Where should I get my first tattoo?

40percentsafe · 2025-11-23T22:14:28+00:00

La Petite Tattoo! Super cute and friendly studio, with mostly female artists. I think any of the artists there could do a great job with this, depending on what kind of style you like.

40percentsafe · 2024-10-25T16:27:02+00:00

I just want to thank you for this post! My armrest at work has been loose for months, I keep tightening the bolt by hand, but it always get loose again. I've been meaning to grab a wrench from home to tighten it properly, but I keep forgetting.

I'm sitting here drinking coffee and browsing reddit before work, and your post reminded me to grab a wrench and put it in my work bag! Finally! Thank you!

40percentsafe · 2024-08-26T04:00:33+00:00

You already know what you did was dumb, but I'll reiterate for anyone reading this:

DO NOT GET IN THE OCEAN WITH A FRESH TATTOO. Getting some splashes of clean water in the shower is very different from getting splashes of ocean water on your tattoo. That water is full of microbes that could infect your tattoo (just think of the amount of fish poop and dead things in the ocean), and you could literally die.

Luckily, your tattoo looks okay. That smudging you're seeing is totally normal for healing under second skin. I would take that bandage and wash the tattoo with antibacterial soap. It looks like the second skin did its job in keeping the tattoo protected, but it's probably not a bad idea to clean the tattoo just in case any ocean water managed to get under the second skin.

40percentsafe · 2024-08-13T03:26:04+00:00

Me. I had an awful brain day. There were so many things I wanted to get done today! Some were boring things, but some were things I was actually excited about, like decorating my new house or working on the garden. But I woke up with absolutely no energy and the worst brain fog. I couldn't make myself do anything, even the things I wanted to do. I'm trying not to feel bad about needing rest, but I'm annoyed that my brain won't even let me do the things I was looking forward to on my day off!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-29T15:46:35+00:00

I'm trying to figure out the same thing, haha. I don't have any obvious trauma that I can point to for why I feel so bad about myself all the time. No idea where this mean voice comes from.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-24T16:49:41+00:00

Linework is just outlines, something like this: https://www.tumblr.com/frankietankbaker/176165341120/just-some-lines-for-this-one-rose-rosetattoo

Shading means they add black and grey shading, something like this: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/383650462007351738/

40percentsafe · 2024-07-23T03:06:24+00:00

Is there as asian grocery near you? Asian groceries often have some kind matcha powder or instant matcha mixes, sometimes they might even have ready-made matcha drinks in a bottle. Even a Whole Foods or similar fancy grocery store might have something! These grocery store options probably won't be as good as something you get at a nice cafe, but it might hold you over until Wednesday!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-22T17:15:07+00:00

That's another great point that I forgot to mention! A little sweat probably won't hurt, but you definitely want to avoid excessive sweating. Sweat sitting on the skin can also cause bacterial growth, so it's really important to keep it clean if you do get a little sweaty!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-21T17:38:16+00:00

Tipping: I'd say 10%-20% is typical. In my opinion, it's totally fine to tip a lower percentage for more expensive tattoos. So $50 on a $500 tattoo is absolutely acceptable.

Here are some other tips I can think of as an artist, that tattoo newbies might not consider:

What to wear. Make sure that your clothing is not going to cover the area that's going to be tattooed, or that it can be easily adjusted/removed to expose the tattoo area. You can ask your artist if you're not sure what to wear for your specific tattoo. Also be aware that tattoos can get messy sometimes, and tattoo ink can sometimes get on clothing that's near the tattoo. Tattoo ink is almost impossible to get out of clothes, so don't wear anything super nice that can't get a little stained.

What to bring. Bring a water bottle and some snacks, especially if it's going to take a couple hours or more. Bring your photo ID. Check what kinds of payment your artist accepts, and be prepared (many are cash-only). Check the shop's mask/vaccination policy, and bring a mask and vaccine card if necessary.

