How NOT to prepare for a tattoo appointment
In the previous instalment we covered all the things to get ready for a tattoo appointment. This time around, we’ll be doing the flip side and covering all the things to avoid in getting prepared for a tattoo appointment.
1. Starving yourself
It’s imperative that you don’t have an empty stomach so that your body has a readily available energy source to pull from. The body needs calories to properly deal with the pain, and eating a big hearty meal before coming in for your appointment will really help especially for lengthy sessions.
Don’t be afraid to pack some snacks or take a lunch break for those full day sessions.
2. Dehydrating yourself
Sufficient hydration is crucial all of the time, and definitely applies when preparing for a tattoo appointment. This is because your skin will let the ink seep in more easily, producing the most optimal outcome, and will also aid in the healing process afterwards.
3. Depriving yourself of sleep
If you decide to party all night just before your appointment the next day, well, think again! Chances are that you won’t get adequate sleep meaning your body won’t be well rested enough to get you through your session, especially if it is going to be a long day.
Your body needs as much energy as possible to get through a tattoo session. If you have sat a long session, you will know how much tattooing can take it out of you!
4. Thinking nothing of the pain
Don’t choose your tattoo placement or design based on the pain. The pain is only temporary, but the tattoo is forever.
5. Keeping your skin dry
One thing you may not think about when getting ready for a tattoo, but is just as important as the rest of the tips, is to make sure you apply moisturiser to the skin intended for your tattoo. Particularly in the colder part of the year, not only will this keep the skin malleable, lowering its resistance to the needle, but it’ll also make the ink easier to be applied as a result.
6. Getting sunburnt
This should be a bit of an obvious one, but just in case it needs to be said, please do not spend more time in the sun than you need to and get sunburnt! We cannot tattoo over a sunburn. Sunburn is damaged and inflamed skin. We cannot tattoo over skin that is damaged, but even if we did the tattoo will be distorted due to the inflammation and it will be much more painful.