Coumadin: It would probably be a good idea to have a recent Prothrombin time and INR before you go in. Just to make sure it's not out of range on the high end.

Also plinth, your question makes me curious. Are you in A-fib or what? And what kind of tattoo are you thinking of getting?

Ignore me if I'm being nosy.

As you age, fine lines 'bleed' under your skin. Keep this in mind, the fines lines will be thin now but they'll get wider. If your tat has several fine lines close together, they might bleed into one thick one.

Can't speak to the blood thinner stuff, but black ink still fades to bluish (it's more pronounced on lighter and/or more sallow skin), for reasons that are somewhat-to-totally unavoidable (sun, skin's own pigmentation, etc.). It's not as bad as it used to be, but that's more because of additional aftercare knowledge than because of any advances in inks.

Lines can be very, very thin indeed, but they'll get thicker with time, so most responsible artists are reluctant to go too small. And, of course, you're limited by the diameter of the needle point (Google for 'single needle tattooing' to get an idea of what's possible).

The ink way an ink fades is also dependent on the artist. Most artists mix their own inks so the formula isn't universal and some inks are better than others. The artist you're interested in will probably have long-term fans that will have older tattoos you can check out to see how their stuff ages.

Ugh, ignore that first "ink", it's not supposed to be there. I'm tired and my brain is too full.

Lori - not A-fib. I tend to clot overzealously for a reason that is not known within the range of current medical science.

Thinking about getting a musical staff with notes that represent my family as the top note in each chord. It looks like I can spell out a V-V7-I or a ii-V7-I progression or a single Asus4.

ah, I see. Your tattoo sounds cool. You probably already know to make sure your bleeding time isn't too prolonged. Take care if you decide to go for it.

The black colour fading thing was explained to me by my tattooist like this:
Older tattoos tend to be bluer because techniques were different then. Until quite recently tattooists would go deeper into the skin, which would be closer to the fatty layer. This would cause the ink to fade and spread sooner than the new technique.

He said that in the old days he could do a tattoo and then just stick a paper towel over the top when he was finished. If he did that with the depth he goes to now, just removing the towel would take most of the ink out with it. By using, in his case, vaseline and cling film to cover the tattoo it has time to heal sufficiently before the removal of the covering.

Anyway, here's some advice when it comes to tattoos: bigger is better. The finer and fiddler the work, the less well it lasts. If it's going to be exposed to lots of sunlight it'll last even less well.

My wifes tattoos are a pretty good illustration of this. She has two tattoos done by one tattooist in close proximity done about tens year apart. The colours of the newer work are more vibrant and the lines sharper, and it's maintained these qualities since new (not to knock the older work which looks incredible).

1. Anyone have a definitive answer for get tattooed while taking blood thinners (Coumadin)? I've read a few that say it's OK, but no session should more than an hour.

I don't know much about blood thinners, but I've gotten tattooed while drinking several times, which, of course, is bad bad bad for blood clotting, and everything turned out fine. A lot more blood then there would be otherwise, but no lasting effects.

2. How fine can sharp black lines be? 0.5mm? Less? More?

Yes, they can be that fine. But within a decade, those lines will get all blurry and if you have an extra detailed tattoo, the lines will all blur into a giant blob (I've actually been watching that process happen over the last 6 years on my right forearm). Not all artists are skilled enough to be that detailed in the first place, though, so ask for pictures of other detailed tattoos that they've done.

3. How well does today's black ink last versus older black that seems to go bluish?

The oldest black ink tattoo I have on me is only 8 years old, but it's still as black as it was after everything had healed. The others I've gotten since then are the same story.

Older tattoos tend to be bluer because techniques were different then. Until quite recently tattooists would go deeper into the skin, which would be closer to the fatty layer. This would cause the ink to fade and spread sooner than the new technique.

Isn't that the truth....
it's also why I tend to favor younger artists. I went to an older fellow for one of mine, and although it looks lovely, it's so scarred it itches and bugs me years later because of how deep he went.

Although I think, for my next work, I'm going to Kate Hallibrand (she, apparently, does all of Howard Stern's work. she's also on my corner, so I know this from the pics in the windows), who trained under Sailor Jerry way back when, since I want some old-school stuff.