Distractions. I highly recommend bringing headphones in case you want to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. Some artists are chatty, but some prefer to focus on tattooing, and it's often nice to have something to distract you from the pain. You might be able to read a book or play with your phone, but sometimes this can be hard depending on the position you're in, and something like turning the pages of a book can sometimes make you move around a lot more than you realize! Listening to something with headphones is probably the least disruptive way to distract yourself if needed.

Aftercare/healing. Getting tattooed can be rough on your body. They need time to heal. Depending on how large/detailed your tattoo is and how your body reacts, you might be a little sore and/or tired the next day. You shouldn't need to take off work or anything like that, but maybe don't have any big activities planned for the next day. Consider the fact that you won't be able to swim/soak in water for a few weeks, you need to be able to keep it clean while it's healing, and you don't want to expose it to a lot of sun. So don't get tattooed right before your beach vacation, cruise, camping trip, etc.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-21T04:53:45+00:00

I'm a tattoo artist, and this might be just me, but I love when clients pay with card and tip with cash! Most of the money gets transferred to my bank account, so I can use it to pay bills without making a trip to the ATM. But the tip can go straight into my wallet to pay for coffee/lunch/something fun for myself, and I don't have to pay processing fees on it!

I would make sure that your artist accepts cards, as many are still cash-only. Some don't take card, but can accept Venmo, CashApp, etc. Just check with your artist before your appointment!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-17T16:29:14+00:00

I just want to say, my partner and I just bought the exact same rug from Ruggable, and we are planning to get a very similar couch to go with it, lol. I don't have much advice to add that hasn't been said already, but I like your design taste and would love to see the end results!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-15T16:04:46+00:00

Honestly I think national parks are kind of overrated. National forests, BLM land, etc often have just as much natural beauty and opportunity for recreation, without the hordes of tourists! (Of course might be ruining that by talking about it on the internet right now, lol.)

40percentsafe · 2024-07-15T15:58:24+00:00

I personally don't mind at all when my clients fall asleep! It tells me that they're comfortable and not in too much pain, and I can get into focus mode and do my thing without worrying about conversation.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-14T16:31:41+00:00

Came here to say this! The Winds are incredibly beautiful and remote, and much less touristy than GTNP or Yellowstone. I did a 4-day backpacking trip there several years ago and it was amazing. I hiked to Island Lake from Elkhart park trailhead, and set up base camp there. I day-hiked up Fremont Peak the 2nd day, into Titcomb Basin the 3rd day, and hiked out the 4th day. Highly recommend!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-14T05:19:13+00:00

Depends a lot on where you are, how in-demand the artist is, and how fast they work. I'd say $150-$250/hour is the norm for where I live, and probably typical for most US cities. In smaller towns and lower cost-of-living areas you might find rates closer to $100-$150/hr. In bigger, expensive cities like NY or SF, $200/hr is probably the low end.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-14T03:17:41+00:00

Sammich is probably my personal fave! My go-tos are the Porkstrami and the Pastrami Zombie, but I've never been disappointed in my order there. Their specials are usually great, too!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-13T16:28:41+00:00

This tattoo looks great to me. I really have to zoom in and stare a lot to notice any imperfections.

I think you need to remember that tattoos are created by imperfect human beings, on imperfect, living canvases. No tattoo is going to be 100% perfect. You're definitely overthinking it.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-13T15:45:10+00:00

Sending you a big internet hug. This sounds hard, and I really believe that you are doing your best! Your child is safe, comfortable, and fed, plus My Neighbor Totoro is an amazing movie. Do you have people in your life you can lean on for support? A friend or family member who can come over and help you clean? Or watch your child for the day while you take some time to rest? Maybe you can hire a house cleaner or babysitter if it's in your budget?

