Majestic Tattoo NYC

How to Keep Your Tattoos Vibrant and Safe During the Summer

adal — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:55:09 +0000

Did you just get that special tattoo that you’ve always wanted? It looks great now, but how can you keep it bright and bold for many years to come? While some fading over time is natural and to be expected, one of the saddest things ever is premature fading of beautiful work due to neglect during the sunshiney months.

Proper summer care for your tattoo is crucial, especially in the first few months. Even if your tattoo is in a discrete spot and covered by clothing, it’s still at risk for fading, color spreading, and scarring due to sneaky UV rays.

Thankfully, there are some easy options to care for your tattoos that can just become a part of your daily grooming regimen. Even if you have sensitive skin – not to worry, we have all the tricks you need right here.

Sunblock

- Goes without saying. Once the tattoo is healed, apply a spf 30 or higher sunblock liberally to the entire tattoo every time you go out during the summer, and especially if you will be spending lots of time in direct sunlight – like on the beach.

It’s especially crucial to put sunblock on your tattoo after it is healed during the first month (generally 10-14 days after you get it). This is when your tattoo is in it’s delicate healing stage, and very vulnerable to outside elements.

Recommended sunblocks to use are Waterbabies, Coppertone Sport, and Bullfrog.

A good trick is to take a chap stick containing sunblock around with you, so that you can easily outline and cover your tattoo with the chap stick any time. Even better is to outline the tattoo with the chap stick, then also fill it in with a sunblock. This works great for larger tattoos. Just make sure to re-apply every 2-3 hours, or if your skin gets wet.

Obviously, don’t apply sunblock, chap stick or anything else that may contain petroleum when your tattoo is still scabby. When used at that time, products containing petroleum will clog your pores, hinder the healing process, and possibly draw out ink. If your tattoo is that fresh, it’s best to just keep it covered and away from the elements.

Keep out of direct sunlight

Do your very best not to expose your new tattoo to direct sunlight for up to 1 month after getting it, and especially during that 14 day period. Sunlight will burn the delicate skin and cause fading.

Let it heal properly

Despite the fact that it may be tempting to show off your new tattoo right away, you should wait at least 10-14 days until you let it get in contact with direct sunlight.

Keep it covered

Again, if your tattoo is less than 4 weeks old, don’t expose it to the sun at all if you can. It’s best to keep it covered and away from the sun. It is annoying, but in the long run it’s best to make sure every bit of color stays just as bright as it should, as UV rays can penetrate and bleach the tattoo and cause darker colors to spread.

Maybe even worse is the fact that your delicate skin will burn more easily and is at a higher risk for scarring from sun damage during this stage. Not to mention upping your risk of melanoma and other not nice things.

Beware of the water

Try to stay out of pools, bathtubs/hot tubs, the ocean, etc. Any kind of prolonged soaking, abrasive or chemical filled water situation should be avoided at all costs during your 14 day healing period. This will tamper with the healing process and potentially can damage the work you just paid for. When bathing, take light showers while trying to not to let the water run directly over the tattoo, and certainly don’t scrub the area.

Plan the timing of your tattoo carefully

If you are on vacation and are tempted to celebrate with a new tattoo, plan to get it during the later half of your trip. That way you won’t be tempted to forgo any of the proper care instructions or miss out on any of the fun stuff you want to do.

Remember

It can be fun to commemorate a trip with a new tattoo, but it’s important to make sure you investigate the place you are going to and make sure they have quality work and use safe measures. You are making a permanent investment on your body, and a place that is far away from you may not be able to or willing to do touchups if you find that it doesn’t meet your expectations or their work was not of quality.

And always, listen to your artist – If he or she has any specific instructions for your healing period, make sure you follow them completely. They have your best interests in mind.

Have a wonderful summer!

Great Gatsby Tattoo

adal — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:15:21 +0000

In light of the upcoming movie being released this weekend, check out Adal’s Great Gatsby book cover themed tattoo. The book’s original cover piece was done by artist Francis Cugot.

The cover of The Great Gatsby

Keith Haring Tattoo

adal — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:52:24 +0000

Keith Haring was a street artist and social activist primarily during the 1980s whose work centered around expressing concepts of birth, death, sex and war. He has inspired many artists and has even been a huge influence to Adal when he met Keith Haring in 1989 which you can read more about here.

Recent Tattoos from Majestic

adal — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:29:29 +0000

Majestic is stepping into spring and with the sun finally shining again it is about that time of year you can shed your winter coats. Check out some of the tattoos recently done at Majestic and contact us for an appointment at (212)431-3323 or adal@majestictattoonyc.com.

