So, you want to express yourself by getting a tattoo. Rest assured, you are one of a multitude that now appreciates the beauty and significance of these art pieces. Tattoos today ran the gamut of appearances from small, barely-there dots (easily drawn and hidden) to large, extravagant creations spanning entire body surfaces. When you add the increasing prevalence of tattoo displays on social media, which compels people to opt for highly visible tattoos, you have a recipe for dealing with a host of curious tattoo seekers who may not fully understand the gravity of having visible tattoos.
Most, if not all, tattoos are a product of an individual’s choice, from design to size and placement. However, this prevalence gives rise to the misconception that the tattoo artist can have no say in what the client wants. Consequently, many novices, amateurs and collectors fail to realise that numerous tattoo artists feel some culpability for those short-sighted decisions that clients may make that result in eventual regret and even cause some issues.
However, most tattoo artists have significant experience in their field. Moreover, many of them have gained that know-how from working in different shops in various cities spanning the globe. As such, they have encountered all manner of scenarios, thus shaping their desire to establish some limits to what tattoos they agree to create. Chief amongst those is the increasingly prevalent policy against neck or face tattoos. The artists have a good reason for setting out such a specific policy. Thus, it is best to understand their reasoning (as outlined below) before firming up any plans for such tattoos.
So, what makes face, neck and hand tattoos such a significant issue?
Firstly, drawing these tattoo types presents a moral dilemma. All tattoo artists are well aware of the scrutiny accompanying any highly visible tattoos. No matter their popularity, having visible tattoos still garner some level of wariness and contempt. Even worse, they will often hinder any efforts to attain gainful employment in many industries. Moreover, tattoos remain a culturally taboo aspect in some countries; hence the inability to cover them up can be highly detrimental.
Secondly, there is a quality issue to consider. Some areas of your body, particularly your hands, present some challenges in the tattoo process. In this case, you cannot effectively ‘decommission’ your hands to facilitate effective healing since you rely on them for basic daily functions. Moreover, the skin on the hands is much thicker than on other body parts and sheds constantly. As a result, the tattooing and healing process become significantly hindered. This likelihood guarantees that your hand tattoo will require touch-ups. Since any good artist guarantees their work and offers free touch-ups, getting a hand tattoo makes seeking these services an eventuality rather than a possibility. This need makes such tattoos unsatisfactory for many artists as they prefer to guarantee work that needs few to no touch-ups.
Lastly, as soon as the tattoo artist completes your piece, you become, in essence, your artist’s walking advertisement. Therefore, you essentially leave the studio wearing your artist’s reputation on your skin. Consequently, anyone who sees you forms an opinion of you and your tattoo artist based on what they see.
The reasons above contribute significantly to many tattoo artists’ reticence to offer highly-visible tattoos. Moreover, the fact remains that most feel like they will bear some responsibility for your decisions, thus making them cautious, reluctant and even against offering such tattoos.
Is there a solution?
So far, speaking with your artist is the best option. A frank discussion leads to an understanding of the cons of getting a highly visible tattoo while offering suitable alternatives. However, even when you remain firm in your decision and find an artist willing to follow your wishes, consider their integrity and expertise carefully. After all, while there is a very thin line between a good tattoo and an ill-advised one, the difference is stark.