Finger tattoos have growing in popularity for the last several years and continuing to increase on almost a daily basis.  There are pros and cons to finger tattoos, and its your responsibility to know them, as many artists will not tell you, but instead take your money for a quick buck.  The texture of the skin changes about half way down the finger (from top to palm, not knuckle to nail).  Because of this, the ink is guaranteed NOT to stay, well not in full anyway.  It will be choppy at best, as seen in the photo above.  There is nothing we as an artist can do to prevent this, except to just not do it.  Many people say this is ok and you can get it touched up, but a touchup over something not guaranteed to stay is a guarantee it will not stay a second time.  It makes the artist look like a bad artist and expecting something to be done for free over and over is taking advantage of something you knew not to do in the first place.

Tops of the fingers are better, and do not heal out poorly as the above photo, but do tend to have a bleed or haze factor around the tattoo.  Fingers are constantly moving and stretching, so adding a liquid ink beneath the surface with no meat to really hold it, this is not a guarantee to look rockin’ in years to come either.

We have had great luck with the tops of the hands, no issues with heal out at all, so long as you are working with a good artist.  There is the potential for scarring with any tattoo in any location with heavy handed and inexperienced artists.  Palms of the hand really don’t hold at all, and must be “really” inked in.  In my opinion it just makes you look like you have dirty hands.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a noncontagious skin condition that produces plaques of thickened, scaling skin. The dry flakes of skin scales are thought to result from the excessively rapid proliferation of skin cells that is triggered by inflammatory chemicals produced by specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes. Psoriasis commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees, and scalp.

Some people have such mild psoriasis (small, faint dry skin patches) that they may not even suspect that they have a medical skin condition. Others have very severe psoriasis where virtually their entire body is fully covered with red, scaly skin.

Psoriasis is considered an incurable, long-term (chronic) skin condition. It has a variable course, periodically improving and worsening. It is not unusual for psoriasis to spontaneously clear for years and stay in remission. Many people note a worsening of their symptoms in the colder winter months, during stressful times, when having gut problems, or having a non-healthy diet.  I found this to be a good article for more info Dr.Dobbin.  He states that by addressing other issues that affect the whole of the body, such as stress and digestive imbalances much can be done to reduce its impact.

How this effects tattoos:  Many tattoo artists will not work with individuals who have visible psoriasis.  I personally, have lived with this disease in my household all of my life, & have mild psoriasis isolated to certain areas of my body.  I have worked with clients and family with this skin condition to help to find treatments that actually work in clearing up problematic areas.  I am open to consulting with you if you have this problem.

The #1 reason for most outbreaks is due to deficiency or excess in nutrition.

When it comes to tattooing, it is not advisable to tattoo over an area that is currently in an outbreak, or one that is prone to breaking out often, as there is a potential of re-occurance at a later date.  Due to psoriasis being a constant peeling of deadened skin, this can be very damaging to a tattoo whether healed or newly applied.

When it comes to bad tattoos, there are options, but who is really honest with you about those options?  Here is what you should know, so you can best decide what is the right choice for what you are wanting to accomplish.

Laser : Newer laser tattoo removal techniques can eliminate your tattoo with minimal side effects. Here’s how it works: lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pigment colors of the tattoo with a high-intensity light beam.  I don’t know that we know the long term effects of having this done yet.

The 2 hardest colors to remove are black and red, and even then its not a guarantee it will be gone completely.  Laser can take up to twelve (12) sessions and costs (at least in the Nashville area) between $200-$300 per session.  It is also excruciatingly painful and can leave scarring or discoloration of the skin.  The advantage to laser is if you just want to try and eliminate the tattoo altogether, or lighten a dark tattoo to make for an easier cover up.  If you are going the cover up route, know that laser continues to break up pigment beneath the skin six (6) months after treatment, so you should not get any new ink until this time has passed from your last treatment.

Cover up : Covering up an unwanted tattoo is the cheaper option. It may completely hide the old tattoo with a new design, or may incorporate elements of part or whole of the existing tattoo.

Poorly applied, very faded or very light tattoos are the easiest to cover. While, you can only cover up a tattoo with the same or darker ink, there are ways in tattooing now in which we can lighten those dark areas, making it easier to achieve coverage and contrast.  When  choosing an artist for a cover up of an old tattoo, make sure they are someone who has done work in this area, and can explain in some detail the ins and outs of how the cover up will work.  This validates they know what they are talking about.

Cover ups of dark tattoos and black lines, may still have a tendency to show through the new tattoo once healed.  Touch ups are generally required for super dark areas, and may or may not be free to the client so please check with your artist first.

Usually when someone gets something small and on-the-fly, there isn’t much preparation needed.  If you are more the collector and/or someone getting a big tattoo requiring more than 1 hour of tattooing, its a good idea to be prepared to make sure you have the best experience possible in receiving your ink, and sitting for longer periods of time without getting sick or fatigued.

1. Do not go out drinking the day of or the day before, alcohol thins the blood and causes you to bleed more, setting you up for a choppy heal out.
2. Get plenty of rest the night before you come in, maybe even take a nap before coming in.
3. Do not call all your friends wanting to know if it is going to hurt, this builds your psyche up telling you you are about to have the worst experience of your life.
4. Read something calming and inspiring to you, so you come in with good energy, not bad energy from #3.
5. Self shave if you can, or if you are really hairy in the area being tattooed, buzz it down with clippers, so it doesn’t take 3 razors and 30 minutes on the artist’ part.
6. Wear clothing that is appropriate to the location you are receiving the tattoo.  It makes it more difficult for the artist to work around, and in the end, if that article needs to be shed, you don’t want to be sitting there half naked.  Also make sure the clothing in that area is clean, older so if ink gets on it, its no big deal, and loose so its not abrasive to your new tattoo.
7. Pack a few things to bring such as;
   1. Drinks (NOT energy drinks)
   2. Protein Bar or sugar substance for a booster around 2 hours in
   3. Pillow if you are in a lying down position
   4. Blanket if you get cold easily, most studios are kept about 70-72 degrees
   5. Book, Games, or Music with ear buds, whatever puts you at ease, as this may vary from your artists selection, and you want your artist to also be in their zone, which may differ from your preferences.
   6. Photo ID with Birthdate on it
   7. Money

I know most people like to travel in groups, but actually getting tattooed by yourself, allows you to connect more with your artist, and people do not tend to get as relaxed and comfortable with someone always talking to them wanting to know if it hurts or have a camera in your face every time you squint.  We want your art to turn out to the best of our ability, and distractions can zap our creative flow so please be considerate of your artist and your artwork.

If you have any health or skin conditions, please advise your artist ahead of time so there isn’t any bad dealings with this later.

Remember tattooing is a Sacred Art Form and should be treated as such.