Where is best tattoo place in Birmingham?

First tattoo, rib tattoo, by apprentice.. good idea? Fast food work place?

• So my boyfriend already has 3 tattoos, and just got his 4th, a mediumish upper arm piece, by a friend of his who is an apprentice at a tattoo shop. The guy port folio, all though limited, is really good. And he isn't charging for the tattoos, but obviously my boyfriend tipped him. The deal was if it turned out good (which it did) that I would be getting my tattoo by the same guy. Only thing is this will be my first tattoo. And I know this is stupid, but I want this tattoo http://slices-of-life.com/PICS/cherry_blossoms_tattoos/46_2573cherry_blossoms_and_birds.jpg (to see it big, go on this page and scroll down about half way http://slices-of-life.com/2011/04/16/cherry-blossom-tattoos-huge-picture-collection/#.T2lsdBF8DKI) except I want the flowers to be slighty different shades probably, maybe even some blue or something and for sure the birds to be blue jays with possibly a ribbon in each of their feet, with my Grandma and Grandpas names. I've wanted this tattoo for at least 2 years now, and have put tons of thought into it (I've had the general idea of blue jays with cherry blossoms for the last 4 years, just couldn't find something I liked). Oh and of course, the only place I want it is my ribs. Basically, for it to go from a little higher than the bottom of my breast to my hip bone probably and on my right side. So here are my questions 1) Is getting this by an apprentice a really extremely stupid idea? 2) Is this do able in one session? I like to think I have fairly good pain tolerance, I've had a lot of mouth work done (braces, root canals, expanders, etc.) and handled it pretty well imo. 3) Do you have any idea how long it would take? (esp since it's by an apprentice) 4) Should I eat a large meal or a light meal before hand? (I get nauseous really easy, so I want to avoid that at all costs) 4) Water or Gatorade to bring? (The dark blue Gatorade is the one thing that I can normally drink, no matter how sick I am) 5) Should I take Advil or Tylenol or something prior? 6) I work at a fast service/fast food barbecue place, where I move around tons really quick and often get bumped into. I usually work Mon,Tues, OFF Wed, Thursday, OFF Fri, Sat, Sun, would it be okay to get the tattoo done like Tuesday evening, and then go back to work Thursday? I work 5-6 hour shifts, again a lot of fast paced darting around, lifting things, etc. For my uniform, I have to wear jeans and just a typical brown t-shirt, which I normally wear a tank top under, would that be okay to wear? Thanks so much for any advice!

• Answer:

  The apprentice wouldn't be so bad to get one from if it was simpler and in a different area of your body - but with a tattoo that's kind of big and detailed, I wouldn't want it from an apprentice. There are several reasons why. First of all, a tattoo artist builds their skill over years. (Obviously) But that also means that they learn how to not be as heavy handed as they were in the beginning - which would cause less pain (in such a sensitive spot!) and less possible scarring. After they've been at it for a few years, they see old tattoos they did and know where they went wrong because they've learned so much in those few years. Since this tattoo means so much to you, I'd suggest NOT letting an apprentice do it. Going to work afterwards is going to suck. The fresh tattoo is pretty darn painful for the first 3 days. The shirt rubbing against your skin may hurt. After about 5 days, it itches with an intensity you could never imagine. I would take just the gatorade and some tylenol before I went up there. The tylenol won't help much with pain exactly but it will help with inflammation. Don't eat much beforehand, if you're prone to getting sick. This tattoo is going to take SEVERAL hours. Maybe even 5 or 6, depending on the speed and experience of the artist. Again- I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT let an apprentice do such an important tattoo on you.