tatoo question

[mrsflibble]

will a tatoo parlour do an allergy test if you ask them? i want a tatoo. we have a really nice parlour in basildon, very clean, very friendly and walking distance from my house...

i have finally got james to agree to "let" me have one (basically i wanted his approval before i went ahead and did it anyway;kinda to make sure it wouldnt cause a massive fissure in our relationship) but the one thing that worries me is i am allergic to nickel in a big way, and also food dyes.

the way i got him to agree was kinda inspired though. anyone seen the esisode of the simpsons where lisa wants to visit the isis exibit? remember how she fools homer into letting her take the bus? "well i could get a limo, but that'd cost $200....." well i used that tactic in a way. totally by accident i might add!!!

"james I want to do something. i want a tatoo."
"what? why would you want to do that to yourself? it's mutilation!"
"cos i have wanted one for an absolute age."
"i'm not keen on the idea"
"well, i could always get my nose repierced..." (kinda knowing how much he hates piercings...)
"ok, out of the two i would prefer you not to punch holes inyourself so ok, get a tatoo..."
"alright *laughs secretly to herself*"

i think the fact that his mum wanted one for years helped.... as soon as she divorced his dad the first thing she did after the decree absolute came through is she got a butterfly on her shoulder lol!

so yeah. back to my question, will they do an allergy test if i asked them? like a little dot and wait 48 hours to see if i react?

[Penny Lane]

I don't see why not, give them a call & find out.

I'm also very allergic to nickel and other metals but having 8 tattoos wasn't a problem ;)

[Loobyloo]

I've never heard of anyone having an allergice reaction to tattoo ink (I and most of my friends have our fair share of ink!) but that's not to say its not possible.

If its a nice place with proffesional tattooists you should be able to go in and have a chat to them about your worries. They will be able to offer you advice about any possible reactions and may well do an allergy test if they think its necessary (though again I've never heard of this being done). You would have to decide what colours you were having first as different colours are made up of different ingredients (I've found that red heals really quickly on me compared to black and on my OH the colour yellow took an age to heal)

It wouldn't do ay harm to do some research on tinterweb first so you have a bit of background knowledge before you go in and depending o what type of parlour it is you may need to make and appointment for a consultation but they do not charge for this. (well at least I've never met a tattooist that does!)

I hope thats of some help?
You'll have to post some pics once you've had it! Have you got any idea what you want yet? In terms of tattoos my motto is the bigger the better!!

[the.fee.fairy]

It is possible to be allergic to tattoo ink.

Most places are now moving towards organic based inks rather than acrylic based like they used to be.

the most common colours to be allergic to are red and blue (i think). Allergy to tattoo ink usually takes the form ofitching and blistering at the site of the tattoo.

You can ask the tattooist to do an allergy test. If they refuse, then don't go back there and don't let anyone else go there either. For an allergy test, they will take some of the colours that you want (therefore, you have to be sure of the design first so that they can test all the colours being used) and rub it into your arm (usually inner forearm). You leave that to dry and don't wash it off for 24 hours. Then see.

When going to the tattoist, ask them how long they've been tattooing, ask to see their insurance certificates, and their health registry certificate. Then, look at the studio. If it reminds you of a dentist, then its all good. Ask what kind of autoclave they use (ideally it should be a vacuum one, but if its not, its not a disaster) and how often tehy have it spore tested and serviced.
Make sure that your tattooist wears gloves!! And that they have not used the same gloves before. Also make sure that you see the needle being set into the machine so that you can see it comes from a sealed package.

Tattoos are great when done properly, but if the tattooist cocks it up, you're stuck with it until you either have it lasered or covered up.

[mrsflibble]

thanks for the info guys, and especially fee thankyou for the mass of info.

i have had a nose eveyr time i walk past and it does look like a dentist's office lol!! i shall go in and talk with them sometime next week.

i am thinking of a hibiscus flower, from a design I drew about 4 years ago. quite small, about 2" across i think, possibly a bit bigger. it translated well to a vector graphic on photoshop so i think it should translate well to a tattoo. that is, unless they have a design i like better lol!!!

[chrishopper33]

i have several tattoo's including a 3/4 sleeve.

if the tattoo artist is a pro he or she will be more than willing to help in anyway and if they are not sure they will know someone who will, as the tattoo world is quite small.

bit off topic but my 2 top tips for getting ink are -

it is always cold in studios, take a warm shirt/jumper

use nappy rash cream to heal tattoos, this will take only 4 days ish with bepanthen --- http://www.bepanthen.co.uk

[chrishopper33]

let us know how you get on.


ohhh and tattoos are addictive!

[Loobyloo]

ohhh and tattoos are addictive!

Too true! You might just be planning to get one small discreet flower but after that it'll be full back pieces all the way!!

[JulieSherris]

ohhh and tattoos are addictive!

Quite agree!!

I had my first when I was 21 - in the days before it was the done thing..... but then. my mum had 2 when I was born as well....

I now have 4 - my eldest girl has 4, middle girl has 4, and my youngest had 3 (all done before she was 16 at tattoo festivals ) and hubby? Well, he's got 2... and quite often feels like the wimp of the family

Make sure you let us have pics, Mrs F - of ALL of them...

[frozenthunderbolt]

Definitely get the inks tested!

A friend of mine at uni reacted in a big way to a 5inch piece on her ribs - it blistered and went pulpy still hadn't healed after 6 weeks, and was told that she could have it cut off or tattooed over with tannic acid to break up and expel the ink.
Not surprisingly she went with the latter, what she hadn't been told was that she would have to be re-tattooed with the tannic acid every 2 weeks for one and a half years! - rather bitter about that but has some other lovely ink on her regardless .

[StripyPixieSocks]

Definitely get the inks tested!

A friend of mine at uni reacted in a big way to a 5inch piece on her ribs - it blistered and went pulpy still hadn't healed after 6 weeks, and was told that she could have it cut off or tattooed over with tannic acid to break up and expel the ink.
Not surprisingly she went with the latter, what she hadn't been told was that she would have to be re-tattooed with the tannic acid every 2 weeks for one and a half years! - rather bitter about that but has some other lovely ink on her regardless .

That sounds like a bad / dirty tattoo artist rather than an allergy to ink with I believe are anti-allergy as far as I know.

Tattoo places are not always cold, mine is always nice and warm!

DO NOT put any kind of crap over your fresh tattoo... they can leach out the ink, dilute it and generally 'F' it up AND if you get any germs in it the crap can seal it in and make it worse!

Just leave it well alone, don't pick the scabs and cover it up in the shower / bath until it is healed! :)

I love having tattoos, wanted to be a tattoo artist but couldn't hack the violence and rivalry that goes with owning tattoo shops etc.

I have three tattoos and want muuuuuch more :D

[the.fee.fairy]

I'm a fully trained and qualified Body Piercer, and i've spent a lot of time working in a studio that has a tattooist attached...

[Urban Ayisha]

some people get a slight allergy to red ink, i did. every now and then it becomes raised and itchy, like an insect bite. i believe this is only certain brands of ink.

[mrsflibble]

I'm a fully trained and qualified Body Piercer, and i've spent a lot of time working in a studio that has a tattooist attached...

this is why i love the internet; if you don't know someone to ask directly, someone you do know will know someone to refer you to lol!!!!

[the.fee.fairy]

That's how my best fired got to do her tattoo training. I went to finish my piercing qualifications, and put her on to the tattooist in the same studio, and now she's finishing some training there!