Dear Dave,

Tomorrow's my birthday and to mark the occasion I'm thinking of finally getting my first tattoo. I've spent years trying psyching myself to getting one and figuring out what I want to get, and now I need to find somewhere reputable to get it done.

Can you recommend a good salon to go to? I'm going to be in London to get it and don't mind how much it costs so paying over the odds isn't a problem as long as it's done well.

Also, I plan to go to Ibiza in months time - will it be healed fully and, do you know of any other tips to help it heal as being Irish I have stupidly sensitive skin?

An online Arabic to English translator.

I was going to say the same thing. I was looking at a few older blokes on the beach with tats today, not in a gay way although they had excellent arses, and they looked really faded. My uncles tats are fucking hideous now, just blobs. It has changed a lot. Good thing about mine is in 15-20 years time I can just get them topped up again if it fades a little, won't be too hard.

Not only that, tattooists have become more aware of what's going to make a good tattoo, like they won't do something that's guna be really detailed or anything, because of it blurring together, and they'll you that.

agreed, i personally cant stand tatoos, and have hardly met anyone over the age of 40 who doesnt regret them a lot

I did the same as you pix, ive hopefully picked places where the skin wont stretch too much, well one of my tattoos anyway.
my big one on my back should be okay =o]
xxxx

If you really hate them, it's much easier to get them removed these days.

fire or knife?

There's a gel you can buy that sucks it out your skin called Rejuvi. No need for lasers etc these days.

The Rejuvi gets absorbed by pigmented cells and bonds with the pigment. It softens the ink and pushes it to the surface of the skin.

It costs about £50 per centimetre. Is that right Stew?

Square centimetre I think.

it'd have to be by area rather than length wouldn't it.

£50/cm2 would make something the size of your profile pic about £200!! seems like a lot!

I've heard it's slightly cheaper to get the gel done instead of lasering. You also have the bonus of no scarring.

That's why you should really think about what you want before diving in.

as the actress said to the bishop...

Woops... I've just gone and had 4 more designed...

one like this...?

I love this tattoo. It's the most stupidly amazing tattoo ever. It's horrendous but so well done all at the same time.

This is pretty insane too

This one is awful. I think he featured in the X-Files in the 90s, and eats live insects coz he's BonKeRs.




And look at his horns! I bet his tongue's been chopped too and teeth sharpened. Nuts.

Some of my faves... lol! Stump love Ouch.. Hahaha <3

Are they all really tattoos??? The bottom 3 look like body paint (no pun intended)