How To Prepare For Getting A Tattoo?

Everything is finalized and you’ve booked your tattoo appointment, all you have to do now is wait for the day to come when you get your dream tattoo. Wait. That’s not it though. Getting tattooed isn’t like taking a walk in the park. You need to prepare for it. Your tattoo community is here to tell you how to do just that so that you can be ready to get tattooed. This will also help you to not unknowingly hinder the quality of your tattoo or cause issues for your tattoo artist at the tattoo studio.

Before we get to the list, as we always say, talking to your tattoo artist is the best way to know anything and everything you need to know. So, don’t hesitate to ask them if you have any questions about your tattoo. Whether you should shave or not, whether you should come prepared to wait for a long time, or whether you’d need to bring snacks and water. Just ask the tattoo studio and you can go for your appointment well-prepared.

Here’s a list of the things you need to generally do or avoid before you get to your tattoo appointment.

Sleep Well and Long

A good night’s sleep can do wonders not only for your skin but also for your mind. Sitting for a tattoo session can feel draining if you have to get a bigger tattoo. To avoid feeling restless or sleepy, it’s best to get a good night’s sleep and feel relaxed and at ease. It helps you stay awake, feeling fresh.

Bye Bye Alcohol!

For at least 24 hours prior to getting inked, don’t consume alcohol to steer clear of any intoxication during your session, as well as avoid blood thinning. Besides that, it is disrespectful to the tattoo artist if you show up to your appointment after a few drinks and aren’t sober. Alcohol does not help you feel less pain, but it does give the tattoo artist a headache if you show up like that. So, don’t do it.

Say No to Blood Thinning Drugs

Say no to drugs, yes, but also say no to pain relieving medications that you get over the counter because those can also cause blood thinning. Ask your tattoo artist if you can take anything for the pain to know what’s fine to be consumed.

Eat & Hydrate

We can’t stress on this enough. Don’t go hungry for your session. You’ll lose blood as you get inked and an empty stomach will make you feel light headed quite easily, especially if you have to sit for a long tattoo session. Eating a meal before your session and staying hydrated is important to ensure your health is fine and you’re comfortable in your session.

Take a Shower

It’s obvious but we’ll still say it. Take a shower before you go for your tattoo appointment. The area you’re getting tattooed needs to be clean to make sure you don’t get any infections and also ensure an easy inking process.

Wear Comfortable Clothes

Based on where you’re getting your tattoo or for how long you have to sit for your tattoo, choose your clothing. You don’t want to be there for 8 hours in some tight jeans that you want to get out of in 3 hours. Comfort over fashion.

Skip the Gym Before the Session

Yes, don’t go into your session after a good sweat at the gym. Your skin would be clogged which would hinder the inking process. Plus, let’s avoid stinking up their tattoo studio after your successful workout.

Don’t Touch the Tattoo Station

Again, obvious but still, don’t touch the tattoo station because everything is sanitized and needs to remain so for your own safety, as well as for your tattoo artist’s.

Shave

Most likely, you’d need to shave and go for your tattoo appointment. If you’re someone who doesn’t shave often or at all, start prepping your skin earlier so that you can avoid razor bumps or rashes before your tattoo session. Exfoliate your skin and then shave in the direction of the hair growth for a smooth shave with no ingrown hairs.

Don’t Moisturize Your Skin Today

Moisturizing your skin regularly is anyway essential but ensuring that your skin is moisturized means the inking would also go smoothly. However, don’t moisturize before going to the tattoo session. This is to avoid clogging the skin in a way.

Summing Up The Prep

Get all these things done, do and don’t do what is necessary, and you’ll be all set to get that dream tattoo you’ve been waiting for. Talk to your tattoo artist and ask them what they’d need you to do as prep. Apart from that, we have already laid out things for you to keep in mind and follow so that your tattoo session goes well and you come home happy and satisfied.