Teh Sae
I'm going threw the great debate (with myself) of getting ink done. but I want to know is if I got something done on my wrist would it start to bleed out or fade? I'm very picky on clean lines so if it's something that I'd have to have touched up constantly I think I'll nix the idea.
sorry if this sounded dumb but I just wanna make sure first
ninja Everyone's words of wisdom is greatly appreciated
gonk Your first step is to find a very talented artist with a good portfolio. Look for the cleanness of their designs, and ask lots of questions. Make sure you feel comfortable in the shop and with the prospective artist. If the shop makes you feel uncomfortable or the artist won't answer your questions, find someone else.
If the tattoo is done properly, then it should not fade of bleed out for many years. ALL tattoos fade somewhat over the years. There is simply no way that a tattoo will be as bright and clean as the first day you get it 20 years down the road. The main causes of fading are: 1) It was not healed properly (following all aftercare instructions is vital), 2) the artist didn't pack the color in properly (this shouldn't happen if you go to a reputable artist), and 3) sun/UV exposure. Provided your artist did you right and you took care of it properly, UV exposure from the sun and/or tanning beds is the #1 enemy of your tattoo. Blacks and blues fade the least and slowest, and the lighter colors fade faster. Red and white fade the quickest in my experience, but I'm not sure why on the red.
Protecting it from the sun once it's healed is vital. Use a 50 SPF sunscreen on it daily. You can use a q-tip to apply the sunscreen just over the design if you do want to tan. In tanning beds, it's best to use contact paper and make a cutout of the same shape as your tattoo so that it is completely covered. UV's from tanning beds are much stronger and more concentrated than from the sun, so you should take extra care to protect your tattoo.
My last bit of advice is pretty simple-- don't try to get the tattoo too close to the heel of your hand. Look at your wrist palm up, then bend your hand at the wrist back towards yourself like you're trying to touch the inside of your forearm. Look at where the deep creases lay as you bend your wrist. You should try to stay out of those. Areas that bend and crease tend to fade and blur out faster than if you get it a little more up on your forearm above those deep creases.
Hope this helps! smile
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