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 an Old School (American Traditional) tattoo actually look like?
1. Start with the style, not the name
What does a neo-traditional tattoo actually look like?
Start with what you actually have
A skull in bold traditional linework reads as classic memento mori; the same skull rendered in soft realism can read as a portrait study.
Japanese tattooing — traditionally called Irezumi — is built around large, flowing compositions rather than a single isolated image: dragons, koi, tigers, and folklore figures set against backgrounds…
Tattoo aftercare step by step: the first 24 hours, days 2-14, what is normal versus a problem, touch-ups and long-term care.
Is my tattoo healing normally? How to tell normal healing (redness, oozing, peeling, cloudiness) from an infection, allergy or blowout, with a quick checker and dermatologist quotes.
Strong contrast — solid black, bold outlines, blackwork, traditional styles — tends to show best.
How tattoo deposits work: how much they cost, whether they come off the price, when they are refunded or kept, rescheduling, artist cancellations and arriving late.
When will I see my tattoo design? Flash vs custom, why artists often show it on the day, how many revisions are normal, design fees, copying other tattoos and AI designs.
Neo-Traditional also updates Old School, but keeps things more illustrative and elegant; New School goes for cartoon energy.
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.