Tattoos are a deeply personal thing. Whether you get one because you simply love the design, or because there's a deeper meaning, you have to be proud of it - after all, even with the advances of laser removal, tattoos are pretty permanent.
If you were to go back just a few generations, tattoos were reserved for prisoners, gang members, or sailors. They were not acceptable to many people in society, and could be a source of judgement.
Nowadays, young people celebrate milestones with tattoos, they give themselves permanent reminders of someone or something, and they see them as an art form, with their body as the canvas.
It can take a while to pluck up the courage for your tattoo, and research is a key part. Whether it's scrolling through images to find inspiration, or trawling the internet looking for the best artist to convey your idea.
Instagram has become a pretty useful tool, with tattoo artists able to use it as a form of portfolio to showcase their work, and people able to search for their specific ideas using hashtags.
Cambridgeshire might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of incredible tattoo parlours and artists, but we've rounded up a list of the Instagram handles of some of the best in the county for you to keep an eye on.
Maybe bear these in mind next time you drunkenly consider getting a tattoo from a dodgy backstreet parlour on your holidays.
1. Varo at Blood of Angels @Varoprundea
Varo is a resident tattoo artist at Blood of Angels in Cambridge, specialising in abstract, linework and custom script.
His Instagram shows off his impressive array of work, and his particular skill when it comes to script work.
Whether the design is bold and striking, or simple and subtle, each one is finished to a highly detailed standard.
2. Ania at Blood of Angels @skrokink
Ania is also a resident at Blood of Angels in Cambridge, specialising in dot-work pattern, mandala art and line work.
Having started at Blood of Angels in March, Ania already has an impressive array of work on Instagram.
Intricate mandalas sit alongside dainty dot-work and striking bold designs of tigers and eagles.
3. Jose Bejerano at Blood of Angels @berentattoo
Jose is a resident artists at Blood of Angels in Cambridge, specialising in neo-traditional designs.
He also has a wide variety of pop culture and anime inspired designs, with vibrant colours standing out alongside bold line work.
He also does dot-work and black work as well, although it's the anime tattoos that really jump out and grab your eye.
4. Georgi Kolev at King St Collective @g.kolev_tattoo
Georgi works at King Street Collective in Cambridge, mostly in greyscale for his designs, whether they're fantasy or realism.
The level of detail and shading for each design is breathtaking, with some designs almost appearing three-dimensional.
Turtles and scorpions seem to be jumping off the canvas, well skin, with brilliant highlights and subtle shading.
5. Benyur Kaptan at King St Collective @tattoobeynur
Beynur is the proud owner of King Street Collective and his designs are to die for.
Combining strong line work with delicate watercolour-style splashes of colour, Beynur creates captivating and creative designs.
Looking through Instagram there's a wide variety of skills on show, whether it's a delicate bumble bee, a realistic portrait, or a colourful critter.
6. Kyle Warwick at All Sacred Tattoo Parlour @kyle._tattoos
Kyle started tattooing in November 2016, and now works at All Sacred Tattoo Parlour in Littleport.
Kyle's work features graphic portraits along with striking colour palettes.
The specialism in graffiti and illustration comes through in Kyle's bold designs, but the skill of realistic portraiture is also showed off alongside quirky twists.
7. Abbie Williams at Lost Time @abbiewilliamstattoo
Abbie is based at Lost Time in Peterborough, a custom tattoo and body piercing studio that also offers tattoo removal.
Abbie's bio describes her as a "lover of nature/biscuits/cushions", which certainly comes through in her work.
Gorgeous animals sit nestled among striking flowers, whether it's a watercolour flamingo, a portrait of a pet or a Nice biscuit nestled on your upper arm.
8. Shaun Hubbard at Sotruetattoo @shaunhubbardtattoo
Shaun is based at Sotruetattoo in Peterborough, right by the cathedral.
Pictures on Instagram show impressive black and white scenes creating sleeves, with superbly detailed skylines and classic cars.
There's also a wide array of realistic portrait work, and some gorgeous animals and flowers thrown into the mix, proving Shaun to be a diverse artist.
9. Leigh Tilbrook at Electric Workshop @Leigh_tilbrook
Leigh is the owner of Electric Workshop in the heart of Peterborough. Located just outside of the Queensgate shopping centre, it's a short walk from the bus or train station.
Specialising in single needle tattooing, Leigh's designs are delicate and intricate.
The vast majority of the designs are greyscale, but due to the delicacy of single needle tattooing, they contain an impressive amount of both detail and shading.
10. Jamie Blackbourn at Electric Workshop @jamieblackbourn
Based at Electric Workshop in Peterborough, Jamie's Instagram feed shows off his impressive skill for portaiture.
Whether it's a sinister black and white Joker, or a brightly coloured, cartoon-inspired Deadpool.
Jamie displays an incredible attention to detail in each piece, whether it's bold and graphic, or realistic and intricate.
11. Sorin Cacio at Fidelio Art @sorincacio
Sorin is the owner of Fidelio Art in Cambridge, which opened just a couple of years ago.
His work focuses primarily on realism, whether it's in colour or black and grey.
Sorin's portraits could be mistaken for lifelike with their delicate shading and soft details. It's clear that he has an eye for detail.
12. Danny Chiverton at Almost Angels Tattoo Family @dchivertonart
Danny is based at Almost Angels Tattoo Family and creates designs in the realm of creative realism.
Whether it's a highly detailed greyscale lion with piecing blue eyes, Forrest Gump during his epic run, creepy crawlies or something more stylised, there's a range of designs on show on his Instagram.
13. Almost Angels Tattoo Family @aatattoofamily
Established just six years ago in 2013, Almost Angels is relatively new to the Cambridge tattoo scene.
But my do they have some impressive clients, including Cambridge United Football Team and Cambridge-born alternative rock band Mallory Knox.
Artists at Almost Angels have also been lucky enough to tattoo big names in the alternative and rock music scene, such as Frank Iero And The Cellabration (Frank formerly of My Chemical Romance), Tonight Alive, members from Skindred and Deaf Havana.
14. Demetri Yianni at New Image Tattoo Studio @tarquintattoos
Demetri is based at New Image Tattoo Studio in Wisbech and shows off an impressive range of styles on Instagram.
From creepy looking Pennywise the Clown tattoos, to delicate watercolour roses, bold tigers and artistic renditions of Gandalf, Demetri does it all.
15. Aimee Cook at New Image Tattoo Studio @aimeeturtletattoo
She may be an apprentice, but Aimee Cook at New Image Tattoo Studio in Wisbech is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Her Instagram shows off delicate linework, with tiny tattoos on the ankle or hand, next to some more striking and bold images done on calves or shoulders.
Aimee excels in delicate shading and dot-work, creating intricate mandalas, delicate fish and gorgeous greyscale flowers.
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/soliton-announces-tattoo-technology-article-published-in-medical-journal-and-selected-as-editors-choice-300930327.html
