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? 😄

Awwww you seem lovely @FMLife

🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

@FMLife 🏆 for top twat of the thread award. 👏👏👏

Of course it's not taboo! It's very mainstream. Most of my colleagues have them and we're teachers. It's really very common now.

I agree. Nearly everyone has them, including Fern Britton and David Dimbleby! They're hardly alternative nowadays.

Hope it turns out exactly how you want it to and makes you feel better.
Although you should never feel ashamed of your scars.

I've got 4 and have had carbs before, like a pasta lunch or sandwich etc,

I take a choc bar, bag of chewy sweets and a sugary drink with me.

Good luck! I'm jealous!

Can highly recommend TKTX numbing cream. It's brilliant.

What does the sugary drink do? I have four tattoos and I never took a drink with me. I didn't know it was a thing...

I have done nothing to prepare for mine. Just make sure it is exactly as you want before they start. This is not the time to go along with something to be polite.

Be careful with the aftercare. No shortcuts or forgetting to do it. It is only for a couple of weeks and then you are fine.

BTW, I know a couple of high court judges and they have tattoos! :-D

A friend who's is a dr says they call them tramp stamps ...

Sounds fab - good luck, and come back and show us!

Well let me just call the laser clinic for immediate removal 😱😱😱

A friend who's is a dr says they call them tramp stamps ...

that's like so, 20 years ago..

Aw, what lovely Dr your friend is @YogaLite , looking down on their patients like that. So professional . Are we supposed to care what they think?

My GP friend would never do this; but then again, she has a tattoo herself.

I'm interested in the tips here as I'm going to be getting my first tattoo in the next month or so. I'm 54!

Pearl I got my first for my 45th birthday. No regrets, looks awesome!

Well that’s the end to that argument then. YogaLite’s friend is a doctor don’t ya know.

Careful where you buy it though, there are some really dodgy fakes for sale. The fakes are the same packaging but have spelling mistakes on the box. They even have the proper hologram sticker.

Make sure you all buy only from their website.

Fantastic @G5000 ! I can't wait.

My GP has tattoos, as mentioned previously.

Trashier than bitching and swearing because someone clutches pearls likes and wants a tattoo and you don’t? Seriously, the amount of people replying ‘don’t get it’ is embarrassing. It was boring the first time and it didn’t get any funnier or clever with repetition. Grow up!

@CrimsonPig good point. @MysticMary its TK Official you're looking for

@PalePurplePumpkin is there a reason you feel the need to be that nasty? Just genuinely interested.

I intend to get one mixed with ashes should one of my darling dogs go before me a black lab tattoo with their ashes in

Get something that won't look weird if its incomplete haha - I reeeeaaaalllllyyyy could not cope with the continuous buzzing needle painfully scratching me, I felt nauseous.

If I could have stopped without my tattoo looking silly I would have. Everyone talks about how the pain is not that bad and kind of addictive - what a lie, it felt awful!

For context, I have lots of piercings, have been through painful medical treatments, am pretty accident/injury prone - I don't think my pain tolerance is that low. But getting a tattoo felt terrible!

I was really hungry after so went and got a McDonald's before I drove home
Mine was a good 5-6hrs though on my back and after 4hrs I was getting a bit grumpy so they made me a tea with sugar in which helped
I watched Netflix on my phone with headphones, chatted, played music etc

I find it funny how people judge tattoos and often have commented to me about them. None of mine are visible but I actually have 10 of them..