pens, lettering pens and air brushes." (< From an art supplies site) Funny, I don't see where that says it is great to punch into your own flesh!
Yeah, tattoo inks aren't regulated much and there can be a wide variety, but they are also made specifically for putting in the skin!!! Art ink is for paper and canvas, not human dermis!!!

GAHHHH!!!

They also have instructions on making your own tattoo machine and even featured instructions on doing your own laser etched tattoo!
You know what, I'm going to be un-hip and non DIY and have someone else, who is trained, licensed and most of all CLEAN, do my tattoo work. I know, I know, how conformist and square of me, but I would rather put my skin in the hands of a professional, not someone who read an online instruction.