How to Choose Between Black and Gray or Colored Tattoos

In color, or not in color. That is the question.

No, but for real though, how can one choose between colored or black and gray? For some tattoos it can very easy to decide, like my ankle pieces that are symbols from books. The lore is out there of being black lines so of course I chose them in black ink. But what about my rose? Many flowers are done in full color and they look stunningly realistic. On the other hand, I chose black and gray for my rose because my artist has fantastic shading. Take the image I chose for this blog above, the tiger walking through a river. Both pieces look great. While more color shows detail about what the image is based on, the black and gray piece looks far more detailed.

In reality, the color pieces require more ink because each part of the skin must be covered to show the full image. However, black and gray images utilize your skin as background space so less ink is required. Like my rose, the shading of the petals cause them to look almost 3-D and less ink is needed. The rose took my artist about 45 minutes to complete. With color, more time is needed to mesh the colors in a cohesive way.

On top of that, the biggest concern when choosing black and gray vs. color is that many tattoo artists charge extra for colored tattoos because it requires more work and more ink. I only plan on getting one more colored piece, but for what I want, color would make the tattoo look better.

In the end, it is your own choice. No one can tell you what your tattoo should look like. If you want a tattoo, get that tattoo. If you want color, get color. If you want black and gray, get black and gray. Do your thing. Be you.

After the Peel

It’s officially been 2 weeks since I got my new tattoos and things have been happening!

As I mentioned in my Healing post, the first 2 weeks after your new tattoo is critical for color and texture. Treating your tattoo like an open wound is the best mentality you can have. It is sensitive to sunlight, chemicals, touch, and more. But now that I made it past that 2 week mark and I can actually touch my own tattoo, what’s next?

I survived the peeling and the itching and the swelling and the shine. Now what? Some tattoo artists will recommend putting on unscented lotion for another week depending on the size, but since my new tattoos are small in size and were done with a single needle they are done. Just because the “healing” is done, that does not mean that the trouble is over. At this point, I can now put sunscreen on my tattoos, but I recommend the most natural kind you can find. My worst fear is the fading of my tattoos because they look awful and it means I may have to get them touched up later on, meaning more pain and needles.

As they are now, my tattoos are still very sensitive to the sun as well as certain chemicals like chlorine, so no pool for me. Tattoos should not enter chlorinated water for at least 2 months, though I am believer of the 3-month rule.

My new tattoos are finally healed up and ready for the world, minus the pool.

What will my next tattoo be? You will soon find out.

Healing

One of the biggest concerns I get from tattoos is the healing process. There are a few big ideas out there, but I have heard of so many different methods over the years. So, I can tell you my routine that has been successful:

Day of your tattoo appointment: Dear God, please don’t be under the influence. I don’t even care if you are of age or nervous. Just don’t. The rumors are true: alcohol thins your blood making it easier to bleed. I had a friend in high school who at 16 got his first tattoo on his shoulder. He was hungover and still drinking beer on his way to his appointment. For hours after he got the tattoo, his shoulder was still bleeding. It was so bad that he had to go to the emergency room to get blood. So please. Don’t drink beforehand. Anyway, once you get the tattoo the artist will most likely wrap the new tattoo in plastic wrap. This is good. A tattoo is basically a multitude of stab wounds. Treat your tattoo as such. It’s an open wound for the first few weeks, even months. So keep it wrapped for a few hours, especially if you will be out and about. But, once you are home or in a quiet space away from sunlight, let it breathe! Your new tattoo has to be let out and exposed. On the other hand, don’t touch it and don’t wash it. Your tattoo artist will probably tell you not to wash it for at least 24 hours, some say 48. Listen to them. If you wash your tattoo too early, you could lift the ink from your skin and cause the new piece to look faded. Another big one: no chlorinated water for 3 months. Again, it can cause discoloration and the chemicals mess with your ink.
The next few days: Rinse your new tattoo with scentless soap at least twice a day, though I recommend 3 times if you can. Each time you wash it, use your hands or a bar of soap. No towels. First: Ouch. Second: you don’t want the ink to lift off too early. The longer the ink stays on, the better it will look. I use either the original Dove bar soap or this funky brand that’s scentless from Target. Whatever you use, just make sure it has no scent. The chemicals can mess with it. Okay so cleaning is a big one, then comes the lotion. Again, use scentless. I recommend no aloe vera because it can dry out your tattoo and that’s a big no-no in this world. I use either Cetaphil, Aquafor, or this stuff my last artist gave me called Hustle Butter. You can find a tub of it on Amazon for $20, and this stuff is worth it.
Week later: The itching will be very real, but don’t do it. Think of a fresh mosquito bite that is all over your new piece. The flaking of the ink causes massive irritation, but keep it moist with your lotion or Hustle Butter and you will be ok. You should still keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight, for risk of fading.
Month later and so on: Congrats! The process is near completion. Keep putting on your lotion until the peeling stops, and after that put sunscreen on it…well forever. It is still sensitive to sunlight, so do what you can to keep it safe from that UV.