When it comes to visible tattoos, aside from the face, there’s nothing more noticeable than the neck. Your neck is generally not covered by clothes and is rarely hidden. It’s a big step and a big decision to take for most enthusiasts. From an ethical stand point, many tattoo artists simply won’t do neck tattoos because it’s putting the person’s job and future at risk, especially if they are not already heavily tattooed.
Neck Tattoos are Notoriously Hard to Keep from Fading and Blurring!
Neck skin itself is different, especially for men. As most guys will tell you over time the skin becomes rougher, the pores bigger, and of course there’s the beard hair to contend with. It’s a fact of life.
The skin there also has to have a tremendous amount of stretch. Just think how far up and down your head goes and side to side! Your skin has to be able to move and stretch to accommodate that without splitting open. This is another reason many artists avoid the neck and throat area – it’s tough to tattoo and requires a lot more skill than an arm or leg. Too much pressure and it’s easy to blow out and create a mess. Too little pressure and it will quickly fall out!
Will a Neck Tattoo Affect Your Future?
If you’re dead set on neck tattoos the first thing you need to do is think about your job and your future. Do you work in a field where neck tattoos aren’t a problem? Will it become a problem if you change jobs? While visible tattoos are on the cusp of being declared as covered under the terms of “discrimination against color of the skin”, body art is still ambiguous. Many employers want to see their brand represented a certain way and if you can’t cover it with clothing or make-up you may not have a job.
Can You Handle the Pain?
The last thing when deciding on a neck tattoo is whether you can take the pain. There are tonnes of nerve receptors in the neck. Plus it becomes hard to breathe while getting your neck tattooed. And, if you can’t take it you’ll either end up with a bad looking tattoo or an unfinished one. A very visible mistake.
So you think you can take it? Your job is okay with it?
Find an experienced artist and get advice on your design. The neck is made up of four distinct areas – the sides, the back and the throat. Each area has its own challenges but the shape itself can prove to be difficult. Not all designs will fit into the space and due to the angles there are usually some compromise. Listen to your artist on this, especially if they advocate turning or reorganizing. This is a visible, visible tattoo and you want it to look good.
When you’re ready to get tattooed make sure you’re in the right mindset, there’s no area of the neck which isn’t painful and being prepared will help to make it a slightly less traumatic experience. Don’t forget to let us know how it goes!
