FAQ: Tattoos

Did you know that about a third of people with a tattoo regret getting it? Yep, so it you're thinking of getting inked for the first time, you'd better be 100% sure you want one. I spoke to Mikey Davis a tattooist from Ink Fusion on Hayling Island, Hampshire, and asked him a few questions about getting inked….

Does it hurt?

There is no set answer to this as everyone is different. Some say it "tickles" some say it's a "scratching feeling" and some say it's "annoying". Everyones tolerance to pain is different. Tattoos require the application of pigment under the first epidermal layer of the skin. The larger tattoo the longer it will take so small tattoos generally hurt less than large ones. But look at it this way…If it hurt that much people wouldn't go back for a second one would they?

How old do you have to be legally in the UK to get a tattoo?

It is illegal to get a tattoo in the UK if you are under 18. So be prepared to show some ID.

Where's the most and least painful place to get a tattoo done?

Each individual has a specific "worst" place to be tattooed. From the majority of clients I would say the ribs/stomach area is the worst. Least painful for me is easy…the arms. Very rarely does somebody find the arms a hard place to handle a tattoo.

How long does a tattoo take?

The time it takes depends on the size of the tattoo your getting. Tattoos should not be rushed, they are a work of art. An averagely complicated tattoo the size of the back of your hand will roughly take two hours but larger, complicated designs can takes hours and you will have to do them in different sittings.

How much does it cost?

Cost varies on the size of your tattoo and when it comes to tattoos you get what you pay for. I charge on an hourly basis, many artists do. But some do give a direct price to each client.  Don't settle for something cheap just because you have the impulse to get inked though. Think about it before hand and wait till you have the money. Remember a tattoo is for life.

Can I you use numbing cream or pain killers?

The use of numbing pain is not recommended. You need to apply numbing cream about 30 minutes before the tattoo before the effects kick in, and then the numbness only lasts around 45 minutes. Hardly seems worth it really. Aspirin is a big issue when tattooing as it thins the blood. This will lead to excessive bleeding and may affect the quality of the tattoo, so again, not recommended.

Look at it this way… No pain, no gain.

How do you look after it once it's finished?

Every tattoo artist seems to give a different way to look after a tattoo. The method I use is to wrap in cling film for 1 hour only, then wash with warm soapy water and let it air dry. Then apply aftercare cream each and every time the tattoo dries out until fully healed. The aim is to not let the tattoo grow a scab. If it does…you didn't look after it correctly.

What happens if I don't like my tattoo can I get it removed?

Yes, and there are a few methods to do this. The most popular and common option is cover-up. This simply means getting a new tattoo design over your existing one to quite frankly 'cover it up'. However there are some issues with cover-up's as tattoo ink is translucent and so the new tattoo will have to be darker than the existing one. 

Another option is laser removal. Lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pigment colour of the tattoo with a high-intnsity light beam. 

The final option is the combination of both. Laser removal can be used to reduce the size and density of the existing tattoo so it is then easier to cover it up after.

Is there anywhere on the body that you can't get tattooed?

There is no limit to where you can get tattooed. I've seen many places inked that I didn't think was possible…

How do you know the difference between a good tattoo studio and a bad one?

Revision! Always check portfolio pictures. Ask for references etc. Always check your artists before choosing them.

Can I catch anything from getting a tattoo?

Tattoos use needles under the skin, so the biggest risk is from dirty needles which can spread diseases like HIV and Hepatitis. Tattooists should use sterile equipment and fresh needles every time.

How long does it take to heal?

A tattoo will surface heal in approx one week, varying from person to person, but the healing process beneath will take 1-3 months, during which time strong sunlight and extremes of temperature should be avoided. 

What if I'm allergic? Do you do spot tests?

Before your tattoo you will be asked to fill out a healthcare sheet. If upon reading this you are allergic to certain things then yes a spot test will be carried out.

Can pregnant ladies get tattoos? 

It's best not to have a tattoo while you're pregnant. It's very unlikely that you'll find a tattooist who will be willing to give you a tattoo, anyway.

How old was the oldest person you've tattooed?

He was in his 70's, I can't remember his exact age and he got a rose in memory of his late wife.

"It was meant to be an attractive lady with a sombrero hat but it turned out to be a Mexican cowboy with tits"

Meet Emerson…A 73-year-old who has a total of 6 tattoos including a cherry pie on his arm with the words 'Home is where the pie is". I was luckily enough to get the chance to visit Emerson at his home in Bromley to discuss his tattoos and the reasons behind the ink.

