Thinking of getting my first tatoo

ladyofthelake

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking of getting my first tatoo but, I'm kinda nervous cause I see the way tats look on people (esp women) when they're older. Should I maybe just get a tiny one or in a place that is easily covered up? Any advice? What made you decide to get your first one and were you nervous?

Kersmash

To be honest, when I'm 60 or 70, or whenever I get all wriinkly, I'm probably not going to care very much what I look like. I'd prefer to be an interesting oldie rather than a plain aul one. But it's still a personal choice.

Sofaspud

Yup, you can either have horrible old wrinkly skin, or artistic old wrinkly skin that shows how you lived when you were young.

But I will say, don't get any tattoos if you have doubts in your mind. It's normal to be nervous and even a bit apprehensive, but you need to be completely sure about what you want, and be sure that you do want it. Otherwise, wondering if you're going to regret it, will lead directly to regretting it.

JohnnyQuid

I'd be more worried about if i'd be able to wipe my arse when i'm that old,but with that set aside,it's old age,it's unavoidable,your skin will get wrinkly and so will the tattoo,but if you have any doubt's then all i can say is don't get one if your are gonna regret it in 50 or 60 years time or even in a years time.We can't make this decision for you,that's totally your choice,we can only give our opionions.Hope i helped.

IRISH DAYWALKER

if i were you i wouldnt worry about tattoos when your older but younger instead, i always loved tattoos and still do but i honestly regret marking my body and i highly doubt i will ever do it again as i have 2 already ( but at least there on my legs and i dont have to look at them all the time ) before i got the tattoos people were saying to me that i would regret it and i was thinking fcuk them but i tell you they were right.....unfortuneately. im sure everyone dosent feel the same as me.... but if you are getting a tattoo think long and hard about the design and placement!

Star Lord

TBH if you don't put enough time/thought into what you want, you will most likely regret it. If you do, then you probably won't.

Also, why the hell would you suddenly stop being proud of a tattoo just because you got old?

blacon9

I say don't worry about regretting it when youre old. At that point it really wont matter. If it does bother you, put it somewhere where people won't see it in 50 years, e.g stomach, thigh, shoulder.

Worry more about getting something that you like enough to go those 50 years and still admire it.

dublin1010

hey there.

got my tattoo 12 years ago. tiny heart on my hip, not visible to anyone and i like it but if you like to change your hair colour dont get the tattoo.

i developed an allergy to all hair colours and now cant do anything with my hair. the hair colour companys now print a warning on all hair colour products. defo not worth it. i hate that i cant dye my hair anymore. the allergy developed bout 7 months after i got the tattoo.

blacon9

Wow i had never heard of that.

My gf will go mad if she develops that allergy. She got her tattoos a few months ago and loves dying her hair =/

Are you allergic to anything else because of it?

Dragonz_Rawr

Hmmm...curiosity got the better of me and I had to google this one because I had heard of henna causing problems but never permanent ink...found this:

Causes & Symptoms
"Tattoo allergies are mostly caused by the red and green ink. This is because the dye used in both the tattoo inks is mostly unregulated in nature. While there are many things that can be used to create the pigment that forms ink, generally, the ink is made up of nickel, mercury (minimal or almost no), cobalt and cadmium. It is these metals that can cause allergic reactions in people. The most common symptoms of allergic reactions to tattoo pigments comes across in the form of itching, swelling, redness of the skin, raised bumps, hives and irritation. In the worst cases, tattooing can also result in oozing and pussing of clear sebum from the skin. "

I've learnt something too! There are different types of ink though - I don't have the time to google it and find out which ones are less susceptible to this though. I think you would have to be very very unlucky to develop a reaction.

CianRyan

I really doubt the allergy to hair dye could be tied into getting a tattoo.
The human body can bring up underlying allergies at anytime, with nothing to trigger them.

Also, stay out of sunbeds, wear skin protection, don't smoke and look after yourself and you're skin won't look as bad when you're older, this meaning, neither will your tattoos.

zero19

I can't wait til i'm an old fart with plenty of tattoos, along with future Mrs.Zero

Dragonz_Rawr

CianRyan wrote: »

I really doubt the allergy to hair dye could be tied into getting a tattoo.
The human body can bring up underlying allergies at anytime, with nothing to trigger them.

Also, stay out of sunbeds, wear skin protection, don't smoke and look after yourself and you're skin won't look as bad when you're older, this meaning, neither will your tattoos.

