Forums » Smalltalk » My first tattoo

In memory of my best friend who died two years ago, I decided to get a tattoo to keep him with me forever.

His brother is a tattoo artist and wanted to draw it for me.

I designed it myself and let my friend fancy it up a little. It's still bleeding a little and it's swollen, so it will get better over time. But it turned out exactly how I imagined it!

That's beautiful.

That did turn out well. A good way to remember your friend

Thank you!! When the redness has subsided and it's healed over, I'll post a new picture. I expect it to fade some, so it looks a little dramatic now.

That's alreally cool looking. It is nice of you to get one for your friend. I plave to get a tattoo when I'm older for my grandmother.

I love it! Looks great!

I'm not normally a fan of tattoos, but that one sounds really meaningful. I approve.

That is a gorgeous tattoo, and the meaning behind it is wonderful.

boop.

I'm sure your friend would love it!
I did something similar when my mum died back in 2009, I got angel wings tattooed down my back because she had an affinity for angels. It's a nice way to remember someone, I think, better than getting some random stars tattooed up your wrist or where ever.

That's a really awesome thing to do.

As a first time tattoo-getter... did it hurt?

Thanks for your kind words everyone. My friend had a couple of tattoos himself before he died, so I agree he'd very likely appreciate this.

@Beinnj: My friend gave me solid instructions and a special salve to put on my tattoo 1-2 times a day in addition to some vaseline. I'm keeping it uncovered to let it breathe, use perfumeless soap when I shower, I dab it dry rather than rub, I shouldn't pick/scratch the scabs or soak them off and I wear pajama pants in bed so I won't be rubbing it against the sheets all the time. It should be fine. It's still red and feels warm, but it doesn't hurt unless I bump into stuff.

@CaptainCassie: It's always going to hurt because you're basically assaulting your body with a needle piercing your skin at a very high rate while injecting ink in a layer deep enough it will last a lifetime. It varies per person how much it hurts, and the location matters too for most. Fleshy areas are likely to hurt less, while bony areas are prone to be more sensitive. Inking lines will be much harsher on you than shading, because inking uses 1 (slightly thicker) needle, while shading uses multiple thin needles and don't go as deep.

Again though, it really varies on your own ability to deal with pain and how sensitive your skin is. Some people like the feeling of getting a tattoo, while others feel nauseous or even faint from the pain. Your body will produce endorphines (feel-good hormones) after a few minutes, so the first few minutes are the worst. I think a good way to test how much it hurts is to take a sterile sewing needle and poking yourself in the area you want to get a tattoo (but don't pierce the skin!). Multiply that by ten or so and that's roughly what it will feel like.

As for my own experience, it hurt a bit more than I expected, but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. My tattoo isn't very big either, so the whole thing was done in about an hour. I cursed a couple of times and squeezed a pillow really tight during the lining. The closer he got to my shin, the more it hurt. The closer he got to the back of my leg, the easier it was. All in all, it hurt yeah, but I didn't feel like I was dying or couldn't deal with it.

What you should definitely do is eat before you get the tattoo, about an hour before. Make sure you're rested (don't go in on 3 hours of sleep) and don't get it while you're sick. Empty stomachs, a cold or lack of sleep can make you feel faint or even pass out during the tattooing, as it is a bit stressful on your body. (Happened to a few people my friend tattooed.)