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So I stumbled upon this site and wanted to gauge...
So I stumbled upon this site and wanted to gauge the opinions of the people who have been through something similar.
Please bear with me on the length here – I am very conflicted about my next course of action and would really appreciate any advice from people who have experienced similar regrets.
It seems like my story isn't altogether unfamiliar. I am one of the people who thought about getting a tattoo for years -- actually about two and a half years before I actually went out and got it. My father had a Marine Corps tattoo that he absolutely hated, so I had always been wary about them and I knew firsthand how permanent they were. Since my dad is was in his 80s, I chalked most of his regret up to the fact that he got the tattoo so young (17) and that it commemorated an event he’d eventually want to forget (his service in WWII).
When my father died about a month ago, I decided I would finally get my tattoo. I wanted to get something that would commemorate one of my best friends who passed away several years ago, as well as my father. I spent hours and hours looking online and trying to come up with the exact idea for what I wanted. I decided upon a dandelion design (based off an old paperweight my dad had that I loved) with two birds -- one to symbolize him, and the other for my friend. You can see the design that I brought into the tattoo parlor above; it’s quite delicate and beautiful.
I researched shops for hours, eventually deciding upon one where my roommate had gotten his tattoo about a year ago. It's listed as one of the best tattoo shops in NYC, and I won't name it here because I don't really fault the shop or the artist for the fact that I'm not satisfied. Anyway, I went in for a consultation about a week before the tattoo appointment, and I explained exactly what I wanted, the size, where, etc. The artists seemed to understand completely, and I was pretty impressed with his portfolio, particularly his detail work. I trusted him because he's a professional, and I told him to come up with something that would translate well in a tattoo.
When I came in for the actual tattoo, I brought my friends with me for support. The artist hadn’t even begun to work on a sketch, which should have concerned me more, in hindsight (mistake #1). He told me it was a pretty straightforward design, and he sketched it out in front of me. I was a bit shocked at the size, which was bigger than I’d intended to get; but (here’s mistake #2) I let him talk me into it, as he said that the larger size would look the best. He seemed pretty intent on making it this big, and when the outline was placed on my arm, I was a little unsure but figured I would put my trust in the artist (the outline was also not completely filled out yet, so it looked much lighter). My friends told me it looked good (mistake #2 – should have trusted my gut), and I went ahead and got it done despite my hesitance, chalking it up to being nervous about my first tattoo.
Here’s where things stand now: I’ve only had it for four days, and I’m already filled with regret about the dandelion design. I actually really love the whisps and the birds coming off it, but I think the actual dandelion is quite ugly. Nothing like the beautiful, light design I brought in as an example. It looks like a weed growing out of my arm. I’ve researched the hell out of it, and I know that the shading in the flower will eventually fade once a layer of skin grows over it – but I don’t think it will fade enough for my liking.
The actual tattoo is all black ink, with a little bit of white highlighting.
Here are my questions:
-I’ve included an image of what I HOPE I can get the tattoo reduced to, which involves lasering off the actual flower and just leaving the pretty whisps and the birds, which I’m totally satisfied with.
-Is it even possible to remove only half of this tattoo?
-If I go this route, what are the chances I can get the dandelion almost completely removed? I have olive skin, which is pretty pale right now but I tan very easily (hardly ever burn). I also tend to recover well from injuries with very little scarring.
-Do you guys recommend going to a doctor/dermatologist, med spa or someplace that deals exclusively with tattoo removal? After putting a ton of research into the initial parlor and being unhappy with my results, I’m hesitant to trust the reviews of removal spas/businesses online.
-I’ve read that white ink is almost impossible to remove – for the small white highlights within the dandelion, will these actually get darker with removal?
-Do you think it might be a better option to get the dandelion removed as much as possible, and then get a cover of something else – I was thinking either text or another attempt at the flower. I’m a bit hesitant to try another flower, given how this one turned out.
Sorry this is long, but I have been pretty down about the whole thing – particularly since I don’t regret getting the tattoo, but rather how it ultimately turned out. For something that I’d hoped would be a lifelong commemoration of loved ones, I really wanted it to be perfect, and I’m just quite unhappy with it.
I also feel really stupid, because I researched “getting your first tattoo” almost obsessively beforehand, and every advice column said don’t make it official unless you’re 100% about it. I think because of the adrenaline, my friends/the artist’s confidence and the fact that I’d put down a $100 deposit, I convinced myself that I would be happy with the results. Not an excuse; I’m taking full responsibility for this, but it is a terrible feeling to have invested so much time and thought into this for it to turn out subpar. The worst is that I know if it had turned out the way I’d hoped, I would really be in love with it.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys.
