Forearm Tattoos

The forearm is an excellent location for a number of sleek tattoo designs, including such things as flowers, stars and daggers, often seen running vertically down the forearm to the wrist area.

We also see quite a few partial sleeve tattoos which focus on the forearm area and are often called half sleeves, appose to a full sleeve design which begins at the top of the shoulder area.

White rose idea.

Tribal on inner portion.

Detailed black panther artwork.

Smattering of stars.

Black snake and dagger ink.

Tribal artwork.

Green dragon.

Tattoo Aftercare

How to Take Care of Your New Tattoo

Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don't take proper care of it. It is very important that you follow these guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.

Leave That Bandage Alone!
Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason - to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a minimum of two hours. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until later.

The only exception to this rule is if your artist covered your tattoo with saran wrap or some kind of plastic. This is extremely detrimental to a tattoo, so it should be removed immediately. You're better off not having any covering than to be suffocating your new tattoo with plastic wrap.

Wash and Treat

After you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and mild, liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap (Satin and Provon are my highest recommendations. Dial tends to be too harsh - generic brand antibacterial soaps are actually better) to gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. (If your tattoo feels slimy and slippery, you have probably been oozing plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible - when the plasma dries on the skin surface, it creates scabs.)

Then pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very light application of your choice of ointment. A&D vitamin enriched ointment would be my first choice, but if you don't have any, Bacitracin or a similar antibacterial ointment is acceptable.

**Do not use Neosporin. This is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.**

Specialty Products and Lotions
If you prefer, you can also use a specialty product such as Tattoo Goo or H2Ocean. It's not necessary, as many over the counter products work just fine, but it's your choice. Use the products as directed as continue for 3-5 days.

After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skin soft. Whatever lotion you use, it should be dye and fragrance free. A lot of artists recommend Lubriderm, but I have found that Lubriderm stings when I apply it. Instead, I have had great success with Eucerin.

Dragon Tattoos

Dragon tattoos are a wildly popular choice of design, which isn't surprising when you consider the perfect combination of both beauty and beast these legendary mythological reptilian creatures possess.

Asian and European dragons are the most commonly portrayed tattoo designs we see today, images which are derived from various ancient folk traditions and mythologies dating as far back as 300 BC.

Enjoy this picture gallery of wonderful dragon tattoo ideas for you to ponder and contemplate before taking the next step.



Dragon tattoos are seen in a wide array of colors, including, red, blue, green, orange, purple and of course good ole black and grey is also quite common.



Dragon tattoos are often see alongside other designs such as swords, clouds, flames and animals such as big wild cats.



Popular locations for dragon artwork include the the chest and back area, these locations are great for very large and elaborate designs that may take multiple sessions to fully complete.

Did you know that the English word 'dragon' is derived from Greek, meaning 'serpent of huge size' and or 'water-snake'. Just consider that a little bonus fun fact for your mind.

from: Maija M.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 11:21 AM
subject: A promise to my Mom

Hi,

I got this tattoo to honor my Mom after she died from early onset Alzheimer's. At the time, I went back to school while I took care of her and got a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The location has a special meaning to me and the characters were written for me by one of my teachers.

The two characters are supposed to read "Ma Carol" and the squired symbol then makes it Ma Ma and Carol Carol (my Mom's name and my middle name). Also, I believe the characters can be read as "path" and "promise" as in I promised to help care for others on my new path as a healer.

However, I'm embarrassed to say I've forgotten which character is which and also want to find about about other possible interpretations.

Thanks in advance,

Maija M.

Top character 媽 is correct for "mother".

However tattooed character is not 路, which means "road / path".

from: Julia P.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 3:49 AM
subject: tatoo

Hello, Tian!

I like your site and my tatoo :))

But could you say me what it mean?

Thank you!

--
Julia P.

Hello Julia!

I don't know what your tattoo means.

You are welcome!

--
Tian

Tribal Tattoos Make a Good Choice of Body Art

Tribal Chest Tattoo
Black color has its own relevance in the tribal chest tattoo designs. It's the black ink that doesn't let the tribal chest tattoo die (fade) easily. It's due to its inimitable designs that these tattoos are still in demand. The most common found tribal chest tattoos exhibit Maori designs, Eskimo totems and Aztec sun clocks and the range is unending. Besides these, tribal chest tattoo designs are created with heavy lines and different hues. Tribal chest tattoos, which are well liked for their designs, are originated from Maori, Haida, Polynesian and Native American designs. What differentiates Tribal chest tattoos from other ones is its history of body decoration. Tribal Chest tattoos symbolize relationship shared between people in a group, family, social, etc. One can go for attractive, dazzling yet exceptional tribal chest tattoos in any season on any part of the body. He or she would bring himself on the brink of risk if by chance a tattoo is wrongly done or placed on his or her body.


Combination of Traditional Tattoos with Tribal Tattoos
The unique combination of traditional tattoos with tribal tattoos has made it more popular among tattoo lovers. There are different well-accepted ways available in which a traditional tattoo can be combined with a tribal tattoo to lure a tattoo lover. It's really amazing to see that how a tribal tattoo develops over a period of time once it is carried on the body. Some of the most common ways of combining traditional tattoo with Tribal tattoos are: traditional tattoo may float above a line on the tribal tattoo or it may be located in the middle of the line. Tribal tattoo is easily synonymous with sharp points and angles. Another way which is quiet famous among people is surrounding the traditional tattoo with tribal tattoo. While looking deeply at the design you would come to know that it is actually the tribal design that tends to form an image. Undoubtedly, it is the creativity and the uniqueness in the tribal tattoo designs that have brought it in vogue. Sometimes, tattoo artists make an abstract tribal design combined with Celtic Tattoos. So, what are you waiting for, get ready for a colorful tribal designs incorporated with traditional tattoos to get a funny yet cool image.

Dolphin Tattoos

Dolphin tattoos are magnificently beautiful creations, and much like the highly intelligent creature themselves, Dolphins are said to symbolize wisdom and freedom, along with joy and creativity among other positive notions.

Dolphin tattoos are a highly versatile choice of design, and can be portrayed in many variations, along with their naturally stunning color spectrum of dark and light shades of grey, light blue and areas of off-white on their belly.

Skim through this picture gallery of fabulous dolphin tattoos and discover some excellent artwork for you to gather ideas from.



Other designs that blend well include, stars, sea life and splashes of water, in fact leaping out of the water is one of the most common designs.



Try giving your dolphin tattoo a unique style by choosing a cartoon like design or perhaps a tribal, aztec or other form of ancient artwork.



Dolphins and other sea life such as sharks and whales are perfect tattoo ideas for anybody who has a passion for the ocean and a respect for the inhabitants that call it home.

We always like to stress the importance of finding a qualified artist to ink your design, so don't forget to check around internet for artist reviews before you take the plunge.