An Expedition Into the Ideas Surrounding Christian & Celtic Crosses and Japanese Water Tattoos

Which tattoo design should you choose for you next or new tattoo? There are so many different ones out there how are you possibly meant to narrow them down and find something your like?

Well one of the important things to consider when choosing your new tattoo is the meanings behind the tattoo, both the popular well known ones and the strange and obscure ones. After all you need to know what you are getting yourself into and what different people are going to think about you and your new tattoo once you get it done.

Although if you are getting your new tattoo as a form of rebellion who cares what other people think of your new tattoo or for that matter anything your do. But seriously most of us have some interest in what this new image we are going to get indelible inked onto our skin means.

In order to help you make an informed decision when it comes to your new tattoo we are going to explore the various design elements and meanings of a few tattoo designs that will hopefully be of interest to you:

1. Christian Cross Tattoos

2. Japanese Water Tattoos

3. Celtic Design Tattoos

The Holiness of Christian Cross Tattoos

Let's start with number one, Christian Cross Tattoos, Christian crosses cover all manner of tasteful and thoughtful tattoo designs all dealing with crosses and how they impact on and are an integral part of Christian belief.

Quite often you will see crosses joined or mixed with rosary beads, as the famous or infamous, depending on your point of view, Nicole Ritchie has recently had done on her ankle. Another popular duo is the cross and a rose or number of roses, again joining two powerful symbols of the Christian faith into the one Christian cross tattoo.

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Avoiding the Top Tattoo Mistakes

In the world of tattoos there are lots of mistakes that people make, especially when getting a tattoo for the first time. Like all mistakes in this world we live in some are more common than others. One of these more common mistakes is:

Getting a Tattoo That Is Too Small.

Quite often people will get a tat that is just too small, thinking it will be cute and pretty but it just gets lost on the body, especially if it is not on a part of the body that shows off small tattoo's well.

Finding the Right Size for Your New Tattoo

A fun way to try and gauge what an appropriate size and position would be for you new tattoo is find a design that is or is close to your dream tattoo and print it out. Then cut it out from the piece of paper and stick it where you are thinking of getting it.

Once that is all done get a friend or family member to take some photos of you with the tattoo on. Try moving the tattoo around to a few other places where you think it might look good and take lots more photos. Make sure that you take photos from both far away and close so you get a good idea of the scale and the detail.

This can be heaps of fun and you can also put a few tattoos on your photographer and see if you can convince them to get a tattoo that way you can get them done together.

Once you are done taking the pictures load them onto the PC and check them out. You will be able to tell very quickly whether the tattoo gets lost or if it still stands out and is clearly visible. This will tell you if you are in any danger of getting a design that is too small.

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A Tattoo Artist, How Do You Choose One?

When you are out pounding the pavement and looking for the right tattoo artist for you there are a number of things you need to consider.

The Number One Thing to Look For

The first thing to look at in an artist is their reputation.

The only real way to checkup on your artist reputation is to speak to people that they have done work on. All though this is something that requires a bit of work and effort, compared to just walking into a shop and looking at portfolios, it will be worth every single second you spend on it.

The feeling of confidence you will draw from speaking to previous clients, and knowing that the artist does have both the technical skill and artistic talent to create and apply the tattoo you are after will be no end of comfort once you are in the chair. This is one of those things that can make the difference between you being a bundle of raw nerves in the chair or being cool, calm and collected and actually being able to enjoy your new tattoo experience.

The Number Two Thing to Look For

Second most important is their portfolio.

When you are looking through their portfolio you need to be looking for both the images of the tattoo designs they have drawn and created with previous clients and you will want to see photos of the tattoo's they have applied.

If they show you a portfolio of just one of the above make sure you ask to see the other in order the gauge their skill at both drawing & creating and at real life tattoo application.

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Must Do Aftercare Techniques

Often tattoo-care instructions vary from artist to artist. However, the bottom line is that if your tattoo is done correctly, very minimal aftercare is needed. Most aftercare instructions are designed to speed up the healing process.

Now I am sure most of you would have heard of the TV show Miami Ink or LA Ink at one point or another either from friends or in the search for you dream tattoo. Here we have got some help from Kat Von D to break it down for you.

