It really depends on skin type if the colors will work or not. A good tattoo artist will let you know if it will or not. I have a butterfly similar to thoes that you linked and the color turned out great and I get tons of compliments on it. I will try to put a link here so you can see it.... http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kazpin700/album?.dir=/5844 I don't think you are being a drama queen! This is going to be on you forever so ask everyone you need to and get opinions! I feel that 80% of a good tattoo is how excited you were to have it on your body when you walked into the studio....the other 20% is getting a great tattoo artist to make your excitement come to life! Best of luck to you! Kim

I have 2 designs runnng through my head right now...the first is the cat logo from baby phat http://www.babyphat.com/plussizes.php?category=plussizes the first time I saw it I loved it but it was just a line drawing on someones website, and it wasn't until I showed a friend the copy I had drawn and she told me it was the babyphat logo... I am really sad right now, since I had my heart set on it, but it seems dumb now knowing it's a trademark, kinda like getting the Nike swoosh tattooed. My secod idea is a Ulysses butterfly - to represent my wls and as a memorial to my grandpa (long story but he raised me with my mother). http://images.google.com/images?q=Ulysses%20butterfly&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi I worry about getting the color right on that one... So I feel like I have 2 designs I really truly want, but worry about the final result. I know a good artist can do wonders for me but I am feeling down because I am worried they won't turn out the way I want them to. Am I just being a drama queen? Sandra

I have my eyes and lips tattooed. My mom owns her own business doing permanent cosmetics and she did mine. I am opening up my own shop in a few weeks as well. My mom has her eyebrows done and just had them "lifted" a little above her "normal" eyebrows. THen she just plucks the hair that is out of place. Looks really good and doesnt looks like they are painted on.

I had not heard that the butterfly is the official tattoo of WLS but I did have mine done for one major reason. I felt that it represented what I had gone through ---- first I was the fat caterpillar and now I am more like a pretty butterfly. It could be the change that people go through and that a butterfly goes through that started the association. I agree with someone else's post -- get what YOU want -- you are the one who has to live with it, but as a suggestion - have the tattoo artist pen the two roses and have a butterfly (if you want to) just above them -- it could signify your two boys and you watching over them, changing your life so that you could be everything for them -- I know from experience that it is hard to play with kids at 300+ pounds -- There you go my two cents!!! Kim

Hello everyone! I'm new to this board. I had my surgery 05/05/05 and have lost 115 lbs (42 lbs prior) . I promised myself once I lost the first 100 lbs that I would get my second tattoo but I'm having a dilemma! My cousin (who's also had WLS) informed me that the butterfly is the symbol of WLS. Is this true? I was going to get two roses on my left shoulder blade to represent my two sons' birthstones but now I'm thinking I like the butterfly idea! If anyone knows please enlighten me! Thanks for the info! Barb 342/227/hoping for 160