First Tattoo?

To me it felt as if a cat was scratching me ... It was sharp and it stang and tickled and itched all at the same time.

If you've survived a cat scratch, it's like that (or at least it was for me) only it lasts the whole time the outline of the tat and the colors are being applied.

Hey! ... Tat rhymes with Cat ... !!!

I don't get the talk about pain. Did no one have the numbing cream? Is it not available ? why not ? It works a treat.

I don't understand why you would want to numb it, it takes away from the experience of getting it done. What's beauty without pain? Just suck it up and deal with it.

Hydro !

Love it ! I'm glad it already has meaning to you

Thanks, More.

Where are you putting it?

I have 5. Both shoulders are done. Now that I'm older, I wish they weren't so visible when at the pool/beach.

The inside of my ankle hurt the worse. I have an angel that took over 3 hours. Take your fingernails and scratch your arm, it feels like that.

I'm putting it on my wrist. And I would do that, but I have no nails! D: Have to keep them short for my job. xP But I know how that feels, so if its just like that, then I'll be okay. Thanks.

THIS. This is so much of what I am. Years and years and years. I totally know what you mean about phases. OMG. There have been things that I've been so very very into, then a few years later look back in horror, wondering who the hell that was(!) Lol, but true! (When I got dx'd it all made sense. It explained it, but didn't make looking back any less mortifying. ) The big thing in knowing this about myself is that I don't commit to anything(!) And Things Permanent are especially in that category(!) Since nothing about me is permanent ('cept the BP I suppose...), why should I accept something unto myself that is?

Your saying that the next day you decided you weren't manic reminded me of a fairly recent thing of personal experience. I was about to make a HUGE decision (walking away from 25 year relationship) and questioned again and again if I was hypo. Decided I was not. Just a few months later, I wrote the sequence of events down. You would SO laugh! Nothing on earth would be so obvious as that I was and got caught up in the excitement of the time. Not saying it was a bad decision necessarily, but ... it might not have been my wisest moment. (Lo, behold my collection of those! )

Most importantly though, not saying what is your case. Just was compelled to share personal experience, because that's actually something that (surprisingly) doesn't get discussed a whole lot around here -- phases that seem to last longer than an "episode" if you will. And we can't be alone in that experience.

I don't like to take bait, but.... That's simply an unfair blanket statement. I don't give a f*** what others do in this department. It's simply not for me and never has been (and I have way too many years to base that on, yikes). It might be more fair to say that those who like tattoos are more likely to respond on a thread about them (which is true of many many topics). And so what, really? But there's no need to disparage those who aren't into them.

Ooops! Hit post only meaning to view, but there it is. Btw, I have super-short nails too -- nuthin' wrong with that! (I'm totally obsessive about it actually. Just ask BF. Haha.) And wear all kinds of dark color polishes -- do you? (Heh. Typical. Something I can change every few days! )

Tattoo artists don't like to use it because it can affect the way the ink goes in.

I doubt I'm the right person to answer, as both tattoo artists said I had a weird reaction... I LMFAO have 1 across my calf, and 1 down my spine, I remember it stinging, but the feeling of being tickled overpowered any pain I may have experienced... Getting 2 more when the budget allows... maybe 3.

I hear tickling is very normal. To me, the bone is vibrating sensation, not as painful as everyone says, and that was on the hip. It was the nerves that were unbearable.

Personally with the hip, I dealt with the pain and then afterward realized that all the pain resulted in such a beautiful tattoo and I was glad I endured it.

Try a credit card going back and forth over your skin. LOL. I don't have a wrist tat, but that's not usually a painful place. Skin that's exposed to elements is a bit tougher than unexposed skin. I love accupuncture so needles don't bother me in the least.

I already got it tonight. It... Hurt lol Not bad, but it was like... A 4 on a scale of 1 - 10 for me. But there were places on my wrist that did hurt more like a 6. It wasn't that bad, though. I would do it again. But, I don't think I could do it for a long period of time. That would be too hard and too painful. I'll stick to smaller ones.

Thank you, though.