Pinterest Do's & Don'ts

Being in the tattoo world in 2017 we are all too familiar with Pinterest. Although there are many ideas that spark inspiration for our clients on there, Pinterest ideas also have things that just flat out won’t work as a tattoo. Here are some Pinterest no-no’s for you! 

Beware of the tiny ones. 

We have clients on a regular basis bringing in photos they found on Pinterest of the dreaded detailed lion on the finger tattoo, or extremely tiny, dainty script pieces. It is almost unbelievable that an artist can pack such detail into such a tiny space, right? 

The thing people don’t realize when they see these microscopic script tattoos or extremely detailed finger tattoos, is that they are looking at images posted almost immediately after the tattoo was done. The aging of the tattoo is what people often forget to take into account. That includes uneducated tattoo artists! 

Those tiny little letters? Weeks, months and years down the road that script will become more and more illegible, blobbing out into a not so cute mess that you are left to look at. That awesome detailed lion on the finger? You can expect the same as hands and fingers already heal rough, so add a ton of detail packed into a tiny space that won’t heal nicely and you’re left with a jacked up tattoo. 

When your artist tells you that the piece cannot be done that small, understand that he is not trying to pass you off. He is trying to make sure that you love your tattoos 10 years down the road as much as you loved them that first day. 

Beware of the Photo-shopped ones. 

There are so many tattoos floating around Pinterest that are completely misleading…because they aren’t real. Here are a couple examples for you! 

Metallic tattoos. We get plenty of people bringing in images of the shimmery, shiny metallic-looking tattoo photos found on Pinterest. These are temporary tats you are seeing! Although awesome artists can find many great ways to add that beautiful detail into your tattoo design, they cannot make your tattooed skin shine and glisten in the sun, its still skin. 

Super-detailed finger and ear tattoos. These are literally EVERYWHERE. A lot of the time these tiny little gems are created and posted specifying that they are indeed, temporary tattoos. But you get the re-posters and board creators who will post it as a real tattoo just to gain more interest. 

White ink tattoos. Your artist should tell you what to expect with tattoos that only have white ink used, but we can tell you that it isn’t going to be a brilliant, bright white popping off of your skin. Don’t be fooled! People will Photoshop these into what they wished they looked like, and more people will get white ink tattoos with that false expectation in mind. 

Last, but not least…TRENDING NOW. 

Not that they can’t be done….but do you really want a tattoo that hundreds, if not thousands of people already have? Tattoo trends come in waves, and when a new one hits it hits hard, with people coming in every single day wanting the exact tattoo as the 5 other people who saw it on Pinterest that day. The point is, if you’re going to use Pinterest to find that next tattoo, utilize it to spark an idea and work with an artist to come up with something unique for both you and the artist who’s doing it!