Choosing to get a tattoo is a huge decision – and doing your research on the tattoo artist is essential.
If you’ve already had a few tattoos, you’ll know the importance of researching the artist you’re interested in before booking an appointment. Tattoo artists have different areas of expertise, so it’s crucial to ensure the design you want aligns with the artist’s experience.
Even more importantly, you need to make sure the artist is comfortable with the work you’re requesting. As a tattoo artist recently highlighted in a viral video, not all artists are willing to tattoo every part of the body, and they all have their own boundaries – which helps keep both you and the artist safe.
In a TikTok video, professional tattoo artist Tamsin revealed the areas she refuses to tattoo and shared the one rule she has for strangers that doesn’t apply to friends. As a specialist in fine-line tattoos, Tamsin doesn’t feel at ease tattooing areas that don’t suit her style, such as the side of the hand or the inside of the finger.
According to her, fine-line tattoos in these areas often require “endless touch-ups” to maintain the design’s appearance, so she recommends finding an artist who “hand pokes their work” for better healing results. The artist continued by expressing her disinterest in mastering palm or sole tattoos, willing to turn away such requests.
She elaborated: “There are multiple artists out there who have dedicated their career to learning how to tattoo those places in such a way that they stay in and heal well. My artwork does not lean toward those placements whatsoever, so I’m not interested in doing them.”
She further asserted her refusal to ink the hands, necks, or faces of individuals she doesn’t know. While strangers and new clients must follow this rule, friends and people she’s tattooed before are the exception, as she said she’s happy to work on those areas if you’re not a complete stranger to her.
In an additional video, Tamsin shared her stance on why she wouldn’t give a first tattoo on the hands, neck, or face. She suggested she doesn’t like how it looks on someone with no other tattoos, and she won’t tattoo something she doesn’t find “aesthetically looks good.” She also pointed out that such tattoos need “confidence,” and without having met a person, she can’t judge if they have it.
Tamsin wrapped up her delivery by affirming she steers clear of intimate area tattoos. She noted that she’s done hip tattoos on women but will “not go near that area” on men. Viewers of the video expressed their gratitude to Tamsin for her candour, with numerous comments highlighting the need for more tattoo artists who maintain professionalism and are unafraid to establish personal boundaries.
One individual commented: “We need more tattoo artists like you for sure. I’m loving all these tips you have been giving us all. Thank you for your professional and personal opinions and advice.”
Another remarked: “So respectable that you have boundaries, especially as a fine-line artist! You’re so obviously educated I love to see it.”