Q: How long will it take for my tattoo to heal?
A: About 4 to 8 days most usually. How each person heals differently, where the tattoo was placed on the body, how skillful the artist was in applying the tattoo, and how well the tattoo is being taken care of afterwards, all play a factor in healing time. Some people heal exceptionally quick, only taking 3 days to heal. Some people might take up to 10 days to completely heal. After the healing process, your tattoo will appear flaky and dull. All wounds do this no matter how insignificant, you just don’t notice because there isn’t ink behind them. As long as your tattoo looks bright when wet or oily from lotion, everything will heal fine. Lotion is a great way to make your tattoo look great during this normal process. This can take 7 to 14 additional days to completely go away.

Q: How bad does a tattoo hurt?
A: That’s a tough one. Over all its something most people can handle just fine. The common response is that of slight discomfort or an annoyance. The sensation is unique and therefore people have a hard time trying to explain it to others but most people report it as resembling a sunburn or if you were to scratch the skin repeatedly in the same place, but unlike those things, this irritating sensation only last the duration of the tattoo and usually stops immediately. But other factors do apply here. Such as how sensitive to pain you are, the particular spot to be tattooed, the size of the tattoo, and the artist techniques. After its all over, if you indeed do feel anything it will be that of a bruise or slight tingling and that will subside quickly.

Q: What parts of the body hurt the most or least?
A: Everybody’s body is so different, one from the next. The best that can be done is give you statistics. Such as places on the body that are ticklish or is full of sensation, are more densely packed with nerve endings, therefore will experience the sensation much more intensely. Like feet, hands, the face and head area, and of course the genital vicinity, are loaded with nerve endings. Places such as the sides of the torso, armpits, and inner thighs are simply under sensitized. Many bony places such as ribs and feet do in fact hurt due to the fact of nerves but actually has nothing to do with the area being bony. Not all bony areas hurt. Click here to view intensity chart.

Q: Will my tattoo bleed?
A: For some reason people seem obsessed over this factor. I suppose people believe if it bleeds its got to be bad. Honestly, most people don’t bleed or very little if they do. More people secrete plasma, the clear fluid in which the blood cells live in. the skin is not being cut or pierced like you would think. The tiny holes inflicted are not terribly detrimental to the skin, penetrating perhaps only a millimeter. The blood clots before it even has a chance to flow. If done correctly and kept clean and moist, the minuet bit of damage is but a memory in just a few days. There are the rare few that do bleed a bit more. It is harder to place ink under the skin when excess blood in present. Blood is mostly water and water is used as a diluting agent with the inks, so therefore will perhaps lead to a washed out tattoo in need of a second session. Make sure not to consume any alcohol, take stimulants, or even many over the counter pain relievers can cause the blood to thin, encouraging excess blood flow.

Q: My tattoo is still red and tender. What’s going on?
A: If your tattoo is red and tender after 3 days you most likely have a mild infection. It’s common for this to occur on the feet or ankles do to the fact the tattoo is in such close proximity to the ground. Dirt gets kicked up and the ointment is sticky holding the dirt in place. Sometimes clothes can do it but many times it from dirty hands when applying fresh ointment. It’s very important to wash hands and wipe off old ointment before applying new. To treat this, wipe all ointment off and apply rubbing alcohol. Immediately reapply new ointment since alcohol is a drying agent. Doing this twice a day for 2 days should do the trick. If not, it’s not a mild infection but a more severe one that needs a physician’s guidance. There is a chance that the redness is do to an allergic reaction to the ointment being used in which case a new brand needs to be used. The odds are so slim that it is the ink, provided, the tattoo was done by a reputable tattoo professional. Rarely someone might be allergic to latex present in the gloves and tape. If known beforehand, special gloves and tape will be provided.

Q: My tattoo has little red bumps around it. What’s going on?
A: Again, it’s highly unlikely that you’re having an allergic reaction to the ink but there is a chance your having a reaction to the ointment, therefore the brand needs to be changed. Most commonly though is that your pores are clogged from the ointment. Yet another reason to change ointments. Some of the thicker ointments just wont let the skin breath, especially if applied thickly. Try applying a thinner coat and washing of the old before reapplying new.