Please bear with me on the length here – I am very conflicted about my next course of action and would really appreciate any advice from people who have experienced similar regrets.
It seems like my story isn't altogether unfamiliar. I am one of the people who thought about getting a tattoo for years -- actually about two and a half years before I actually went out and got it. My father had a Marine Corps tattoo that he absolutely hated, so I had always been wary about them and I knew firsthand how permanent they were. Since my dad is was in his 80s, I chalked most of his regret up to the fact that he got the tattoo so young (17) and that it commemorated an event he’d eventually want to forget (his service in WWII).
When my father died about a month ago, I decided I would finally get my tattoo. I wanted to get something that would commemorate one of my best friends who passed away several years ago, as well as my father. I spent hours and hours looking online and trying to come up with the exact idea for what I wanted. I decided upon a dandelion design (based off an old paperweight my dad had that I loved) with two birds -- one to symbolize him, and the other for my friend. You can see the design that I brought into the tattoo parlor above; it’s quite delicate and beautiful.
I researched shops for hours, eventually deciding upon one where my roommate had gotten his tattoo about a year ago. It's listed as one of the best tattoo shops in NYC, and I won't name it here because I don't really fault the shop or the artist for the fact that I'm not satisfied. Anyway, I went in for a consultation about a week before the tattoo appointment, and I explained exactly what I wanted, the size, where, etc. The artists seemed to understand completely, and I was pretty impressed with his portfolio, particularly his detail work. I trusted him because he's a professional, and I told him to come up with something that would translate well in a tattoo.
When I came in for the actual tattoo, I brought my friends with me for support. The artist hadn’t even begun to work on a sketch, which should have concerned me more, in hindsight (mistake #1). He told me it was a pretty straightforward design, and he sketched it out in front of me. I was a bit shocked at the size, which was bigger than I’d intended to get; but (here’s mistake #2) I let him talk me into it, as he said that the larger size would look the best. He seemed pretty intent on making it this big, and when the outline was placed on my arm, I was a little unsure but figured I would put my trust in the artist (the outline was also not completely filled out yet, so it looked much lighter). My friends told me it looked good (mistake #2 – should have trusted my gut), and I went ahead and got it done despite my hesitance, chalking it up to being nervous about my first tattoo.
Here’s where things stand now: I’ve only had it for four days, and I’m already filled with regret about the dandelion design. I actually really love the whisps and the birds coming off it, but I think the actual dandelion is quite ugly. Nothing like the beautiful, light design I brought in as an example. It looks like a weed growing out of my arm. I’ve researched the hell out of it, and I know that the shading in the flower will eventually fade once a layer of skin grows over it – but I don’t think it will fade enough for my liking.
The actual tattoo is all black ink, with a little bit of white highlighting.
Here are my questions:
-I’ve included an image of what I HOPE I can get the tattoo reduced to, which involves lasering off the actual flower and just leaving the pretty whisps and the birds, which I’m totally satisfied with.
-Is it even possible to remove only half of this tattoo?
-If I go this route, what are the chances I can get the dandelion almost completely removed? I have olive skin, which is pretty pale right now but I tan very easily (hardly ever burn). I also tend to recover well from injuries with very little scarring.
-Do you guys recommend going to a doctor/dermatologist, med spa or someplace that deals exclusively with tattoo removal? After putting a ton of research into the initial parlor and being unhappy with my results, I’m hesitant to trust the reviews of removal spas/businesses online.
-I’ve read that white ink is almost impossible to remove – for the small white highlights within the dandelion, will these actually get darker with removal?
-Do you think it might be a better option to get the dandelion removed as much as possible, and then get a cover of something else – I was thinking either text or another attempt at the flower. I’m a bit hesitant to try another flower, given how this one turned out.
Sorry this is long, but I have been pretty down about the whole thing – particularly since I don’t regret getting the tattoo, but rather how it ultimately turned out. For something that I’d hoped would be a lifelong commemoration of loved ones, I really wanted it to be perfect, and I’m just quite unhappy with it.
I also feel really stupid, because I researched “getting your first tattoo” almost obsessively beforehand, and every advice column said don’t make it official unless you’re 100% about it. I think because of the adrenaline, my friends/the artist’s confidence and the fact that I’d put down a $100 deposit, I convinced myself that I would be happy with the results. Not an excuse; I’m taking full responsibility for this, but it is a terrible feeling to have invested so much time and thought into this for it to turn out subpar. The worst is that I know if it had turned out the way I’d hoped, I would really be in love with it.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys.