How to keep your tattoo looking like new

Tattoos fade over time, this is just an inevitable effect of the body’s natural defence system, but you can do some things to keep your ink as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

1. Follow Aftercare Instructions

The most important thing you can do to make your tattoo last is to follow the aftercare instructions your artist gives you. There’s plenty of advice out there, especially on the internet, about aftercare, but listen to the professionals.

Make sure you know what to do when leaving the studio, and make sure you have all the creams/lotions you need to do the job properly. Here at Sunset, we recommend Protat aftercare cream.

Keep your new tattoo clean

A tattoo is technically an open wound, so the most important thing is to keep it clean. As long as you follow common-sense rules, this should be simple enough. Remember, anytime you touch your new ink, it should only be because you’re cleaning it or applying aftercare cream. And if you do touch it, make sure your hands are clean.

Avoid getting it unnecessarily dirty like rolling around in the mud or going to a swimming pool, and when showing it off, don’t let people get their stinking hands on it!

Avoid the sun and UV light

Exposure to ultraviolet light is the biggest factor in damaging a new tattoo. Stay out of the sun for at least a couple of weeks, and - I can’t believe we have to tell people this - don’t use a sunbed.

If you have to be outdoors, always cover up, and use plenty of moisturiser, even after it’s fully healed. This will ensure that your skin stays hydrated, more elastic and prevent the effects of aging.

Where on your body should you get a tattoo?

Whether you're getting your 1st or 50th tattoo, you might still be wondering where it should go on your body. If it’s your first, you’re probably wondering about more painful areas, but if it’s your 50th, you might be more concerned about running out of room!

Why Placement Matters

Finding the right spot for a new tattoo is important because it can make your new ink look its absolute best.

Different factors affect the final product, such as size, colour or orientation. A large dragon for example will look good on your chest or back, but a small tattoo will get lost in so much space and would look better on a wrist of shoulder.

Visibility

If you’re getting a tattoo, you must know the consequences of its permanency.

If you are worried about your granny seeing it, or if it will affect your employment chances, then get it somewhere you can hide. Even for yourself - do you want to look at it every day for the rest of your life? If not, put it on your back so you can only see it in the mirror or in photographs.

If it is your 50th tattoo, then you probably don’t give a shit where it is or who sees it. :)

Does size really matter?

When it comes to tattoos, yes.

The bigger the piece, the more elaborate it can be. If you want any kind of lettering or script, then you need to place it somewhere it can be big enough to read.

At the end of the day, it’s always your choice, but please have a chat with your tattoo artist about the best place to put your new ink. They know more than you and have helped hundreds of people, so they know what they’re doing.

If you are looking for a new tattoo, then come and see us here at Sunset. Our experienced and friendly artists will be happy to help in any way they can.

The origins of St Valentine's Day - Probably

Valentine's Day is here again, and as a time to celebrate romance and love, it’s a day we can all appreciate.

Unless we’re single.

But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody and a little bit muddled.

No one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one good place to start is ancient Rome, where from Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.

The festival included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be together for the rest of the party - or longer if they happen to “click”.

It was Emperor Claudius II who gave us the name for St Valentines Day by executing two men— both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine's Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn't stop it from being a day of fertility and love.

Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin's Day. Galatin meant "lover of women." That was likely confused with St. Valentine's Day at some point, in part because they sound alike.

Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticise Valentine's Day in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe, and as the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter.

Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. And in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass producing valentines. February has not been the same since.

Many couples choose Valentines Day to get a matching tattoo, so if you’re in the mood this year, bring your significant other down to Sunset and we’ll do the rest.

The Global Tattoo Trend Index

To better understand the appeal of tattoos around the world, YEAY has created the Global Tattoo Trend Index. The list is a result of data gathered from hundreds of tattoo studios across the world, including some of the industry’s most prestigious parlours. 

To better understand the background of the research and reflect the general opinion on the topic of tattoos, YEAY partnered with Appinio to ask 5,000 people the following six questions:

1. Do you have a tattoo?

2. Would you get a tattoo (again)?

3. Do you regret your tattoo?

4. Do you consider tattoos mainstream?

5. How did you find your tattoo artist?

6. Have you had a tattoo removed, or are you considering it?

The results are quite interesting as you can see below:

Other interesting trends from the ‘Tattoo Index’ include:

•The city with the most parlours per capita was Miami Beach, USA with 28.48 per 100,000 citizens.

•The city with the cheapest tattoo parlours was Colombo, Sri Lanka at an average cost of $22.00 per hour.

•The city with the most expensive tattoos was San Francisco, at an average cost of $280.00 per hour.

•Denpasar, Indonesia is the city where tattoos were most likely to be purchased by visitors with a 99% likelihood.

•Tahiti, French Polynesia and Auckland, New Zealand were found to be the cities where tattoos are most likely to be gifted at 60%.

•Gifted tattoos are most likely to be given by parents in Delhi, India (60%); ‘other’ family members in Milan, Italy (50%); from friends in Reykjavik, Iceland (90%) and from a partner in Madrid, Spain and Córdoba, Argentina (99%).

As part of the Tattoo Index, YEAY ran the survey comprising 5,000 participants on the general topic ‘tattoo’. The results revealed that while only a small minority of respondents (13.6%) have a tattoo, the majority (66.3%) consider tattoos to be mainstream.

The findings also revealed the breakdown of the ways in which people with tattoos found their tattoo artist: through a recommendation (54.2%), visiting parlours (23.2%), online (13.6%), and other (8.9%).

Don't skimp when it comes to getting a tattoo

We all love a bargain, and finding a gem in an op-shop now and again is fantastic. New Zealand isn’t exactly the cheapest place to live, and for anyone making minimum wage, the less we pay, the better off we are.

But tattoos are different.

Never skimp when it comes to tattoos

If you’re seriously considering a tattoo, then put the price out of your mind. If price is your main concern, then you’re not serious about it.

Figure out what kind of tattoo you want first, where it’s going to go and how big you want it. Then find a respectable, experienced tattoo artist.

Talk with them about your ideas, and what you want as a finished product. Think about what you want ten years from now.

Now ask about the price.

If it’s outside of your budget, either explain that to the artist and figure something else out, or simply wait until you’ve saved up enough.

Cheap tattoos look cheap.

If you make the mistake of going cheap, then you may regret it for the rest of your life.

Let’s just say you’ve gone to see a tattoo artist, explained what you wanted, and they have quoted you something that’s a couple hundred more bucks than you were expecting. The smart thing to do is to save up and come back another day.

The dumb thing to do is go to someone who’ll do it cheaper.

People who tend to do tattoos ‘cheaper’ are usually not only less skilled than professional tattoo artists, but a lot more dangerous.

There will always be someone who’s bought a tattoo gun off Trade Me and thinks they know what they’re doing. Without the proper training in Health &Safety, or their premises meeting hygiene standards, a tattoo from someone like this is just asking for trouble.

Even forgetting about the risk of disease such as Hepatitis from previously used needles, there’s a very real threat of your tattoo becoming infected.