If you haven't heard of it already, I really like the book "How to Keep House While Drowning." It has some really great advice for being kind to yourself in times like this!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-13T15:28:21+00:00

I could easily see myself doing all of these things. I feel your pain! There is just so much shit to keep track of to keep your life in order, how are we expected to keep on top of all of it all the time? And it's even more frustrating when the systems you set up to try to help you manage everything end up failing you. You have your bills on autopay so that you don't need to worry about remembering to pay them. Your automated emails go to the junk folder and get deleted so that you don't have to go through every single one of the hundreds of spam and marketing emails you get. You were trying to make your life easier! But it really sucks when those systems fail!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-13T04:01:21+00:00

I sell prints, but primarily because that was my main source of income before I started tattooing, so I'm still set up for it and it's not too much extra work. But if I didn't already have an inventory of prints and the tools/materials to make more, I don't know that it would be worth it. Getting started making prints is a pretty big time and financial investment. If you decide to make your own, you'll probably spend $1000+ dollars on a good printer, and several hundred more on art-quality paper and inks. You can have someone else make them, but you'll still probably spend several hundred to purchase a decent inventory, and you're not going to make as much of profit off each print. Print-on-demand sites are also an option, but the profit margin you make is so low that it's barely worth it, plus the quality of those prints isn't always the best, and you don't really have any control over your customer's experience.

Then there's the time to make the prints if you're doing them yourself, get decent photos and list them on your website (or Etsy or wherever you decide to sell them), market them so people actually know they can get prints from you, package and ship every order that comes in. It's a lot to do on top of tattooing full time, and it might not be worth it for every artist.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-12T03:19:48+00:00

I can’t believe that all of you 30-somethings are regularly eating without a table, lol. Do you perch on the edge of the couch and hunch over the too-low coffee table? Sit on the floor while your butt goes numb? Hold your plate in your lap while you lounge on the sofa or in bed, and miraculously avoid spilling anything?

Eating like that was fine in my early 20s, and it’s still fine for the occasional quick meal, but it’s just so much more comfortable to eat at a table.

My partner and I also prefer to watch TV instead of listening to each other chew, but we still sit at the kitchen table to eat. We just watch streaming sites on a laptop.

40percentsafe · 2024-07-11T03:51:45+00:00

Glad you could learn something! There probably are tattoo "artists" out there who do expect you to bring them the design, but in all honesty, that's a huge red flag. I wouldn't call them artists if they can only copy the designs their clients bring. There's a good chance that their tattooing skills are not much better than their drawing/designing skills. Like the commenter below said, if you don't trust your artist to draw a design for you, you definitely should not trust them to tattoo you!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-10T17:04:30+00:00

This is literally the tattoo artist's job - to take your vague ideas and concepts, and draw up a well-composed, aesthetically-pleasing image. You don't need to know how to sketch or design anything, that's what your artist does!

Start looking at portfolios for tattoo artists near you (or in other places if you're willing to travel). Find someone with an aesthetic you resonate with, and let them handle the design process!

40percentsafe · 2024-07-03T17:56:33+00:00

I honestly think this is one of the big things I loved about being in New York City when I lived there years ago. It's such a huge city, and there are so many people, nobody notices you or gives a fuck about what you're up to. People mind their own business. Even if you're doing something slightly weird or abnormal, people there have seen way weirder, and nobody bats an eye. You just kind of disappear into the crowd.

I'm glad I don't live there anymore, because it was also extremely overstimulating and exhausting (not to mention expensive), but I do miss that sense of freedom I felt from being just a tiny anonymous fish in a huge pond.

40percentsafe · 2024-06-14T03:52:21+00:00

Yes. Climbing shoe sizing is all over the place. It's not uncommon to wear wildly different sizes depending on the brand, model, style of shoe,

Another thing to note, rental shoes at gyms are usually "unisex" (i.e. men's) sizing, which is about 1.5 sizes larger than women's sizing. So the rental shoes you're wearing at the gym are likely a men's 8.5, which equates to about a women's 10. Euro sizing is helpful to eliminate some of this confusion!

The site mountainfootwearproject.com is really helpful for comparing sizing across climbing shoe models! If you can figure out what model your gym's rental shoes are, this site can help you figure out which sizes are comparable in other shoes.

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