Mandala Tattoos

adal — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:10:49 +0000

Check out this mandala tattoo recently done at Majestic.

Mandalas have a huge spiritual and ritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism. Though Hindi word in nature mandalas are often used in many tibetan and Asian religions. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point representing a radical balance.

Here are a few other examples of Adal’s mandala and tibetan tattoos

Adidas Unite All Originals NYC Popup

adal — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:19:25 +0000

Adidas is pairing up with up and coming Harlem R&B artist Teyana Taylor (who was recently signed to Kayne West’s G.O.O.D. Music record label) for a pop up store celebrating their new line “Originals” right around the corner from Majestic Tattoo this weekend from March 15th through March 17th on the corner of Broadway & Franklin St. Though there are no specifics on the event, the video promotion shows some dazzling nails, fun paintings, and the possibility of brand new Kicks or music being released. With big names in the mix and designs similar to painted nails and #unitealloriginals hashtag on the windows it will sure be interesting to see what unfolds. Stop by both the event and Majestic this weekend to take a look of what’s going on!

Milky Way Wrist Tattoo

adal — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Check out this milky way wrist tattoo recently done at Majestic -

How to Make Your Tattoo Last a Lifetime

adal — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:42:34 +0000

When getting a tattoo some of the first thoughts and questions are usually along the line of how will this look when I’m older? What if I gain weight or get pregnant? Black or Color?

Tattoos and Aging

Face it, we are all going to be old one day. A lot of people are scared of getting tattoos because of aging, but that doesn’t have to be a huge factor in your decision to get any artwork. The placement and care you take of your tattoo has a large effect on how well it will evolve as you age.

It is a large misconception that once your tattoo finishes healing that it’s the end of taking care of it. Regular, if not daily application of lotion will significantly help in keeping your tattoo from fading and becoming irregular over the years. Although tanning is very popular these days, it can have a negative effect on your tattoo, causing it to fade faster over time, especially if it is a new tattoo out in the sun. There are some areas of the body that are more prone to be affected by aging than others such as chest, upper arms, and legs since those alter the most as we age.

Tattoos and Pregnancy

So you want a tattoo but also want kids someday? Well that’s okay! Getting pregnant is not going to destroy your tattoo, as long as you take the right measures to keep up your skin’s health. Keeping your body heavily hydrated and extremely moisturized is the #1 most important thing you can do to insure that after your pregnancy your tattoo will return to it’s original state. That will make sure that your tattoo (especially if near your stomach) will be able to retain its shape once your body has grown/shrunk dramatically and will significantly help in reducing the possible number of stretch marks.

Tattoos and Weight Loss/Gain

Nobody stays the same size forever, we all gain and lose weight, but how much will it really alter your tattoo? Surprisingly not at much as one would think. Weight gain or weight loss over an extended period of time is perfectly normal, and as the skin grows or shrinks and shouldn’t vastly affect the look of the tattoo unless it is extremely detailed over an area that saw a lot of stretching/shrinking which could cause the lines in very a detailed piece to maybe blur together (for example a detailed large stomach tattoo). In terms of extreme weight change (such as getting a lap band) you need to take more precaution and treat the tattoo as if pregnant to that the skin reforms in the proper manner.

Black and White or Color

A lot of people’s main dilema when deciding on a tattoo is color or no color, that is the question. It’s a large misconception that color tattoos fade significantly more than a black and white one, while color does show more change, any tattoo can fade drastically if not properly taken care of or touched up on regardless of the color choices.

Video Special – Adal Tattooing in the Bahamas

adal — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:29:21 +0000

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqMAN7hH5g[/youtube]

Brought to you by the highly talented AJ Arjuna Watson, also known as DECYPUL.

2013 Majestic Tattoo NYC Student Discount

adal — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:50:26 +0000

2013 has arrived! You survived Sandy, the 2012 Mayan apocalypse, a blizzard, and what better way to celebrate the new year and new you than with a tattoo? Majestic Tattoo is still offering a student discount to anyone who attends a New York City school. Including but not exclusive to NYU (New York University), Columbia University, Hunter College, Fordham University, The New School, Pace University, Manhattan College, City College of New York with your student ID.

Not only are we offering discounts to any student, but also to any member of greek life in New York City, such as any NYU sorority, NYU fraternity, Columbia sorority, or Columbia fraternity. A sorority / fraternity tattoo is a great way to remember some of the best years of your life.

The exact discount will be stated on a case by case basis, but you can expect to receive some of the finest quality tattoo work in New York City for a rate that is much more reasonable than what is charged at competing tattoo shops.