Ummmmm...now I'm unsure... I absolutely see what you are saying - but I wonder if its possible it can be caused by a larger amount of say, nickel, used in tattoo ink, being put into your body at one time - causing your body to be more sensitive to it in the future??? Like I said though - I think you would have to be VERY unlucky for this to happen. I do agree though that bodies can show up allergies that weren't there before for no apparent reason.

CianRyan

Taken from wiki, on hair dye allergies.

In certain individuals, the use of hair coloring can result in allergic reaction and/or skin irritation.
Symptoms of these reactions can include redness, sores, itching, burning sensation and discomfort. If any of these symptoms occur, alert your hair colorist immediately so that they can remove the color. Symptoms will not always be present right at the application and processing of the tint but can also arise after hours or even a day.
To help prevent or limit allergic reactions, the majority of hair color products recommend that the client conduct a patch test before using the product. This involves mixing a small quantity of tint preparation and applying it directly to the skin for a period of 24 hours. If irritation develops, manufacturers recommend that the client not use the product. A skin patch test is advised before the use of every coloring process, since allergies can develop even after years of use with no reaction.
Adverse reactions can result from both at-home and salon hair coloring products, as similar chemicals are used in both settings.
In some cases, allergic reactions are caused by the aniline derivative and/or p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) found in permanent hair color.

Most hair dye allergies come from peoples intolerence to peroxide, as far as i know, which chemicly alters your colour pigments in your hair.
Don't take this as bible now, I'm educating myself as i go here.

Also, the same ingredients aren't used in both hair dye and tattoo ink, I think.

Of course i could be wrong about all of this, but it just seems very unlikely.

Gauge

If you've had an allergic reaction to hairdye, it's actually a good idea to avoid fake tattoos (where black henna is used to dye the skin) in case you're sensitive to PPD.

Dragonz_Rawr

CianRyan wrote: »

Taken from wiki, on hair dye allergies.


Most hair dye allergies come from peoples intolerence to peroxide, as far as i know, which chemicly alters your colour pigments in your hair.
Don't take this as bible now, I'm educating myself as i go here.

Also, the same ingredients aren't used in both hair dye and tattoo ink, I think.

Of course i could be wrong about all of this, but it just seems very unlikely.

I'm educating myself as I go too...looking more into it, you could very well be right - I think the ingredients are different too.

Gauge wrote: »

If you've had an allergic reaction to hairdye, it's actually a good idea to avoid fake tattoos (where black henna is used to dye the skin) in case you're sensitive to PPD.

Yeah - had heard that henna could cause problems...just never knew what the actual problem was - now I know!

ladyofthelake

Hey!

Thanks everyone for your comments and support, I've decided that if I'm going to get one it's going to be easily covered up by a tank top and maybe even a bikini so, it'll be there but not for everyone to see if I don't want them to

dublin1010

I dyed my hair for years before getting my tattoo and never had a reaction. When I developed the allergy I traced it back to bout 3 months after getting my tattoo. Its a tiny red heart on my hip with black border. Ever since then I cant dye my hair, bleach is ok so its probably not the peroxide. I am allergic to the ppd's which unfortunately are in most hair dyes. I can use 6 - 8 wash shampoo clairol loving care but it washes out in about 2 weeks which is a pain. Resourcinol is another ingredient which can irritate but I think my problem is the ppd.

My daughter is almost 17 and dyes her hair and would like a tattoo in the future but since she sees the reaction i suffer to patch tests she is considering never getting one.

Just think carefully, although i presume not all people develop reactions but I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones.:mad::mad:

dublin1010

blacon9 wrote: »

Wow i had never heard of that.

My gf will go mad if she develops that allergy. She got her tattoos a few months ago and loves dying her hair =/

Are you allergic to anything else because of it?

nope. Just the damn hair dyes:(

dublin1010

CianRyan wrote: »

I really doubt the allergy to hair dye could be tied into getting a tattoo.
The human body can bring up underlying allergies at anytime, with nothing to trigger them.

Also, stay out of sunbeds, wear skin protection, don't smoke and look after yourself and you're skin won't look as bad when you're older, this meaning, neither will your tattoos.

eh, head up to the square and take a look at any packaging for semi permanent hair dyes and it says it in black and white. live in tallaght myself and have tried health stores too, no luck :mad: