hello smogon!!
i've been meaning to create this thread for a while, as the subject matter has continued to grow near and dear to my heart over time!
this article does a great job at saying most of what I would want to say on the topic as an intro, but I'll include the first thing you need to know here:
there's no denying it: getting a tattoo is painful!! inked art on our bodies can look so incredible, but it is totally valid being unable to achieve a vision if the pain is too much. a friend of mine had a huge virgin Mary piece that was only outlined on her stomach for several years, because tattooing over the abdomen is miserable. but, she finished eventually!!! and if she never did, who cares!
tattoos are for you, regardless of what anyone else says. so let's review tattoo etiquette on and off this thread:
i've been meaning to create this thread for a while, as the subject matter has continued to grow near and dear to my heart over time!
TATTOOS
this article does a great job at saying most of what I would want to say on the topic as an intro, but I'll include the first thing you need to know here:
"Tattoos are permanent markings on the skin made by way of ink and needles.
Once the ink is deposited into the second layer of skin known as the dermis,
the wound scabs over and the skin heals to expose a design under the new layer."
Once the ink is deposited into the second layer of skin known as the dermis,
the wound scabs over and the skin heals to expose a design under the new layer."
there's no denying it: getting a tattoo is painful!! inked art on our bodies can look so incredible, but it is totally valid being unable to achieve a vision if the pain is too much. a friend of mine had a huge virgin Mary piece that was only outlined on her stomach for several years, because tattooing over the abdomen is miserable. but, she finished eventually!!! and if she never did, who cares!
tattoos are for you, regardless of what anyone else says. so let's review tattoo etiquette on and off this thread:
- DO NOT TOUCH ANOTHER PERSON'S TATTOO WITHOUT THAT PERSON'S CONSENT.
I don't know what it is about people having tattoos on their skin, but sometimes people interpret this as an open invitation to grab your tattooed body part and examine it. This is never, ever okay. Unless you say so! Despite you using your body as a canvas and art piece, and you going out and existing in this world, this does not mean your body has any less autonomy, nor does it mean that you are public property available for scrutiny any more than a non-tattooed person. This has happened to me a few times, and it's jarring every single time. Usually old women, but that's my experience! (I think narrow minded-people in general are the most "impressed" by such radical acts as tattooing, which causes them to lose all common sense when they lunge at you to look at your ink)
- DO NOT PRY INTO WHY SOMEONE GOT THEIR TATTOO.
This should be self-explanatory. Same way you wouldn't ask someone why their face looks the way it does, if someone doesn't offer the background of their tattoo on their own, don't go snooping! Lots of people could be embarrassed at a bad tattoo, or they've chosen to get an image on them to express a feeling they'd rather not express vocally. Maybe the tattoo is still new so they're sick and tired of explaining why they got it, having answered the same question several times already. All of that to say again, people get tattoos for themselves, not you!—please respect the information people choose to share with you about themselves.
- DO NOT ASK TO SEE SOMEONE'S TATTOO(S).
This rule is more for IRL, but applies here too. Regardless of your best intentions, it's inherently rude to stop someone and ask that they take the time to show you more of their body for no better reason than you wanting to see it. I think people's brains don't interpret tattooed skin the same way, only in that it doesn't register as skin on some basic biological level, so for whatever reason the fact that it is still attached to your body doesn't phase people when they stop to make demands about you showing them your body, or allowing them to touch your body. All of this sounds crazy to do if it didn't involve tattoos, right? So, it's just as uncomfortable when tattoos are involved! Respect people's bodies!
- SHARE PHOTOS OF YOUR TATTOO/TATTOO IDEAS!
This could be a tattoo you just got at the shop, an image that inspires your tattoo idea, or it could be the first tattoo you ever got years ago. Please share!! Tattoos have existed for ages throughout several cultures, and it's incredible to see the different styles of tattoo out there based on country or region. I want to get tattooed in another country but haven't yet. ( **The only rule I'll add here likely already exists for smogon dot com, which is no explicit content! use [spoiler tags and your best judgement when posting potentially suggestive images as they may or may not be deleted at mod discretion.**) Also, feel free to blur or otherwise cover any part of your image that you don't want displayed to preserve your privacy when showing off your ink. That's all we want to see in this thread: tattoos and tattoo inspirations! ((please also share images of existing tattoos available to you that you like, even if you don't intend to get the tattoo yourself! you might inspire someone else~))
- PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS!
I grew up hearing that tattoos hurt the worst over certain parts of the body, and have found my own experiences to differ in some cases. Some assessments are spot on (the abdomen is the hell-dimension for tattoos!!!) but everyone's experience is ultimately unique. And it's not just about pain! Please ask questions about preparing for a tattoo, aftercare, experiences with tattoos healing, etc. Anything you might want to ask about tattoos or getting them—do it! I will do my best to answer questions from my personal experiences (I have uhhh 8 tattoo visits?? so far hehe) but I encourage anyone to share their own anecdotal advice, or any vetted sources of information they want to provide to help answer a query. A popular misconception for instance, is that melanated skin (highly pigmented/containing more melanin/darker) cannot take colored ink. Fortunately for eyeballs everywhere, this is beautifully false.
- TALK ABOUT TATTOOS!
I mean, this is the thread to do it in, right? Please also feel free to discuss what constitutes a bad tattoo, as it is a painful and expensive process to get something removed (literally lasers). Typically a tattoo is only bad if the person whose body it resides on decides that it's bad, but there are certain things you can be mindful to AVOID in your tattoo venture. I'd have to google the timeline for this, but (hopefully) all tattoo shops nowadays have an explicit line on the tattoo agreement that you initial, wherein you UNDERSTAND THAT THE SPELLING OF YOUR TATTOO IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!! Imagine if your "based" tattoo comes out a bit too "bassed." Crazier things have happened! Any reputable tattoo shop will put a stencil of your intended tattoo on your skin, this has always been purple in my experience. Trust the stencil—this is harder than the tattoo in most cases. The tattooing is just the act of tracing the stencil after it's been applied to your skin. Whatever the stencil looks like is what your tattoo will look like! Don't be afraid to ask them to reposition the stencil—I have done this twice, and was both times happy I did! They just rub it off with a few swipes of alcohol and try again.
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