Q: What do I expect the first time going to the tattoo studio?
A: After you walk in you either begin your search for a design, bring one in, or commission one of the artists to create one for you. Placement, size, and amount are all discussed. The design is made into a pattern and applied to the skin. The tattoo is given with tiny needles that shallowly penetrate the skin extremely rapidly. Ointment and a bandage is applied. That’s it, you’re done! The average person is in and out in under an hour.

Q: Can you cover over my existing tattoo with a skin color to make it go away?
A: Nope! If it were only that easy. Tattoo ink is translucent, like most all inks and dyes as opposed to paints, which usually are opaque. As an example, imagine if you would, making a mark on paper with a black marker, obviously the darkest of colors. Now scribbling over it with a red marker. Of course the original black mark will still shine through. Now tattoo ink perhaps isn’t quite as translucent as markers but you certainly cannot cover dark colors with really light ones.

Q: Do I have to get something really dark or black to cover up my old tattoo?
A: No, of course not. Unless its professional grade black ink and a lot of it, such as a big black tribal that is still very black, your options are open. Covering a tattoo with a lot of blacks, screams “cover up”. It just makes matters worse. Although bright, light colors most likely can’t be used to go over the old lines, they can be incorporated in the new design elsewhere. The game is distraction here. Choosing the right design is essential to pull this off. Don’t pick something structured like an American flag for example. Not to mention the white is not an option but the structured lines of the flag is the bigger problem. Choosing something with free movement that can be designed around the existing lines to better cover them. There are no hard and fast rules. Each tattoo is different and it is best to let a trained eye go over you options with you.

Q: My tattoo looks dull or a little splotchy. What’s going on?
A: As stated above, it is typical for a tattoo to be flaky and dull looking for a week or so after the healing process. If lotion doesn’t make it look bright or there is splotchieness, you will most likely need to have it gone over a second time, which any good shop will do free of charge. This can happen for many reasons and isn’t that terribly uncommon. Large expanses of color especially black might be difficult to cover completely evenly depending on many factors. Excess bleeding can cause the inks to dilute since blood is mostly water. To oily or dry of skin. Scabbing is the number one factor of this. When coming back in for a touch up, make sure the tattoo is completely healed and most of the after flaking is gone. A planed appointment is preferred. The second time over shouldn’t take as long as the fist session.

Q: How well does darker skin take colorful tattoos?
A: Most dark or tan skin does take bright colors well, with few exceptions. Yellow and some pastels should be avoided for very dark skin types. Darker skinned people still need to be careful with their tattoos being exposed in the harmful sunlight. Click here for examples of tattoos in darker skin types.

Q: I heard that some colors hurt more than others?
A: Nonsense! It may seem this way if you’re near the end of your tattoo and it’s getting a little tender and that last color sends you over the top. White is accused of this often since white is usually one of the last colors to be applied.

Q: What’s a good way to take care of my tattoo at night?
A: Apply ointment as usual. Cover with kitchen plastic wrap and tape down well. This will keep the ointment on the extended time you sleep and also keep it off your sheets. Make sure you wash off old ointment in the morning immediately applying fresh. Avoid coving your tattoo during the day.

Q: What about scars and stretch marks?
A: Scars and stretch marks can be covered over with a tattoo but if they are raised or dipped in, that of course will remain, although it does conceal this fact quite well. On the other hand if a scar is received after the tattoo has been placed, a patch of regular colored skin will heal in its wake. Like a piece of the tattoo has been removed. In this case the tattoo can usually be repaired quite easily simply by filling back in the missing section. If though, a stretch mark occurs over an existing tattoo, this can be difficult to repair. A stretch mark happens when the skin is being pulled on so much that the body makes quick new skin to compensate for the rapid size deference. Thus, ripping the tattoo in half and filling in the middle with new skin. If this were to happen through a face of something or a complicated structured pattern like Celtic knotting this would be almost imposable to repair.

Q: Is cosmetic tattooing similar to regular tattooing?
A: No! The machinery, inks, and techniques are completely deferent. Besides the fact an anesthesiologist is usually present, the inks come in a large array of very natural cosmetic like colors that are meant to me soft and truly resemble make-up. Tattoo ink found in tattooing studios is bright and vibrant and meant to stay crisp.