For the last half-decade, tattoos for men have gone extremely trending, jumping in the same boat as beards and fancy crafted beers. Body modifications that we would see on bikers and sailors have blurred the line of restrictions, making tattooing a new form of art and self-expression for everyone. Tattoos are trending, indeed. You can come across a hipster riding a skate or see your favorite football player on a red carpet, and both of them may have an ink. However, you shouldn’t treat it like trends, as you can’t take it off.
The science of choosing tattoos for men lies in a thorough approach to the meaning, style, and timing of your ink. Trust us, there’s nothing like having a tattoo that you hate. Having consulted with pros from MensHairCuts.com, we’ve covered everything you need to know to pick the truly best tattoo.
The Most Popular Tattoo Styles
Of course, your tattoo should be beautiful and aesthetically pleasant. But, your picture of “beautiful” may change with time, just like anything else in the world. All and all, trends come and go. Do you remember those baggy hammer loop pants that everyone seemed to rock in the ’00s? Imagine wearing them all the time, for every occasion possible. That’s an allusion on a possible scenario proving that going under the needle with something that’s popular now will be a bad idea afterward. Those crazy dramatic flames on the back were so cool (were they, really?) back in 2001. Now, we’d better not imagine how painful it is to laser off such design. That’s why you need to pick a tattoo idea wisely, ensuring it’s not likely to age and lose its oomph. Here are the best tattoo styles to choose from so as not to end up with a life-long burden on your body.
Traditional
As you know, the term traditional is similar to classics, which means that something has stood the test of time. The style came to us from sailors who would depict marine and sea-inspired designs. Bold black outlines with conservative color palettes are considered a part of traditional ink style, and that’s something with which one can’t go wrong for its balanced, restrained, and ageless look.
Stick and Poke
Believe it or not, minimalistic and outlined designs that now every self-respecting hipster rocks all over his body were once confined to prisons. It’s a simple technique that involves using a needle instead of a tattoo gun, digging ink into the skin by hand. Although such tattoos are cheaper than other styles, you still need a pro to make the process safe.
Japanese
Despite common misconceptions, inks made in Japanese styles rarely have something to do with sakura leaves and Japanese characters. This style usually comes as bold tribal-like geometric zig-zag patterns with a deep philosophical meaning and well-composed, balanced designs.
Dotwork
In contrast to traditional styles, dotwork is a technique that imitates airbrush shading, outlining designs with pencil-thin lines and various dots to create a highly-detailed piece. The result is deep, elegant, and versatile.
Blackwork
As the name suggests, the blackwork technique is mostly filled with black ink. That creates a sharp bold appearance and play of contrasts that look especially distinctive.
4 Vital Tips for Getting the Best Tattoos for Men
These will help you on your way to getting inked, no matter if you’re a newbie or Rob Zombie’s best friend.
#1. Find the right tattooer.
A tattoo salon is the last thing to save on, so make sure to find a skilled tattooer who can give you exactly what you want.
#2. Tattooers know it better.
Trust us, the guy who has more ink than skin knows better: if he says that you’ve chosen a wrong spot for a tattoo, listen to him. Our bodies and skin change and lose their shape, so once perfectly detailed tattoo may blur.
#3. Keep your lifestyle in mind.
Your design should match not only your inner-self but also your lifestyle and workplace. Don’t go too much and opt for something that doesn’t pop to look professional.
#4. Take care of it properly.
Tattoos are for life, remember? Once you leave a tattoo salon, make sure you have everything to follow the care instructions the tattooer gave to you. Usually, they recommend washing tattoos twice a day and give a moisturizer for free.
Tattoos for men have reached a new level in the fashion industry. Nevertheless, this is not the case when one can simply follow trends. Now that you’ve learned all the basic info every man should know to get the most of his ink-session, you won’t be in captivity of a bad tattoo.
Source: MensHairCuts