Traditional Asian Tattoos in Las Vegas Done with Precision and Respect

What's Covered on This Page

• What should I bring to my Traditional Asian tattoo appointment at Love Bite Tattoo?
• How long does a Traditional Asian tattoo session take in Las Vegas?
• Does the placement of a Traditional Asian tattoo actually matter that much?
• I don't know much about Asian tattoo symbolism — is that okay?
• How do I take care of a Traditional Asian tattoo in the Las Vegas climate?
• Can I get a Traditional Asian tattoo if I already have other tattoos in that area?

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Traditional Asian Tattoos Done with Artistic Precision and Cultural Honesty in Las Vegas

The Unique Characteristics of Authentic Asian Tattoo Styles

Traditional Asian tattooing is immediately recognizable, even in a crowded room. This isn't coincidental. These styles draw on hundreds of years of aesthetic tradition, specifically referencing Japanese irezumi, Chinese ink styles, and the Khmer sak yant. Every single element of the design serves a purpose, whether it be the position of a dragon's claws or the direction a koi swims on a client's body or the number of petals a peony contains. Nothing is accidental, and that is what makes this art different than just tattooing a dragon on your arm. These are the basic design elements that define the styles:

• Flowing and bold composition. Traditional Asian tattoos work with the natural shape of body. They flow and move.
• Meaningful imagery. Tigers, phoenixes, foo dogs, koi, and lotuses are all symbols for protection, strength, rebirth, luck, and other meanings.
• Purposeful background design. Wind bars, clouds, water, and rocks fill in the spaces around designs. The backgrounds aren't just there to fill empty spots; they are part of the structure of the design.
• Specific colors. Traditional Asian tattooing features deep blacks, reds, muted golds and jade greens that appear timeless for an obvious reason.

We have tattooed thousands of traditional Asian pieces over the decades we have been tattooing in Las Vegas. Many people come to us thinking they just want a koi fish tattoo and leave with a better understanding of how that tattoo fits into a bigger whole, which is one of the parts of the process we really like. A lot of people who live in the Chinatown area on Spring Mountain come to us already knowing what imagery they want and why. Other people are completely new to Asian tattoos. We think both are great places to start from. What matters is that the artist knows the tradition well enough to pay respect to it while making it your own. It is not something you can replicate from a stencil pack. It is something that takes years of learning, first from the old masters and then by learning the rules for the style and learning when it is appropriate to bend the rules a little bit. But when done right, you will feel the difference in that first glance in the mirror.

How to Find the Right Traditional Asian Design for You

This is where people often get stuck. You may have a dozen different saved ideas on your phone, maybe a screen-shot of a dragon you've been looking at for three years. But picking the right traditional Asian tattoo design isn't just about finding something that looks cool in a digital image on your phone. It is all about your body. The beauty of these tattooing styles is that they flow with the structure of your body, following the shape of your muscle and bone, whether you have a koi fish tattoo swimming up your ribs to follow the curvature of your torso or a tiger tattoo wrapping around your thigh where it has more room to really move. We've been making these types of tattoos in Las Vegas for quite some time now and one of the main things we tell people is that the placement should drive the design, not the other way around. Here's what we run through with you before drawing anything:

• Body flow. How does the design sit when you stand, bend, and flex? Does it feel good? A phoenix on a forearm is going to look different than a phoenix stretched across your shoulder blades.
• Scale and detail. Tiny designs tend to fade away over the years. We go bigger so we can pack in more detail. And if you want fine detail, you're going to want a bigger piece so it stands the test of time.
• Meaning and symbolism. Dragons, peonies, foo dogs, waves, they all represent something. We want to talk that through with you so nothing feels off or random to you.
• Skin tone and texture. Certain areas of the body will take ink differently, so we like to take that into account before getting into it.

This happens more often than you'd think: people come in wanting something small, like a hannya mask on the wrist, and walk out with a half-sleeve plan they're actually stoked for. That's not a sales pitch. It's more that the design didn't make sense in the size they wanted initially, but once they could see it breathing in the proper size, they knew exactly what they wanted to do next. You don't need to know exactly what you want, either. A lot of folks around Chinatown show up with nothing but a feeling they want to convey. They can be looking for something that embodies strength, honoring their ancestors, a Japanese tattoo of waves or flowers. We have the tools to build that piece and can help determine how it fits the frame you want it on and will stay with you. Or you can have no purpose behind the design and just think that a Japanese dragon looks awesome and go with that. Either way is fine. Not sure where to begin? Give us a call. We have this chat with people every day.

What To Expect During Your Traditional Asian Tattoo Session At Love Bite Tattoo

You walk in, and before we even get to the tattooing part, the vibe is already different from what you thought it was going to be. That's on purpose. When you sit down for your appointment, we want to have a discussion. Not a sales pitch but a discussion about the tattoo you're about to get. We look over your reference photos, we talk about placement and size, and how we will be going about creating it. Whether you're getting a koi full sleeve or a simple small lotus flower on your forearm, we want to know why you want this tattoo and what it means to you or if you just want a dragon because it looks cool to you, we don't really care. Once we've come to a conclusion on your design for the day, here's what happens:

1. We'll print or draw a stencil of the design for you and place it on the skin so you can see how large, where it sits, and angle wise where it sits in the mirror.
2. You approve placement. We don't begin until we are both happy with the placement.
3. We'll set up all single use needles, inks caps and inks right in front of you.
4. Tattoo begins, usually starting with line work before moving onto shading or color.
5. Take breaks whenever you want. It's on your time.

