To tattoo or not to tattoo

First off, I'm new here and I'm not sure if this is technically MA related or not, but I'll put it here...

I've recently moved back home from University where I've been doing TKD for a couple years, and decided to use this 'off-time' (while I look for a decent TKD school back here) to get the Tattoo I've wanted for a year.

I was wondering if there's any adverse effects on tattoos from bruising, as I'm guessing that when I get back to sparring I'm gonna take a quite a few hits to my arms, and the tattoo goes from my wrist up to my neck. If anyone out there has a tattoo and perhaps has taken a few bad shots on top of it?

I know the idea is not to get hit, but if we could all do that it'd just be a pretty dance wouldn't it? And obviously I'm not gonna start until it's healed up completely.

Enjoi

 

Well when you get a tattoo I can garantee were ever you get it, you'll have a really nice sore spot for awhile. In otherwards it makes a nice little place were you woudn't want to get it for awhile. So I've been told.

 

I have no clue about tatoos
Just wanted to welcome you to the site
WELCOME

 

Oops, sorry...Welcome to MAP.com...If you feel like staying for a long time...you should post an intro about yourself in the Intro section. If you want the "OFFICIAL WELCOME" from MAP. You know, I don't think we have an official welcome here...I have to make one now.


EDIT: And he did put something in the INTRO..off to my official welcoming duties.

 

Nope - tattoos can put up with bruising, doesnt do anything bad.
I've taken a few serious knocks to my tattoos when surfing, and even surface grazing doesnt do anything.

But consider it carefully. If you put muscle on, the skin can stretch. They can touch it up, but its rarely perfect again.

And welcome to MAP

FW

 

this is partially true. In the healing process they can get torn off and you will have to get them redone.

 

Never had any problems with my one on my shoulder.

 

Also, there are quite a lot of thai boxers that have them on there shins and they still look fine. I would'nt let it bother you.

 

I haven't had a problem with the work I've been thinking about getting for a year now.

Actually, If you're getting something done, do me a personal favor and avoid getting the "Chinese symbol for this" or the "Japanese symbol for that", unless of course, you speak/read Chinese or Japanese. I know I'll get grief for this, but I never could understand why someone would get ink in a language you can't even understand.

Sure, the artist tells you it's the Japanese symbol for strong warrior, but then you show up in Tokyo, and everyone's giggling at your tattoo that says "Goofy American Tourist". Sorry folks, I'm sure this touched a sensitive spot on some of you (no pun intended). Just my thoughts.

Oh, and welcome to the herd!!

 

You will have a brief healing period in which you must protect the area tatooed. Figure a week or two, depending on how much, how big. If you do not protect it during this period, you risk opening a scab and ruining the tatoo. If you doing an entire arm you are probably not going to get this done in one session though. Once the tatoo is healed it's just like your normal skin.

 

Go for it! Protect it while healing, use a good sunblock afterwards and some vitamin E lotion to keep it looking good. After it's healed, it can take any abuse you would normally subject your body to. I'm about 25% covered (arms, legs, chest and back) and never had a worry.
One more bit of advice, be sure of what you want and where. If you plan on getting more, stick with a theme or style. It'll look much better in years to come if your tats have a theme or style running thru instead of a hodge podge of ink.

 

Yes, I agree! Please don't do that... every second muscled guy you see has some sort of chinese/japanese symbol tatooed on his arm and has no clue what it means but just thought it looked cool.

Make sure you pick something that in years to come won't make you wish you hadn't done that. Remember it will stick with you forever

 

hey, i'm that guy!!!!!
had it almost 3 years
and i don't regret it (yet)
it is annoying explaining it to people though

 

Are we talking about real tattoos or press on tattoos??

 

I got a scar a little bit on my tattoo but you cannot tell. I got the scar after the tattoo. When you first get it I would recommend not taking hits in that area until it is a little healed. Ink will be coming out as you heal.

 

Thanks for all the replys guys, and the welcome!

Yeah, I have been considering this but I've always been rather scrawny on my arms, and 2 years TKD hasn't bulked me up much. I don't think I'll be putting that much muscle on my arms unintentionally. But as you say, if I do I'll consider going for touch ups, its a rather large and not very intricate design anyway.

Thanks for this, I've been thinking for a year and am pretty sure that this will be my one and only tattoo, it's a rather large tribal design. Though the design does quite visibly run up my neck, but that's a whole other conversation!

I guess I'll be getting it done then, now to look for a good tattoo shop. Thanks again to everyone.

Enjoi

 

One or two thoughts you may or may not have considered.
A large tribal sleeve will take a long time and several sessions to complete, each time needing at least two to three weeks healing time (depending on how quick you heal and how good your skin is to tattoo, you may be a 'bleeder'!) in between any training that may rub or scratch the tattoo.
Is the tribal black infill? Is it thick lines or thin? If it is thick black infill, then it will take a lot of sessions to complete, think on at the very least twelve/fourteen hours plus in total, and this depending on how your skin is. On average two hours is about right for each session. All things being equal tribal almost always looks better filled in black IMO. Have you considered the cost also? Any good tattooist is charging £50 per hour these days, so
your full sleeve tribal might end up costing you a grand! Bear in mind also that any good tattooist will be booked solid for months on end.
Hope this helps some.

 

I thought it would take a few sessions (was thinking 3-4), but from what you're saying Ninestep it seems its gonna take a few more than I realised. It is rather thick black lines (hopefully - I'm not too keen on those greeny blue-blacks I've seen on people).

I was working the cost on £50 p/hour so I was expecting an expensive tattoo. I guess I'll have to talk to some artists to see a rough figure. Are 2 hour sessions usually set by the tattooist or is it around the time I'll start crying from the pain?

It seems that I have a choice of either starting up training again or taking a couple months off to get this done. Back to the thinking board.

 

Most people do expect tattoos to be done quicker than it is indeed usually possible to. Thats why so many baulk when the tattooist tells them how long their project will probably take. Length of sessions are dependant on 'how' your skin is, how it takes the needle, how much you bleed and as you say, how much you wince!
From experience you dont really want to sit for too much more than a couple of hours (once did four, don't recommend it), its not comfortable, plus you then give smaller areas a chance to heal. The outline will be fairly quick, its the filling in that takes the time especially to get a nice even flat black.
There is no real reason not to train, just be intelligent about it, you dont want the scabs being knocked off, they need to do their own thing in their own time or you will lose colour and it will have to re-coloured which is both annoying and expensive (for you!). There are plenty of things you can do without getting your arm hit or rubbed etc. Just use your common sense.

 

Thanks again for all the info. I was advised that I shouldn't be doing anything that would cause me to sweat excessively when the tattoo is healing which is why I was dubious about training. As even if I concentrated on my TKD kicks or general cardio work ready for sparring my body does seem to enjoy sweating. Perhaps this was just advice to make sure it's kept as clean as possible while healing?

I guess it's back on. I'll find a good place and save my cash. Then I just need to practice my "Please don't hit me!" and I should be set.

Thanks again to everyone who replied, wish me some luck.

Enjoi