Em Baumhauer was never really keen on tattoos but at the age of 42 he changed his mind and decided to get a tattoo on his left arm at the end of Brighton Pier. "He had a hole in the pier looking down to the sea. I think he did fishing when he wasn't tattooing and lets hope he was better at the fishing!" When Em got home and removed the bandages I think he was rather surprised by what he saw.

"It was meant to be a very attractive lady wearing a sombrero type hat but it turned out to be a Mexican cowboy with tits." 

Luckily Em saw the funny side and laughed away as he told me the story. "I thought oh my God it's awful! But luckily it was quite far up my arm so no one really saw it."

"I hadn't realised at the time that the guy was totally out of his face on alcohol and all he did was mutter away to himself about his wife that was divorcing him." 

Ten years later Em decided it was time to cover his first tattoo up and selected a large tattoo of a coy to hid it. Em went along to a studio in Orpington fully intending to get the coy in colour however the artists suggested shading it in with black instead and Em consented. "I was really pleased with the result. Although anything would of been better than the Mexican cowboy with tits."

In 2009 Em was hit with some bad news when his wife, Helen, was taken ill. It was unknown what was wrong with Helen but at the very onset of her illness Em wanted to get a tattoo done for her. He decided to get the name 'Nell' in a heart as Helen is Scottish and Helens' are called Nell there. He then surrounded the heart with flowers, a cross and musical notes as Helen was an excellent soprano and loves music.

Due to previous restrictions from his job as an optician Em could not get any visible tattoos that clients at work would see. However Em had retired at this point and decided to get it on his right lower arm for all to see.

Em and Helen loved Las Vegas and had visited there 10 times and when Helen fell ill Em wanted to treat her one last time and booked her a dream holiday to Las Vegas. "I booked a hotel at Gatwick, upgraded the seats for the flight, sorted out all the transport. I just wanted to make Nell as comfortable as possible." However days before the trip Helen had a nasty fall after a trip to the theatre. She was taken to hospital were they both received some horrible news. "The doctor went 'you do know it's Parkinsons she has?' and we were none the wiser at the time. She had had all these tests but not been diagnosed with anything. So that was that. The trip to Las Vegas had to be cancelled as the insurance didn't cover for Parkinsons and I lost £3500."

This was the reason for Em's next tattoo, a tribute of Las Vegas to remind him of all the good memories he had there. It is located on the inside of his left arm.

         

Ems next tattoo was inspired by his love for Elvis Presley. A red electric guitar stretches up the bottom half of his left arm with a break in the guitar neck to make room for Elvis' signature. Em has a passion for music and before Helen became ill they used to regularly attend an opera class together. This tattoo mirrors the Las Vegas one and Em plans to get them filled in to create a lower sleeve.

Em was brought up in Wellington, Ontario in Canada and his next tattoo symbolises this. It has the Canadian flag with the words Wellington and Ontario surrounding it accompanied by the characteristic maple leaf. It is located on Em's lower right arm.

Finally is Em's most recent tattoo which he got at the age of 72. It is a slice of cherry pie, with the words 'home is where the pie is' surrounding it. "I thought why not! I like cherry pie and always used to have it in Canada and I thought the saying around it was quite funny."

Although Em plans to get more tattoos, he told me that he would only ever get them on his arms: "I would never ever get them on my face or neck or anything. I like to have the choice to cover them up." 

I asked Em what the reactions to his tattoos were and I was sad to hear him say how negative they were especially as all of Em's tattoos mean something to him and have a purpose.

"People definitely judge me as being horrible, common, perhaps slightly on the seedy side and that’s the last thing I am. I’ve spent the past 50 years being an optician!"

"Everyone always says what at your age? Why would you do that? Errrrr. Youngsters seem to enjoy them more. But most people think whats he doing? But I don’t care."

My last question was why he thinks people aged 70+ choose to get tattoos so late in life and he told me that every tattoo has a reason, people just may not have a reason till later on in life. "I started earlier in life and then just never stopped. But everyone one of my tattoos I've had done for a reason and not just walked in a shop and said 'oh I'll have that'. I've put thought into them and they mean something to me."

"My first one was the Mexican cowboy with tits which had to be covered up so that was the reason for the second. Then the third one’s for Nell and then it went in to a whole lot of commemorating stuff. Then I wanted a bit of humour so I added the pie. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to it." 

Em spends every minute of the day caring for his wife Helen and was kind enough to invite me into his home to do the interview of which I am very grateful. He was a great guy with a great sense of humour!

Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention

Today I visited the Allendale Centre in Wimborne for the second Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention. Its' the largest Uk Christmas convention and the first one was so popular they decided to return. There was a huge buzz as hundreds of tattoo enthusiasts gathered under one roof. The event was set up by Kerry and Carl Collinson from Urban Image in Kinson.

More than 50 award- winning tattoo artists from all around the country came together including artists from Black Sheep Tattooists in Westborne, Just Add Ink in Poole and Urban Image.

Tattoo artists battled it out in different competitions over the weekend including best tribal design, best realism, best dot work and keeping to the theme of 'jurassic coast' the best dinosaur dress up. There was something for everyone including a festive fair which sold everything from a sparkly bauble to a real life cat skull. The family friendly event cost £7.50 for a day ticket or £15 for the weekend with children under 10 getting free entry.

The turn out was great and everywhere I looked throughout the day someone was getting inked. The buzz of the needles was non stop with every tattoo different to the next. It was a really welcoming and fun environment with many happy customers.

Video to follow.

SLIDESHOW: White Flame Tattoo Studio

White Flame Tattoo Studio is a unique tattoo and body piercing studio in Winton, Bournemouth which offers a wide range of tattoo designs. 

It offers an inviting and relaxing environment to make your whole experience of getting a tattoo enjoyable and I definitely felt the friendliness of the studio when I went today to take some photos.They have a great team with tattoo artists Karl Stevens and Kerry Lavulo and I was lucky enough to meet Kerry today and watch her tattoo one of her clients.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Massive thanks to White Flame Tattoo Studio 

"I haven't got a wife. I'm not on the pull and I haven't got a job interview"

Meet Royston…A 67-year-old with a passion for motorbikes, dogs and tattoos. I went and visited Royston last Thursday in his bedsit in Tunbridge Wells to talk to him about the stories behind his tattoos, the tattoos he's got and his plans regarding tattoos for the future. Also why he thinks old people get tattoos? 

Royston got his first tattoo while he was still at school at the age of 14. He laughed as he told me about the experience: "I fainted! I only had my name written on. I was at school and I came out of school and went to someone like Nobby the Tat or some other stupid name. It was in the 50s and it was a bet really. So I went and had it done and I came out and feel over. It was ever so funny."

What really stood out to me about Royston was how down to earth and matter of fact he was. The ink skulls that stamp the left side of his neck and cheek draw much attention to Royston. But whether the attention is good or bad Royston always expect comment.

"I think anything you do you should expect attention. If your walking around with a tattoo on your head your not gonna expect people to say nothing are ya."

From his tales and the ornaments and photos around his home you can tell Royston has already lived an exciting and fun-filled life full of different experiences. He spoke about his six years travelling in India, the time he meet the the Dalai Lama and his years as a Beatnik. His passion and nostalgia really shone threw and his on-look on life was something to admire.

Royston was happy to show me all his tattoos that decorated his body from the head down. The snake that marks the back of his cranium relates to the times he was the snake man in India (as does the snake that wraps around his right arm). During his time there he would carry antidote for people that had been bitten by snakes and would not be able to get to the hospital in time. He could not speak their language and so people would recognise he was the "snake man" from his tattoos. 

He spoke about the time he got the snake that wraps itself around his right triceps done. It was done in a hut. Lit by a single lightbulb and was done just by scratching in the colour with no lines: "It was remarkable. A real work of art". When Royston returned he got the lines put in: "I ruined it really. I don't know why I did it."

His other tattoos don't really have a meaning: "I got them just because I wanted them really. I'd walk in the shop, maybe just for a conversation, and I'll see something and think yeah I like that and I'll get it done."

"For me it’s like choosing a pair of jeans or a shirt... only a shirt wears out a tattoo doesn’t."

Royston lives on his own with his pet pug, Holly. He doesn't have a wife to say no and no restrictions from a job so as far as he is concerned he is free to do whatever he wants to do. In his own words "he's not young anymore" and doesn't have many responsibilities. 

"When you get older you don’t have as many responsibilities, doesn’t mean you’ve got to get a tattoo but doesn’t matter so much so you're a bit freer to do what you want."

He believes that we are now in a society that hasn’t got that bad stigma about tattoos like they used to have: "not that you live for what other people think, but it's easier now and I think I just happen to be older when people think abit freer about things." 

"Don’t get it done if you don’t want people to make comments. Do you do it to be noticed? That’s always a question isn’t it? Do older people do it more psychologically because they think they’re not noticed…I don’t think so."

A great guy and I am glad to have had the pleasure of meeting him. A real inspiration.