Tattoos

Wow that's awesome

really great

Crikey that's HUGE! Love it
How long did it take?

Thanks!

Probably 8 hours total, Liam's quick! But also did it over a bunch of smaller sessions

Nice!
Very quick considering it's your whole back

Fucking hell, 8 hours is rapid for that! Looks great.

Does anyone have positive experiences with numbing cream? I had my stomach lined yesterday and it was the most uncomfortable and frankly painful 2 hrs of my entire life. I do not wish to go through that again when having shading and colour done. I thought I'd be able to finish the whole thing seeing as I had a very large back tattoo done in one hit ten years ago - boy was I wrong. Ha. Was a huge shock considering I have tattoos everywhere else on my body - other than my knees and ribs.

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Yes, I had a very good experience with Bactine. It was on the most painful tattoo I've ever had (top of the chest) and it made a world of difference.

I had some after about 8.5 hrs into one session on my arm.
The artist really wasn't keen to do it, but I couldn't hack the white without it.
After the numbing cream I literally couldn't feel a thing. Could see the needle going in, but zero pain.
Weirdly, I didn't like it... I think I like tattoo pain.
But meant I managed the full 10hr session.

I’ve used bactine and vasocaine sprays, also emla cream when my nipples/belly button were done - there’s also something that is hard to get in the UK but is available in the US (so should work for you iirc). I’ll see if I can dig out the name

No issues with healing, though many artists are not keen on emla cream in particular as it makes the skin spongy or something

Vasocaine is good until it wears off, then it’s just worse than without

Jesus. A ten hour session is insane. For you and the artist.

But thanks everyone. Good to know it works. The most common stuff on this side of the pond seems to be 5% lidocaine cream that’s just branded differently. I’ll of course speak to my artist and do a patch test etc before using it.

Edit oh looks like bactine is just 4% lidocaine so I should be good to go.

At the other end of the scale of size and pain, did a little self poke heart.

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Did you sleep well the night before/were you hungover?
I also found that the older I get the more painful tattoos become. I had one done that's goes from shin just over the curve into foot, and when it was on the foot I found it close to unbearable. I was super hungover though I chalked it up to that. I now think my teenage self had a far higher pain tolerance than my current late 30s self though. Now they all really hurt no matter where they are.

Yea the artist was/is a machine. We did 4x 10hr sessions to do my arm.
I'm pretty good with the pain. Fell asleep when my elbow was being done.

Prob worth mentioning, though by now I’m sure you know - belly is a popular choice for “most painful spot”.

I def had a better tolerance for it all when I was younger, and my belly got lined when I was 21. I thought I’d accidentally gone in for some surgery, breathtakingly horrible. Shading was loads better (plus that happened at a convention so I was highly incentivised not to embarrass myself)

How much do artists cost on average - a few I’ve spoken to seem to be around £100 per hour and cash only… (Bristol / Bath)

I wouldn't expect to pay any less than that for someone established and decent!

Anywhere between £350-£1500/day is about right for a day rate depending on the popularity of the artist and style of work.
£100/hr is pretty much (good)apprentice prices in London.

If you’re in Bristol I’d highly recommend PeggyBrown

https://www.instagram.com/misspeggybrown?igsh=dnRieHR3bTJweGgz

I used cream from horikitsune tattoo for shading on my back, crazy stuff, good for 2 hours.

Lots of tattooists I know use the same stuff, heard something about his dad being an anaesthetist idk.

He has a shop on Copenhagen street, or you can order it here.

https://www.holyfoxtattoos.de/precare/

I’ve only got a few bits on my belly, don’t remember it being so bad, certainly easier than armpit, upper ribs or nipple.
Guess it’s different for everyone though..
Bactine seems to be the weapon of choice in a lot of studios for those who haven’t used a numbing cream but need some help.

All I know is tktx(if it even still exists) is utter shit and turns your skin into a weird jelly texture that makes life harder for the artist.
Some folks also have horrific reactions to it so assume it’s best avoided.

I had read that too Re Tktx @edmundro ! I don't think it helps that the work I get typically uses relatively fat liners. And even though it doesn't really look like it that much, it wrapped onto my ribs quite a lot. Closer to my belly button wasn't that bad at all, but the roses and filigree on the right and left hand side of the tattoo were fucking rough.

@sorethroat - yep was very well rested, fed, hydrated and so on. Had consumed a single beer the day before. Really do think the stomach just sucks. I had also read that being a bit chubby can make the pain worse so my excess belly fat probably didn't help.

@jackbepablo - yeah, though, every other tattoo I've gotten in the last two years has generally been totally fine - so I think the pain factor just took me by surprise. Made my back feel like an absolute cake walk.

Hmm yeah, I’ve not had a fat liner for a while so maybe my experience is out of date on that front 😅
Something also really sucks when you’re mentally prepared for one area but it wraps onto something you’re not expecting..
My partner is big on meditation and can effectively zone out for 3-4hrs at a time and doesn’t even really know she’s being tattooed. She managed that full heavy sleeve I posted a few pages back with no cream. It’s a bit weird as it kinda looks like she’s in a coma but works for her.

Reminds me of the Hooper V Peck palm tattoo video where Hooper just sits there astral projecting like a boss.

Weird synchronicity. I passed that place earlier today (probably about the time you posted!), having never noticed it before and was trying and failing to figure out what the name was from the very ornate lettering. I got "something fox" before I whizzed past.
Looked like a great spot!

Damn Liz lol. That is what eventually got me over the finish line. Just deep belly breathing and focusing on my breath. And yeah, absolutely. It was just much worse than I anticipated and that really didn't help.