So there are a lot of myths that float around about tattoos, let's address 10 of them.
1. I heard that color hurts more.
Color does not hurt more than black and grey. Tattooing is a similar process no matter what is being done. Needles poke ink into your skin. Yes it is uncomfortable, and even painful sometimes, but it is almost always completely bearable.
2. I heard that green, blue, yellow, etc., etc., hurt more than other colors.
No, one color does not hurt more than another. Once again tattooing is tattooing, regardless of color. The predominant myth about white hurting more ties to it generally being the last color done in a tattoo. The tattoo is generally swollen at this time and more prone to irritation so the white seems to hurt more thought it has zero to do with the pigment being used.
3. Color fades faster than black.
If properly tattooed into the skin most colors last as long as blackwork. Only the very lightest colors (i.e. pastel colors, yellow, white) have any tendancy to fade faster, and that is generally due to a lack of contrast as they age or to sun exposure. Quite often the color is still there, but harder to see from this lack of contrast. Most people don't notice that their black tattoos are faded until they are redone whereupon it is completely obvious that they needed it. Typically fast fading color falls back to it not being put in right, poor aftercare, or something to do with the individual's body chemistry.
4. I heard that I can't go drinking after a tattoo.
Yes you can drink alcohol after getting tattooed. It is before getting tattooed that it can lead to problems. When you consume alcohol it thins your blood and if too much alcohol is consumed you can actually bleed enough to push some of the ink out of the skin as it's going in. Poor decisions are also an obvious side affect of this choice.
5. I just let my tattoos scab up. If they're done right they will stay.
No you shouldn't let a tattoo scab. Though a well done tattoo might survive the scabbing process it will not look as good as if it hadn't scabbed. Scabs have a tendancy to draw some of the ink out. There are even risks of having scabs ripped off and completely removing ink. This is obviously bad. The faster that a tattoo can heal the more ink that it holds. There is no faster way to heal a tattoo than proper cleaning and lightly applying an ointment which helps to rebuild the skin.
6. Linework hurts more than shading.
This is only a partial myth. It is completely different from person to person. Lining is a slower process so for some people it is worse. Shading is a faster moving process so for other people that is worse. Your body starts to release pain blockers once you start getting your tattoo so some people even go completely numb and don't feel the shading at all. That is generally in smaller more localized tattoos and where the myth stems from.
7. I heard that the inside of the arm is the worst pain ever.
There is no one part of the body that hurts everyone the most. All of our bodies are different in some small way. Everything that we do makes little changes to them. What hurts one person may make another laugh. The truth is that you never know until you get there. You should never pick placement of a tattoo solely on the amount of pain that you might endure. If it is what you want and where you want it you will make it through. In worst case scenarios a larger design can be broken up into multiple sessions.
8. A spiderweb on my elbow means that I commited crimes for the Aryan race and a tear drop means that I killed some one.
As far as the general public is concerned placing a certain design in a certain area has absolutely no other meaning than what it means to you. For example, putting a star on your kneecap doesn't make you an assassin, or mean that you sleep with goats. Cryptic tattoos only have meaning to those individuals involved in organizations that recognize very precise symbolisms. They can tell the difference between "gang" tattoos and people that happen to have tattoos that are similar in nature.
9. I've heard that you have to set the ink by slapping it.
This is pure ridiculousness. If anything smacking the tattoo will cause irritation and possibly spread germs from the hand to the open skin. This is mainly an old, old, old joke on unwary newbies to the tattoo community. It is so old that we almost forgot to add it.
10. I've heard that A+D draws the color from tattoos.
Soooooo, this is a fun one. This traces back to Vaseline in the old days, which also didn't draw color. An overuse, under use, poor protection while healing (i.e. rubbing or scratching), or poorly done work will cause ink to fade. A+D and Aquaphor both use a petroleum base. A+D uses vitamins to rebuild the skin faster while Aquaphor uses chemical compounds to do the same. That's all personal preference. This base sits in the skin longer than many of the thinner lotions or ointments. This is very helpful for anyone with limited time throughout their day where they can't stop once an hour to do aftercare.
Now where you can get into using thinner lotions is if you have time on your hands and don't have dry skin. We actually recommend Tattoo Goo balm for oily skin and their lotion for mid skin if you have the time. All of these things work great under the right conditions, it's a very personal thing.
If you have a shellfish or fish allergy you may want to check the packaging on A+D though, since some brands are derived from animals.
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