For larger designs, say a Japanese back panel or a full dragon leg, this takes place over multiple sessions. We'll walk you through how long each session is going to take and what the schedule for it should be. A lot of clients that live near the Arts District typically come back once every few weeks to keep the progress going. It goes almost without saying that our specialty is a first-time client getting their first tattoo in Las Vegas. Over the years, we have helped hundreds of people get through their first ever tattoo experience in our shop and the smiles you see ten minutes in are absolutely worth it. No worries, it's never as bad as you think it is. This said, Traditional Asian tattoos require experience and knowledge to be done properly how the bold blacks hold up as you age, how color will sit on your particular skin tone, etc., so it's good to know our artists specialize specifically in Traditional Asian tattoos, we aren't dabbling or just doing them "once in a blue moon." With that said, after your session we will give you a specific aftercare plan, not a generic printout that is thrown away the minute you leave. We'll explain exactly how and what to do for you, so you can make sure your tattoo stays looking the best for as long as possible. If you have any concerns or questions please give us a call, we would much rather be answering your questions now than after the fact.

Your Aftercare Will Protect Your Traditional Asian Tattoo in Las Vegas

Nobody will tell you, but getting the tattoo itself isn't as hard as the aftercare. In fact, you could have a really nice traditional Asian tattoo and still lose the vibrancy and integrity of that traditional style if you get it done but ignore your aftercare or worse, you follow the wrong advice for your aftercare from the internet. So that part now.

First Two Weeks

If you follow these steps, your tattoo will heal up and stay bright and crisp:

1. Keep bandage on the amount of time we say you should.
2. Wash with lukewarm water and unscented soap. Pat dry with paper towel.
3. Moisturize two to three times a day with unscented moisturizer. Do not overapply or underapply.
4. Do not touch the flakey skin as it heals, let it fall off naturally.
5. No hot tubs, Lake Mead or swimming pools for a minimum of two full weeks.
6. Keep it out of direct sun. No matter what.

We almost always get people coming back with faded lines because they don't cover up with loose clothing (step six). In the Summerlin area or anywhere in Las Vegas, the sun is brutal to your skin. And, believe us when we tell you this: you won't get enough sunscreen on it. Just cover your tattoo up when you have it healing in the summer in Las Vegas. You must stay hydrated. Las Vegas is extremely dry, especially in the summer. According to the National Weather Service, our humidity stays around 20 percent year-round. So if you want a nice vibrant looking tattoo for as long as possible you may have to moisturize a little more than someone in humid climates such as Portland, OR or Miami, FL. Consider this: you fly across the country for a vacation, get your entire arm tattooed, spend five hours on an airplane with zero humidity control and no moisture, and then walk right into that pressurized cabin? Do not be that person! Bring your after-care kit in your carry-on. And once those first two weeks are over, sunscreen is your forever best friend. Because while the blacks, reds, and golds are what most people want, they fade quickly with sun exposure. So you slather on an SPF 30+ every single time you step outside to keep those hues popping. And if you are unsure how your koi is healing, we'll tell you, plain and simple. Send us a picture; it is just how we operate.

Symbolism and Meaning Behind Popular Traditional Asian Tattoo Motifs

There is meaning behind each and every element in an Asian tattoo, and you can't take any element for granted. This, too, is what draws the most to this style. You are not going to a shop and choosing the image that looks the best. No, you are telling a story. We actually enjoy discussing the meaning of the tattoo as it is one of the most interesting elements of a consultation in our Las Vegas shop. In other words, when you sit with us to discuss what you want, you will be discussing meaning and history, as well. Here are the symbols that come to us most often and their symbolism:

• Koi fish, which means perseverance and courage. It is said, according to legend, if the koi could swim upstream to the Dragon Gate and leap out of the water, it would transform into a dragon. And, direction of the swimming can indicate your journey. If it's swimming up, it is in the struggle. If it's swimming down, you've already triumphed.
• Dragon, wisdom, strength, and protection. A Japanese dragon isn't wicked, like a Western dragon. In China and Japan, they are a symbol of strength and good. We've tattooed these a thousand, and it's all in where you put them.
• Phoenix (Hou-ou,) means rebirth and rejuvenation, and they're popular among the clients we have who are undergoing a in their lives. A client in need of a cover-up from someone who has been through a hard time, especially a cover-up near The Strip, tends to go for a phoenix as well, for obvious reasons.
• Tiger, meaning raw power, the wind, and fall. Typically you'll see it with a dragon.
• Peony, wealth, good fortune, and a kind of reckless bravery.

So, there is meaning behind the background, too, and the background is no different from the main subject. You'll find clouds signifying changing times. Waves signify life's movement. And, if the cherry blossoms have fallen, it represents the transient nature of life. The folks who walk into our shop near Downtown Las Vegas sometimes have to tell themselves the background is just the background, but it's not. According to the Japanese Traditional Tattoo Research Society, background elements are considered equally important to the main subject in Irezumi composition. It is when you choose a motif, that you should think to yourself what this is going to look like in my life. You're not just looking for what you will like. We will help you to find a motif that fits what you're looking for, find the right color scheme, and decide how it will look on your body. So, you would like to talk about what your tattoo means, please give us a call.