I'm a tattoo artist who underwent a standard apprenticeship under a certified tattoo artist. I am an artist first, tattooer second, which means I put creativity and art into my tattoos, not just the 'you pick it, we stick it' type of tattooer. Apprenticeships for tattooing vary by state, according to the laws. I'm also a trained body piercer, as well. Any questions about the job or apprenticing, I'd be happy to help!
PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT price tattoos. Seek a shop for that.
I'd wait until the tattoo is fully healed before starting to worry.
This question is a difficult one, for 2 reasons:
1- I don't price quote over the internet or for other artists.
2- I don't have a picture of your tattoo to see what needs to be fixed.
You definitely need to wait until the tattoo is finished healing. If a tattoo is gone back into before it's ready, it's like dragging a needle on the outside of a filled water balloon; things may go fine, but you may hit that sweet spot that causes the skin to break open and bleed out, resulting in loss of ink, too.
Swelling isn't permanent. If a piercing is still swollen and hurts weeks after it's done, it needs to be taken out. Chance are, it's infected, or wasn't pierced correctly. If there is swelling around the entry sites, it may be a keloid, or a pocket of oil that sometimes develops after a piercing. Keloids shouldn't be popped, and they can be treated with tea tree oil, but there's a chance they may never go away.
Aircraft Mechanic
Did you ever catch something critical right before a plane was about to take off?
Professional Reseller
What was your most valuable find in a thrift store?
Programmer
Why are most developers socially withdrawn?
That's completely normal, especially when you get a part of your body tattooed that you use on a daily basis- upper arms, calfs, stomach areas- all of these are sensitive, and when you get large areas covered in one session, it will cause that area to be sore for a while.
Just tell the tattoo artist that you want to listen to music on your phone. I have no idea why a tattoo artist would object to that. It's a very common request. Hell, I listen to music on my phone while I'm tattooing people sometimes. Many customers don't want small talk. They want to zone out, and that's understandable. Some want small talk to keep their minds off it. Just tell your artist how you like to cope with the tattooing process, and I'm sure they will be fine with it.
You tell the shop manager that the artist screwed up. This is on your body forever. You won't know the tattoo artist forever, and if it goes unmentioned, he may screw up again in the future.
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)