Here is what Kat suggests doing for your best tattoo outcome:

Kat's Steps to Follow

1. Remove your bandage, after an hour or so. Once the bandage is removed, gently hand-wash your tattoo with warm water and antibacterial soap.

2. Apply very thin coats of Aquaphor for the first five days. (You can find this fragrance-free ointment in the lotion section of any drug store.) You can apply the ointment two to three times a day. However, never over-saturate the tattoo.

3. Once the tattoo starts peeling lightly, you can switch to a non-fragrant white lotion.

That covers the basic immediate steps to follow after getting inked, but there are also some general tattoo care tips that need to be adhered to:

Remember to Avoid

* Direct sunlight for the first two weeks.

* Submerging your tattoo in any type of water for the first two weeks.

* Picking or scratching at your tattoo.

* Washing the area with soaps or lotions that contain lots of ingredients, especially fragrance. Fragrance can irritate your skin or even cause you to have a more serious reaction. The least amount of chemicals you put on your tattoo, the better.

Once the tattoo has healed, however, you can pretty much put anything on it!

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How To Prepare For Your Day In The Chair

Hopefully your day in the chair to get that dream tattoo of yours is fast approaching and you do need to know ahead of time how to prepare you self both for a good tattoo experience and for the longevity of your new tattoo.

We have broken down for you the top 5 things you need to think about and know ahead of time in order to prepare your mind and your body.

So let's start at the beginning, the first step in preparing for your new tattoo is to:

Work With Your Artist

This step kind of goes hand in hand with finding the right tattoo artist for you, but is still separate because not everyone who finds their dream tattoo idea bothers to talk it over properly with their chosen artist.

An experienced artist can bring so much to your dream tattoo, umpteen things that you probably have not even thought of, that will improve the overall look of your tattoo.

Spend Some Time With Your Artist

As well as the above, spending the time working with your artist on your dream tattoo idea will also instill confidence that the artist understands the exact look you want and will be able to translate the image that you have in your head and apply it to your body in a way that will impress you and all your friends.

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Tattoo Parlor Sanitation - How To Find The Right Parlor For You First Or Next

Finding a clean and sanitized tattoo parlor is almost as important as finding the right tattoo, they very much go hand in hand, because if you don't pay attention to the cleanliness of your prospective parlor your dream tattoo could just turn into an ugly scar.

Sanitation in the Parlor

It really is important to know that your prospective tattoo parlor makes sure it is a sanitary place to do tattoo's in. Not only from a piece of mind point of view but also from the more serious view that you don't get a nasty infection while you are getting your new tat done.

So how do you know whether the parlor you are thinking of getting your tattoo done in is up to scratch? By using this simple to follow and straight forward 5 point Sanitation Check List to ensure an infection free tattoo experience.

#1. Wearing rubber gloves is an obvious first step but the artist wearing gloves isn't all that constitutes a clean tattoo experience.

#2. Your artist should exercise Universal Precautions by OSHA. This means barrier protection over every object or surface that could come in contact with either their hands or the tattoo.

#3. Everything should be disposable.

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The Worst Tattoo Mistake - Being Drunk

I don't think we need to go into a lot of detail as to why getting a tattoo while you are drunk is a bad idea, just think of all the silly or stupid things you did last time you got really drunk. You will have to ask your drinking buddies about all the silly stuff you got up to when you were drunk that you don't even remember doing and I am sure that will be enough for the point to sink in.

The main reason why getting a tattoo while you are drunk is a really really bad idea is because it leads you to make all sort of other really bad common tattoo mistakes, like:

Getting a tattoo that is too small

Quite often people will get a tat that is just too small, thinking it will be cute and pretty but it just gets lost on the body, especially if it is not on a part of the body that shows off small tattoo's well.

Getting a cheap and nasty tattoo

As Kat Von D from the hit TV show LA Ink says:

"Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good. Far too many times, people choose an artist based on price. That should be the last priority on your list when it comes to getting a tattoo."

Getting a tattoo that is an ode to a lover

No matter how much you are in love with your current partner it pays not to be overly romantic. At the end of the day it does not matter how much you love this person the statistic tell the story. And the story says that just about every tattoo out there is going to outlast most of the relationships that inspired them - as much as we hate to say it.

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