A question about tattoo artists.
By syramoon
@syramoon (654)
United States
June 26, 2012 8:40am CST
So, I have this problem. About four years ago I got a tattoo. It's just a small ankh on my chest, but even though the artist touched it up after it initially healed, it needs touched up again, and never looked that great anyway. This guy that owns a small store (not tattoo shop) near my house, says he has a friend who isn't licensed who after looking at a picture of my tattoo will touch it up for ten dollars. Now the guy that originally did it was licensed. Although I'm friend with this guy and all of that, I'm not so sure that I want someone who isn't licensed working on my body with permanent ink, and I told him so. He said well look at the how well 'the professional' did. Now, he does have a point there. And I know all about not doing something I'm not comfortable with, and it doesn't matter who does it professional or not, about making sure they use clean needles and all of that, but what about you mylotters, would you let someone who wasn't licensed give you a tattoo? Why or why not. Do any of you have any experience with this?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
26 Jun 12
I wouldn't because like you said you don't know if they are clean or not. Even going to a tattoo shop there is always a risk but it's a lot lower then someone that doesn't work there. If he wasn't licensed but working with a licensed person in there shop and learning then maybe I would feel most comfortable. But I got mine done throw a shop just like my husband. he still needs a few touch ups on some things and that happens but these are only his first and if you have color certain colors do need more touch up then others. My husband has a blue on and it's been touched up once and he needs to get it done again. They don't want to irritate the skin and breaking to much so that is why they have to go back over and over again. But the place we go to will do it for free at least the first maybe even a second time depending on the artist that is doing it.
Since I have no colored tattoo just outline I don't need touch up that often as my husband does to at least 1 of his tattoos. When he gets his new tattoo after we save up for it he is going to get his touch ups done that day too so we know it's going to take a while that day the last time he had touch up it took 3 hours but that is because he had 3 different colors and some outline and they where doing more then one tattoo.
1 person likes this
@syramoon (654)
• United States
26 Jun 12
Mine only took about fifteen minutes the first time, and is just solid black. I don't think I'm going to be able to go through with it even if it would be cheaper. I think I'm just going to end up having to wait until I can afford to go to a shop and get it done. I know they have to be touched up every now and then, which is why I don't plan on getting any new ones.
1 person likes this
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
29 Jun 12
Do what you think is best for you. I would most likely wait as well to do it with someone I do trust and do know does this for a living in a shop. My husband mostly has all line work but it still needs touch up. He only has one tattoo that has color and one part of it needs another touch up. But he wants to get them all done at one time so this way we aren't making several trips to just get one at a time done. We have an artist that we like and gives us a small discount not a huge one, she likes us and we like her. She is a single mom so this is her only income, but the shop is great. They have pretty much seen me through this whole pregnancy off and one. They can't wait for us to bring in our little guy after he is born.
@GajaGamini (1067)
• India
27 Jun 12
I have a tattoo on my forearm but I do not want to keep it, I wan to remove it but I do not understand how can I do it, it is a permanent tattoo and I think need get another tatoo to hide this tattoo but I do not want to do it. i think I have only way that is surgery but it would be expensive.
@GajaGamini (1067)
• India
29 Aug 12
my tattoo is not huge it is just a "D" and I want to remove but I do not know how can I do that.
thanks for the suggestion of laser and surgery but I do not think just to remove a tattoo I would go with surgery or laser treatment but I think cream would be good choice but it should not have reactions and results should be fast.
nice to hear that you have worked with doctor and have information regarding skin. I know skin treatment needs sitting to get cover up a normal acne treatment need three to four sitting then we should guess about the laser and plastic surgery treatments.
@theguy03 (185)
• United States
9 Jul 12
Surgery and lazer removal are the only ways to completley remove it. I have worked at a skin doctors office or dermitology office and everyone reacts different to the lazer, this takes multiple treatments, it may also leave discolored skin that appears perminantley inflamed or swolen. Surgery leaves a scar and takes longer to recover. There are some creams and injections out there that will make the tattoo fade faster to a less noticable shade, also much cheaper. How you choose to go about this is up to you really, just do your research and know what your doing. Hope this was helpfull, best of luck.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
26 Jun 12
Would you go to a doctor that didn't have his/her license? No! So why trust an tattoo artist that isn't licensed? If your art looks good to you, then leave it alone. If it doesn't, then go back to the original artist Or to a new Licensed artist that can either cover it up with new art or add something new , a new vision.
@syramoon (654)
• United States
26 Jun 12
That's what I was thinking. I've seen a lot of good art that unlicensed artist have done, and a lot of it looks good, but I think I'm just too paranoid to have someone who isn't a professional do art on me. I just want it touched up in a few places. It's tiny and isn't that noticeable. So I'm most likely going to end up waiting until I can afford to get it touched up professionally. 
1 person likes this
@mistissa (1349)
• Netherlands
10 Sep 12
First of all being licensed does not mean a thing in the tattoo industry. Someone can be a very lousy tattoo artist and be licensed, or one could be great and not licensed. In this case it probably has nothing to do with the work that was done but with the ink that was used, since it has to be touched up again. However I cannot tell you for certain since I have not seen a photo of the work that is done.
@acey76 (1276)
• Philippines
27 Jun 12
yeah, i have a friend who experienced it at she got a tattoo when she's there at japan and got retouched here when she get back in the Philippines, and it's a messed although both are licensed tattoo artist, then a friend of mine initiated to do the job but he is not licensed and he did it pretty well. I think we should not look at it if it is licensed or not, it's how they do the job, safe and well finished.
@theguy03 (185)
• United States
9 Jul 12
I've got a tattoo that I had done a long time ago, actually while I was in infantry training over in California, and it slowly has become patchy. That will happen regardless of wether it is done by a pro or an ammature. However, not having a liscense is a bad thing. They are not held to the same sanitation or ink standards. If you get a tattoo from these people you are risking getting an illness, disease or even poisoned. Before you get a tattoo anywhere you need to make sure that the parlor and artist are liscensed and certified to do what they are doing. It also does not hurt to make sure that people recomend the place, The tattoo will be permanent so looking for a cheap one is not always the best idea.
