Be Happy Get Tatted

Ahhh. I remember going to get my first tattoo. I did everything I needed to do to be prepared. Many people don’t really know what to expect when going to get a tattoo for the first time. In todays post let’s go over the do’s and don’ts of going to get a tattoo.

Do Your Research and Know What You Want

While a tattoo’s artists job is to come up with amazing artwork tailored to your desire, they jobs are not to be able to touch your skin and go “Oh yes, I see it”! Your artists are not mind readers guys. You should already have a general idea of exactly what you are going to get permanently inked on your body. Do your research before-hand so you can explain to the artist exactly what it is that you want. My first time getting a tattoo, I actually printed out a picture of what I wanted the rose to look like so all my artist had to do was add bits and pieces to it. It makes the process much easier.

Shut Up About Price

Tattoos are obviously costly, anyone that has ink on their body would know so. Therefore don’t expect a really cheap price on a certain tattoo you want. If you think that a tattoo shop might be over charging you with their rates, it’s ok to go in and ask for a price quote on something and shop around. But don’t try to haggle with someone to get them to lower their fees. Respect for the artist and the shop should prompt you to accept whatever it is they are offering. Not only that, but you get what you pay for. Most of the friends that have came up to me sporting their new tat that was done by a local tat party have bragged about cheap it cost. And it was reflected in the artwork. And it definitely doesn’t look nearly as good as a professionally done tattoo that obviously cost more. That being said, if you want good art, pay good prices.

Bathe/Dress Properly

This is probably one of the more common rules of thumb while going to get a tattoo. Your artist is going to be in close contact with you for possibly hours at a time. I’m sure no one getting a tattoo would appreciate it if their artist smelled horrible and had day-old tuna salad breath. Same goes the other way around. Make sure you take care of your personal hygiene before getting a tattoo. It is also a good idea to keep in mind wearing clothes that are easily accessable to the place you are getting ink on. For example, if you’re getting a tattoo on you leg, you may want to wear shorts or sweatpants that can be easily rolled up instead of say denim jeans.

Don’t Be Under the Influence of Any Drugs

While getting my first tattoo at the Tattoo Galaxy of Feasterville Pa, I had to sign a few forms obviously of consent, and I also had to sign one stating that I was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. I thought to myself, “Why would someone have to sign off on that”?, but then I realized it made sense. Being under the influence of any mind altering drug while getting permanent ink on your body is never a good idea. For one because some people tend to bleed a lot during a tattooing session, and alcohol thins your blood causing you to possibly lose more. Secondly, you might end up getting something you never meant to get, and that is not the tattoo artist’s fault nor is it the shops, and I’m sure they hate getting complaints of that sort. Also, no one needs a loud obnoxiously drunk or high person in the shop, that has to be irritating.

Don’t Bring a Group of People or Kids

Your artist needs to be able to concentrate on your tattoo, and probably has a hard time doing so when there is a bunch of your friends standing or walking around. One person is fine, but a group of people is going to get bored and antsy while your getting your tattoo. Kids are also likely to get bored and require a lot of attention, and there’s most likely not going to be a playroom in the tattoo shop to send your kid to.