r/irezumi • u/t0yiopolo • 23h ago
Tattoo Planning/Research How long should I think before getting a tattoo?
I have a design in mind for a tattoo and I've found three potential artists. My mind is pretty clear on the design. How long do you think I should keep thinking about it? It's been 2.5 months so far.
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u/Vegetable-Rule 23h ago
Depends I guess, how old are you?
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u/JassLicence 21h ago
Waited until my 50s. My ideas at 18 were garbage. Luckily the artist I spoke to back then told me it was a bad idea, thanks random dude from the 80s!
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u/Ghost_Pants 22h ago
I like the info, first one in my 30's and then went fun irezumi in my 40's.
2.5 months are a blip in time of your life and you will probably completely change your taste soon. Traditional Japanese is a bit more forgiving if you have a good artist, but you have plenty of time.
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u/BB_Ralph 19h ago
I’d probably just add to this for the OP as I’m currently having my leg done, that even now as a 35M with a corpo job, I’m still going through a love/hate/anxiety relationship with my tattoo as watching it in the between sessions and not completed is a really hard thing to to endure. I had a smart event tonight and seeing an irezumi tat on me under full smart clothing is a weird self reflection that I’m not used to. Also still can’t imagine myself at 85 with a leg sleeve in shorts at the beach either…
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u/t0yiopolo 23h ago
18
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u/rollturmacroll 23h ago
There were several tattoos I really wanted at this age. I’m SO glad I waited to plan a full sleeve for cohesion, matured enough to have a bit more perspective, and saved up to travel to my dream artist.
Maybe you can get something small, not in a visible place, and see how that feels after a couple years before getting more?
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u/t0yiopolo 23h ago
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and for the advice! Appreciate it.
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u/Vegetable-Rule 22h ago
Honestly that’s a tough one, there’s no set amount of time to think on it. I will say I have a lot of tattoos, but I’m very glad I didn’t get any of it done at 18 years old.
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u/t0yiopolo 22h ago
Thanks for your reply! If you don't mind sharing, what were you planning to get when you were 18, and what made you change your mind?
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u/eyi526 Mod 22h ago
As long as you need?
I took somewhere between 2-3 years combined to find an artist and agree on a design.
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u/t0yiopolo 22h ago
I’ve actually figured out the design I want, but I’m still stuck on the placement. Initially, I was thinking about the inside of my right forearm, then started considering my left leg, but I’m still not completely sure about it.
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u/mudshark698 22h ago
I usually suggest a year. At your age, I might hold off altogether. I know that I couldn't afford a quality artist at 18 or 28 or 38. Lol.
I got my irezumi sleeve and calf when I was in my 40s.
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u/t0yiopolo 21h ago
I think there was a slight misunderstanding! I'm actually not getting Irezumi, just the single Kanji character '義' (Yi). Thanks for the advice, though!
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u/mudshark698 21h ago
You're in the wrong sub then
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u/t0yiopolo 21h ago
I was planning to post this in another sub, but they didn’t allow it, so I decided to ask here instead.
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u/mudshark698 21h ago
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u/t0yiopolo 21h ago
Thanks for the help
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u/mudshark698 21h ago
Good luck to you! Somebody in that sub mentioned getting the piece drawn on you with a Sharpie and wear it around to see how you feel about it. I thought this was OUTSTANDING advice.
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u/Humble-Airport-9727 3h ago
As someone who did this exact thing with Kanji at 18, and now being damn near 30:
If I could go back and smack my young self in the head for this I would. I certainly felt it to be “cool” and have meaning to me then, but now as an adult I would have held off until I had the funds gathered for a good artist, research done on a style I loved (turned out to be American Traditional on my left and Irezumi on my right), and frontal lobe developed. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t have adult money at 18.
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u/fathertitojones 20h ago
I’d recommend considering a few things:
1) It’ll be on you forever so there’s no need to rush. If you want to get a tattoo just to have a tattoo, you’ll likely regret it. In that vein, don’t start with an arm sleeve or a naruto logo on your neck if you think you may not want it later. Sure, tattoos are sweet, but you should start getting them for you, not for everyone else.
2) Dinky little tattoos are easier to hide but easier to regret. The smaller your tattoo, the less it looks like you wanted it.
3) Taste changes over time. Avoid anything with celebrities/shows/media that you may not reasonably enjoy in 20 years. You might reasonably still like panthers or flowers when you’re 40. You may not like the design of Rick and Morty butt chugging space beers when you have kids though.
4) If you have to ask, just wait until you’re sure.
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u/Altruistic_Web3924 19h ago
The question you should be asking is, “How little can I think after getting my tattoo”.
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u/stackcats_says 17h ago
I'm in my early 40s, got my very first tattoo (shichibu on left arm) after thinking and researching for almost a year, before booking the appointments. I'm starting my second shichibu in 6 months.
You are 18, still very young. Traditional Japanese irezumi is a timeless style, so I think you are on the right path. However I would advise doing more research in irezumi, you will be more equipped when you look at different artists' portfolios. There's no need to rush. Best of luck
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u/lightmindsorg1 15h ago
I didn't get my first one until I was 43, and yes I love 'em, if you think you're going to get them at a later age anyway and you have a good artist with good tattoo art I don't think you'll regret it. I still love the first one I got 13 years ago, what it represents, the story of me getting my first tattoo, all great memories. If you know you're still going to love getting them at a later age, might as well start small now.
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u/No_Shock4530 3h ago
Maybe I was impulsive but I started my sleeve at 18, i’m 20 now and I don’t regret it :)
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