How to prepare:
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Properly preparing for a tattoo appointment is just as important as tattoo aftercare. Your body is a canvas for our tattoo artists and the better the canvas, the better the end result.
Here are 8 fine tips from your tattoo artist on how to prepare yourself for the big day.
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#1 Rest and Sleep Well
This might be easier said than done, because you are all excited about getting a new tattoo, and can’t wait for the appointment. But being well rested is ​one of the best ways to make sure you’re ready for the upcoming day.
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​#2 Eat Healthy and Drink Water
The nervousness/excitement might make you so anxious to get to your appointment but please make sure to eat a full meal and drink plenty of water before coming to your appointment. Getting tattooed usually takes a toll on the body, so your body needs fuel to get through the day. You can also bring snacks with you to the tattoo appointment.
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While getting tattooed feels like you aren’t doing much, your body is actually expending a lot of energy during the process. Getting a tattoo is causing trauma to your body, so it’s super important to have enough energy to get through without having your blood sugar drop too low, which could cause it to feel more painful. Plus, the last thing you want while getting a permanent piece of artwork on your body is to be shaking the whole way through.
Get some protein and complex carbohydrates in, they will give you energy that lasts longer and won’t spike and fall too quickly. It has also been shown in studies that vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) helps with wound healing and boosts your immune system, so try to eat some vitamin C rich foods before and after your session.
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#3 Avoid Heavy Training
I advise not to start beating your personal records at the gym the day before or the day of the tattoo appointment. Your body needs to be fully rested, and ready for the new tattoo. It would also be a lot easier for you to sit in the chair if your muscles aren’t sore from the workout.
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#4 Avoid Partying/Alcohol/Drugs
It is normal to be scared for your session, especially if it is your first tattoo. However, you will be turned away if you show up under the influence of alcohol or drugs. These are not the solutions to being scared of the pain or the needle or anything about the process that may frighten you. Furthermore, it is extremely dangerous to drink alcohol before your appointment as it thins your blood and puts you in danger for various complications.
Lastly, you should also avoid aspirin and any medication that thins your blood. If you are taking prescription medication please talk to your health care provider to find out if you should be getting tattooed.
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#5 No Tanning
It is crucial to keep the amount of melanin (natural pigment) in your skin as low as possible, especially when we’re talking about color tattoos. Tattoo ink is injected into a deeper layer of the skin than melanin is situated, so the melanin will almost put like a brown tinted glass over your tattoo, and in result it will muddy the colors. Regarding that we strongly advise to avoid direct sunlight, and to try not to get a sunburn. You can achieve that by either protecting the area to be tattooed with clothing and/or by wearing a high SPF sunblock, we recommend using at least SPF50. It is also advised against using self tanning creams/lotions etc.
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#6 No exfoliating
When showering, please don’t exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating makes skin renew itself and the new skin is fragile, making it harder to tattoo. This of course does not mean you shouldn’t shower or wash yourself, just don’t scrub your skin too much. You also do not need to shave the area yourself. If it’s not an area that you don’t usually shave anyway, leave the shaving to the artist.
#7 Moisturizing is key
The skin is a tricky canvas, and tattooing a dry, non-elastic canvas isn’t any easier. But by taking care of the elasticity of your skin will help the tattoo artist a ton. we recommend to apply moisturizing lotion/cream/coconut oil on the to be tattooed area for one week before the appointment.
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#8 DRESS FOR YOUr SESSION
You want to be as comfortable as possible during your tattoo and that means wearing a comfortable outfit. You don’t want to be wearing restrictive jeans or a dress shirt while you’re getting tattooed. Loose clothing will help make sure that you aren’t randomly getting itchy, overheated and it will allow you to easily re-adjust your positioning in case you become uncomfortable. Lastly, it will allow your artist easy access to the area you are getting tattooed. Your artist won’t be too happy if you’re getting your lower leg tattooed and you show up wearing skinny jeans.
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*All aforementioned tips are general recommendations by your artist. If you have any questions, consult directly with your tattoo artist, not Dr. Internet.
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