Tattoos have always created a sense of community between artists and enthusiasts - and like any community, ‘rules’ end up forming over time. We’re big believers that rules are made to be broken and that if you’re truly set on breaking any tattoo ‘rules’ then nobody should be able to dictate what you do with your body. That being said - some of the rules are interesting to note, so here’s a few you may have heard of before and maybe some you haven’t!
Upside-down tattoos
It’s very common for people to have tattoos done so that they can read it when they look at it. It makes sense, for most people, tattoos are personal, only for them and not for the benefit of everybody else. This does cause the tattoo to look ‘upside-down’ when you’re standing in your natural position and while you may want it this way to begin with, you could feel differently later down the line - especially if you end up getting more tattoos that are the ‘right way up’. When discussing the placement your artist may want you to consider this. It’s interesting to note that this usually only happens with wrist or forearm tattoos - nobody is asking for their leg tattoo to be upside down so that they can read it!
Designs face inwards
Most artists will follow the rule that designs such as heads or faces sit so that they face inwards and toward the centre of your body - towards your heart. This is a long-standing rule from the traditional days and it is now largely followed due to it looking more aesthetically pleasing to have all your tattoos facing the same way. It tends to flow better with your body.
Bold will hold
It’s been a long-held belief among traditional tattooers that bolder, thicker designs stand the test of time better than fine-line tattoos. This attitude has started to alter over the last ten years with the rise in fine-line styles, and artists have started to prove that their work holds up just as well. It’s now more commonly accepted that it’s less to do with the boldness of the tattoo and more with how the tattoo is applied to the skin and looked after that determines how successful the tattoo is when healed.
Earning your tattoos
Tattooing has changed so much over time and it used to be a widely held ideal that you had to ‘earn’ your tattoos. This usually refers to sitting through the pain with no help from numbing cream. Tattoos are seen as a status symbol to some and while some people see numbing cream as ‘cheating’, if you think you need it to get through your appointment there’s no harm in doing so. Just make sure you talk with your artist about it beforehand and do a patch test to ensure you’re using it safely.
Jobstoppers
For a long time tattoo artists wouldn’t tattoo your hands, neck or face unless you were already pretty visibly tattooed because attitudes to tattoos were very different from how they are now. Tattoos in these placements were often referred to as ‘jobstoppers’. This used to make sure that you knew what came with being visibly tattooed already before taking it that one step further. Visible tattoos used to limit you professionally and artists didn’t want to be the cause if you weren’t ready for it. It sometimes also came down once again to earning your tattoos - some artists didn’t like the idea that you’d look heavily tattooed without actually being heavily tattooed!
