Charm City >> Skin&Body >> Im getting my first tattoo soon how should i prepare for it?
Im getting my first tattoo soon how should i prepare for it?
Firstly, make sure it's legal in your area. If they don't check IDs, then you don't want to go there!!! You don't know what else their NOT doing! ((It doesn't matter if you have a parent, or notary or anything. Most states you have to be 18, some 21, and some 16, but make sure. It's not like a piercing. You actually have to be that age)). Also, don't have a friend with a tattoo machine do it. I have one, but I would never put it in to someone else's skin.
Once you find out your laws, ask around. Ask where people they went, whether they liked it or not, where they would recomend. Also, go to some places, and ask to see their work. Most places should have photos of their work.
Once you go in for it, they'll ask for your ID (Sometimes two forms, definitely at least one picture and one gov. ID). They give you a form to fill out, it says basically what/ where, the date, the artist's name and your name/ID information. READ IT!! I know a lot of people don't read the things they sign, but you really should. Especially if it's your first tattoo. . . Don't let it freak you out though.
The artist will place the design. If you don't like where it is, tell them. They'll move it around until you love it. Make sure you watch the artist put on gloves, open a NEW package of needles, and put NEW inks into NEW dipwells. Basically watch everything they do. Make sure everything is new, opened in front of you, and all equipment is covered, etc. Supplies are expensive, some sketchier places might try to get away with not using fresh things.
Also, remember that different places hurt a different amount, and it depends on the artist, on how much it hurts, too. It's really not unbearable though. Outlines hurt the most.
As far as the after-care goes, the artist will tell you exactly what to do. Don't listen to your friends about caring for it!!! I've been to 5 different different places and had 6 different tattoo artists, and they all had different rules. Something I was told by the last guy though, was that indefinitely, your tattoo WILL heal, and it WILL look fine. As long as you don't pick at it. It's always good to use some sort of cleaning/ moistening method, but really, no matter what, it'll heal and look perfectly fine.
Good luck!
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"Im getting my first tattoo soon how should i prepare for it?" just in "Skin&Body"colum,Some of the information network reference literature and the contents on this site is meant for informational purposes only.
Once you find out your laws, ask around. Ask where people they went, whether they liked it or not, where they would recomend. Also, go to some places, and ask to see their work. Most places should have photos of their work.
Once you go in for it, they'll ask for your ID (Sometimes two forms, definitely at least one picture and one gov. ID). They give you a form to fill out, it says basically what/ where, the date, the artist's name and your name/ID information. READ IT!! I know a lot of people don't read the things they sign, but you really should. Especially if it's your first tattoo. . . Don't let it freak you out though.
The artist will place the design. If you don't like where it is, tell them. They'll move it around until you love it. Make sure you watch the artist put on gloves, open a NEW package of needles, and put NEW inks into NEW dipwells. Basically watch everything they do. Make sure everything is new, opened in front of you, and all equipment is covered, etc. Supplies are expensive, some sketchier places might try to get away with not using fresh things.
Also, remember that different places hurt a different amount, and it depends on the artist, on how much it hurts, too. It's really not unbearable though. Outlines hurt the most.
As far as the after-care goes, the artist will tell you exactly what to do. Don't listen to your friends about caring for it!!! I've been to 5 different different places and had 6 different tattoo artists, and they all had different rules. Something I was told by the last guy though, was that indefinitely, your tattoo WILL heal, and it WILL look fine. As long as you don't pick at it. It's always good to use some sort of cleaning/ moistening method, but really, no matter what, it'll heal and look perfectly fine.
Good luck!
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"Im getting my first tattoo soon how should i prepare for it?" just in "Skin&Body"colum,Some of the information network reference literature and the contents on this site is meant for informational purposes only.