Straight answers to the things that stop people booking a tattoo — from the first idea to a healed tattoo. Each guide points you at real, credited work in the catalogue, and health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos.
What does a Japanese (Irezumi) tattoo actually look like?
Placement and size go together
Months 1–3: fully settled
Notice what you're actually drawn to in other people's tattoos
Browse the full guides hub, or see How to Choose a Tattoo Style.
Browse the full guides hub, or see How to Choose a Tattoo Style.
Don’t make any decisions — about removal or “fixing” it — until it has fully healed, typically a few weeks.
Patchy spots or thin lines once peeling is finished — common, and usually fixed with a touch-up after full healing.
What happens during a tattoo session: consent form, stencil, how the needle deposits ink in the dermis, breaks, normal bleeding, the wrap or second skin, payment and first aftercare.
Shading and colour: smooth gradients, fully packed colour, no patchy areas.
Style and detail Styles that need long shading or colour packing — realism , New School , full colour work — take more hours than linework at the…
Browse the full guides hub, or see How to Choose a Tattoo Style.
Nine stages from a vague idea to a healed tattoo. Every guide ends with a link to the next step, so you can read them in order — or jump straight to where you are.
The worries people mention most — and where the honest answer is.
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Health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos word for word. New to the words? See the tattoo glossary. How guides are written and corrected: editorial policy.