First tattoo next week! Any tips?

[MysticMary]

I've heard I should avoid caffeine beforehand and drink plenty of water. Is there anything else I should know? Also, is it customary to tip the artist in this country or is that just something I've seen the Americans do? 😄

Bepanthen is great for aftercare but sometimes a bit difficult to apply - rub it between your fingers until it 'loosens up'. My most recent tattoos had coconut oil instead and they healed so well!

During appointment:
-fizzy/sugary drink
-go to toilet beforehand
-DOUBLE AND TRIPLE check your design and the positioning!!!
-if you are chatty, chat to the artist throughout - helps with nerves. If not, don't worry about being rude, go on your phone and stick on your favourite tunes or an audiobook.
-tell them it's your first time

Afterwards
-when you take the clingfilm/tape/whatever off, there might be some smeared tattoo ink - THIS IS NORMAL, it will wash off.
-wash with lukewarm water only for few days - no soaking (baths or loooong showers)
-no soap (unless instructed)
-PAT DRY/AIR DRY - no rubbing with towels!
-bepanthen/coconut oil - apply once out of shower
-DO NOT ITCH
-depending on where it is, wear loose clothing
-if anything feels off, call the tattoo shop for advice.

and start saving for the next one!!! 😆

OP, I have many, many tattoos and these are my go-to rituals (of course it depends on placement/ how long you’ll be sat for)

Dont drink caffeine immediately beforehand and definitely do not take Paracetamol/ Aspirin before (it’s thins blood and most places will make you sign a waiver saying you haven’t taken anything)

Take a sugary drink like lucozade but sip sparingly only when you need it to avoid needing the loo halfway through!

Consider what you’re going to wear, especially if it’s arms/ shoulder. When it’s cold, I have a very thin flannel shirt that I wear after a tattoo so nothing rubs and also consider what jacket/ coat you’ll be able to get on with restricted movement. Wear something you’re not bothered about ruining, it’s amazing where blood and ink end up, even with your clingfilm wrap!

put a towel down on the bed to sleep, if not you’ll most likely wake up with an ink imprint on your sheets no matter how well you wash the tattoo.

when you shower, only use water and no soap. Pat dry with kitchen roll, don’t use a towel and apply a thin layer of bepanthan. Only re-apply cream when the tattoo starts to feel dry, don’t oversaturate it.

most importantly, if you need a break, tell your tattooist as soon as possible. Be warned however, that it will most likely hurt more after you return from a break as it gives the area time to swell (only applicable in a long sitting)

Good luck OP!

You might be best asking for this to be moved to the tattoo section. The anti tattoo brigade don't usually tend to make it over there

Double check the positioning before they start. If there’s anything at all you want to change, let them know before they start, because once it’s inked, you’re stuck with it!
Take some lucozade or a sugary drink. I eat sweets on the journey there.
Your body will get a bit of a shock at first, but within a few minutes you’ll not feel it as much.

Enjoy! I have a lot of them, they are addictive.

You don't see court Judges with Tattoos.

Are court judges usually naked and you can see every inch of their body to know whether they have any tattoos? I must have missed that

🙄

Ah yes, I forgot that court judges all do their jobs naked in order to prove they have no tattoos. They definitely don't wear long black robes that cover 95% of their body 🙂

What if we don't want to be a court judge? I don't.

I have over 50 tattoos, never taken a sugary drink with me. I'd end up needing to pee!

I use Palmers on mine afterwards.

I take one with me just in case. One of my first tattoos was a biggie and I almost fainted, thankfully the artist took me outside for some fresh air and sugary coffee but I can't always rely on other artists to supply the drinks! Thankfully haven't needed it since that first time.

Ignore those saying don't do it because that is not what you are asking.

You have not said where you are having the tattoo and as you are having it to help cover scarring, this might not be appropriate. But generally I would say consider postioning carefully. Opt for somewhere that will remain firm as you get older. In short, avoid breasts or tummy.

I have just the one small tattoo. It was designed for me by someone who was very special, and no regrets.

I don’t particularly prepare for a tattoo. Have breakfast before. No alcohol obviously. Take some music to distract yourself. Only really need snacks if it’s going to be 3+hours. Your tattoo artist will tell you what aftercare to use, different artists suggest different things. Keep it clean and moisturised afterwards but don’t ‘faff’ too much. Leave it alone.

Be sure it’s exactly what you want and no regrets

The CEO of my large global organisation has tattoos.

Our GP has tattoos.

My friend who is head of a clinical team at a flagship hospital has tattoos.

I know someone who is an MP and has a tattoo.

What is your point?

Don't drink alcohol the night before.

I use sports icepacks when the scabbing over comes and it start to itch. Stops the itching so you can sleep.

Wow the stupidity on this thread

If the main thing I am worried about in 30 years when I'm 75 is what my tattoo looks like then I've left a happy and fantastic life

Court judges who let off rapists with light sentencing are not always the epitome of society so I'm not sure why they are a benchmark of superiority to which we should aspire

Start saving for the next one??? 😁😁 I always end up chatting to the tattoo artist, but don't be afraid to say if it's too painful. Also cannot believe how negative people are about tattoos..... still!!!! Enjoy it and please post pics of it???? 😊

@CrimsonPig it's just that some people think judging others for doing things is more enjoyable than actually doing things...

No caffeine, alcohol or aspirin beforehand.
Make sure your skin is moisturised this week.
I’m sure you’ve done this but look at your artists previous work.
Dont be afraid to take a book or your headphones if you want to zone out, they won’t mind at all
I always take a drink and some Percy pigs because I’m usually there for 6hrs and am hungry!
Enjoy it, and as the others say, start saving for your next one!

In the days after when it's itchy, do not scratch! Instead use the flat of your hand to tap any itchy areas. Sounds silly but it works!

I had most of my tattoo done in later life. It covers most of my back. I love it.

My biggest tip is to do yoga breathing throughout to manage the pain, put numbing cream on an hour before and cover the area you have creamed with clingfilm until you get there.

The tattoo I had done in my early twenties, now part of my larger tattoo - I was told by the artist to go immediately home and have the hottest bath I could manage so that the "wound" would cauterise under the skin rather than forming a scab and itching - it worked a treat, so I was surprised when I went back many years later for them to say do the complete opposite.

I didn't find mine painful at all, but it took hours and hours, so take a book.

And don't be nice and polite as women are taught to be - this is for ever, if you are not 100% happy then tell the artist before they start inking.

As for judges with tattoos, I'm a lawyer and literally half of our team has a tattoo or several.

Just wondering why other people having tattoos makes some people so angry. Bizarre. Only ever see that reaction to tattoos on here. Almost everyone I know has at least one tattoo. Not one of those people are trashy.