New Ink Day, getting and caring for a tattoo and planning the next.
"My next tat will be a hand tearing off a barcode…or maybe a cat"
—me, yesterday
So I decided to treat myself to another couple of tattoos (images here). Left arm is the pattern of the ring Christine gave me for our handfasting, right arm is a copy of her wedding ring. My first was around 5½ years ago, I treated myself for my birthday. Image here in case you want to see.
In both cases I went to a local shop in Davis, Death or Glory. Brad did the hummingbird, Cody did the rings. Of course I am not done yet, I still have plans for a couple more but by Golly I am going to wait a couple of weeks. I'm hoping to have them all done by the time I next visit Tess (planning for a visit in October, watch this space!). Cats and ripping off a barcode. And another ring, at least that's the plan =]
The other thing I learned was that it's really good to have someone go with me. Not only was there a good friend to talk with, but they were able to take photos of the process, fetch me water and generally keep an eye out for me. For the hummingbird tattoo I also had company, a gal who had her own tattoos and had encouraged me to stop waffling and get inked: she was also able to advise on colouring, one thing I was really unsure about.
Do I have advice on getting a tattoo? You bet. Think carefully about it, tattoos are for life! Just don't do what I did and overthink it for years. Find a reputable shop and talk to a couple of artists. There's usually a story behind each tattoo and the artist will work better if they understand the story. Cody got the idea right away and did a good job for me.
Aftercare is important, Check with your artist for recommendations. You will want to wash up afterward when you get home and apply some sort of cream. I was advised to use an ointment called Aquaphor, which moisturises, helps the skin heal, cools the itching and generally feels good. I probably have the softest elbows in town just now. Your mileage may vary, so trust your artist! Don't be tempted to scratch the new tattoo (itching is a normal part of the healing process!). Keep it clean (unscented soaps and pat dry with paper towels) and after a couple of weeks it will have fully healed. For coloured tats, once they're healed you should protect them from the sun. My hummingbird is covered by shirt sleeves, but on those occasions I want to show them off I will apply a sunblock (UV will fade some colours).
I'd like to thank Cody and Chelsea at Death or Glory, Alyx for keeping me company and Jaqueline, who was kind enough to take a couple of pics for me to show off.
$ xclip -o | wc -w